There are basic steps employers must take to ensure worker safety during the summer and periods of high heat which include: Provide heat illness prevention training Provide cool, fresh water and encourage workers to drink water frequently Provide shaded areas for workers so they can cool down and take recovery breaks Prepare an emergency heat Read more
Philadelphia’s Mayor Nutter recently signed the Breastfeeding Accommodation Bill, Number 130922, an extension of the Philadelphia Fair Practices Ordinance. It is effective immediately. Businesses with one (1) or more employees are now required to provide reasonable accommodations for female employees who need to pump breast milk. Reasonable accommodation includes providing unpaid break time or allowing Read more
Minimum wage legislation exists for Canadian provinces and territories as included in labor and employment standards. Minimum wage laws stipulate the lowest rate an employer can pay employees who are covered under an Act or Standard and serve an important purpose: the protection of non-unionized workers in unskilled jobs. Minimum wage rate standards can, however, Read more
Manitoba’s minimum wage will increase October 1, 2014. Currently the wage rate is $10.45 per hour for most industries. On Wednesday October 1, 2014 the minimum wage increases by 25 cents to $10.70 per hour. All employees must receive the minimum wage regardless of the number of hours they work unless they are not covered Read more
Paid sick leave is a hot topic on both the state and city level. Currently a bill regarding paid sick leave, titled The Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014, sits on California’s Governor Brown’s desk for signing. Should he sign the bill before the legislative session ends it will be effective July 1, 2015. Read more
Effective September 30, 2014 employers with 50 or more employees in the San Francisco Bay Area counties must comply with the Bay Area Commuter Benefits Program (CBP). Under the CBP, covered employers must select at least one of four commuter benefit options and make them available to employees. There are also employer registration and reporting Read more
The US DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have partnered to release best practices for staffing agencies to better protect temporary workers from job hazards. Staffing agencies and host employers have joint responsibility to provide a safe working environment for this group of individuals. Read more
The recently released Policy on Mental Disabilities and Addictions addresses longstanding discrimination, stigmatization and social exclusion this group experiences in Ontario Canada. The Ontario Human Rights Code protects individuals with mental health disabilities and addictions from discrimination and harassment under the ground of “disability” and extends to five areas: When receiving goods, services and utilization Read more
San Diego’s City Council has successfully overridden the mayor’s veto of a Earned Sick Leave & Minimum Wage Ordinance (#20390). It is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2015. The Ordinance imposes several requirements for employers: paying a minimum wage higher than the California State minimum wage of $9.00 per hour, mandatory employee earned sick Read more
A petition initiative to increase Nebraska’s minimum wage has cleared the necessary hurdles to be voted on during the general election in November 2014. Ballot initiatives give voters the opportunity to send clear signals to lawmakers regarding issues important to them and raising minimum wages top the list. Nebraska will be among several states to Read more
