The National Labor Relations Board has taken a big step in deciding that non-disparagement and confidentiality clauses in employee severance agreements are illegal, a move that will require most employers to rewrite theirs. The board ruled that these provisions stifle employees’ and ex-employees’ rights under Title 7 of the National Labor Relations Act to discuss […]
A U.S. court of appeals has struck down a landmark California law that prohibits employers from requiring their workers to sign agreements to arbitrate any disputes arising from their employment. The ruling clears the way for employers to continue using arbitration agreements without risking criminal liability that the law — AB 51 — calls for. […]
A new state law that allows for digital license plates to be installed on vehicles in California, may have created a privacy nightmare for employers. The Motor Vehicle Digital Number Plates Act, which took effect Jan. 1, enables fleet and commercial vehicle owners to purchase and install digital license plates and soon-to-be-approved alternative devices for […]
As businesses use more and more devices in their operations, their vulnerability to cyber attacks increases exponentially. Some employees may have a work smartphone, a laptop for the road and a desktop unit for when they work in the office. And there may be other systems and assets that are connected to the company network […]
Cal/OSHA is in the process of updating its regulations on first aid kit requirements, an effort that’s stirred up controversy over some of the proposed elements of the standard. According to a report by the trade publication Cal-OSHA Reporter, one of the most controversial parts of the proposal is that a doctor or other licensed […]
In the waning days of 2022, Congress passed a bipartisan $1.7-trillion spending bill that includes legislation that expands rights for pregnant and nursing employees. The budget bill, which President Biden has signed into law, included the Pregnant Workers Fair Act (PWFA) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act). Employers will […]
Employers with 10 or more employees must post their completed OSHA Form 300A by Feb. 1 and keep it posted in their workplace until April 30. The form must be posted where the company usually posts other employee notices, like minimum wage and workplace safety notices. Form 300A summarizes the total number of fatalities, missed […]
While overall sexual harassment complaints have ebbed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and have fallen below their post-#MeToo movement highs, jury awards continue rising. Employers who receive a complaint about workplace sexual harassment need to take immediate steps to investigate the matter and take remedial action when warranted. But the best way to […]
The ongoing labor shortage affecting the construction industry is leading to increasing exposure for contractors due to a number of risks. Working short-staffed or with employees new to construction can lead to increased workplace injuries, which in turn can result in higher workers’ compensation premiums. It can also result in shoddy work that needs to […]
The year 2022 was one of the most tumultuous climate disaster years in history, a year when we saw the massively destructive Hurricane Ian, an unprecedent number of tornadoes, growing wildfires in the West and a “bomb cyclone” in late December. And the increasing number of natural disasters is not just a U.S. phenomenon. It’s […]