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The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) has obtained a $14,425,000settlementfrom Microsoft Corporation for allegedly discriminating and retaliating against employees returning from disability, pregnancy, and family caretaking leave.
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California's Paid Family Leave (PFL) -- a temporary disability program administered by the state's Employment Development Department (EDD) -- provides up to eight weeks of state-funded partial wage replacement benefits for workers needing time off to care for a seriously ill family member, bond with a new child, or participate in a qualifying military event.Small businesses mayapply for state grantsup to $2,000 per employee on PFL to offset increased overhead, such as to cross-train existing staff
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A North Carolina Walmart distribution center refused an employee's intermittent leave request for a neurological issue in her hand and wrist. The company insisted she return to full duty or not at all, then terminated her after she protested its denial of intermittent work.
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Dear Employers: Please, as soon as superhumanly possible, confront and upgrade workplace practices to full Labor Code compliance. It pains me to hear a procrastinator ask the cost of defense - the projected time, money, risk -- when facing a class action or "PAGA" (2004 Private Attorneys General Act)suit. As these cases involve so many factors, "expense more than you can likely imagine" is about as specific as one can get.
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On August 20, 2024, a Texas federal court issued an injunction stopping theFederal Trade Commission's (FTC) new non-compete regulation from taking effect on September 4.SeeFreeing Enterprise: FTC Prohibits Employee Noncompetes(May 17, 2024).
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The nationwide "ban-the-box" movement is part of government's effort to remedy blanket disqualification of persons with criminal records for any job. Ban-the box laws typically require employers to eliminate the criminal history question on a job application, reduce an employer's accessibility to criminal records until after extending a conditional job offer, and require the criminal offense to be relevant for that job position for an employer to use it as a disqualifying factor.
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Triggered by anOccupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA) investigation, the federalDepartment of Labor(DOL) sued the U.S. Postal Service,obtaining a court approved settlementover USPS's alleged retaliation against three probationary employees for reporting workplace injuries. The resolution affects 59 post offices in Washington state, following DOL retaliation suits against the USPS in Oregon, California, and Pennsylvania since 2020.
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NewDivision of Occupational Safety and Health(Cal/OSHA)indoor heat illness prevention regulationsgo into effect July 23, 2024. They apply to all indoor workplaces with temperatures of 82 degrees F or more when employees are present. Employers must take additional measures when the indoor temperature is at least 87 degrees F.
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Aspreviously reported, effective June 1, 2024,Senate Bill 525created Labor Code sections1182.14and1182.15to substantially increase minimum wage for health care workers in various facilities, eventually raising the minimum wage to $25/hour, superseding local minimum wage laws.
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