If you’re one of America’s small business owners, employees, or customers, this week is for you… SBA and the Obama Administration want to wish you a very happy National Small Business Week! What’s happening this week? National Small Business Week is a public-private partnership that honors small businesses all over the country. 2012 marks the Read more
It’s a case that’s been years in the making, but the California Supreme Court has finally reached a decision in the Brinker Restaurant Corp v. Superior Court case. The big question in the case? Does an employer have a legal responsibility to make sure that employees take their meal breaks? The answer? No. The California Read more
It looks like Missouri voters are going to get their say as to whether or not minimum wage workers start earning more money. If passed, the ballot issue would raise Missouri’s minimum wage rate to $8.25 an hour, starting in 2013. Then, there would be an annual cost-of-living adjustment that would kick in at the Read more
Illinois lawmakers will soon decide whether or not the state’s minimum wage workers deserve a raise, but the issue isn’t as cut and dry as it seems. On the plus side for workers, the proposed law is one in a string of recent minimum wage changes. In fact, Illinois’ minimum wage rate has been rising Read more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has made some changes to Form I-9 — the form that all companies have to fill out for new employees, verifying their identity and that they’re authorized to work in the U.S. But instead of just dumping changes on you, USCIS wants to hear from you. That’s why they’re Read more
The mercury is starting to rise, and, as a result, the U.S. Department of Labor is kicking things into high gear. The Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) just kicked off a summer campaign designed to educate companies and their employees about the dangers of working outside during the hot summer months. Officials believe Read more
You never want to hear about any worker getting injured on the job, but you definitely don’t want to hear about kids getting hurt! Unfortunately, a teenager in Oregon was injured when he was using a power-driven band saw. And, sadly, the entire situation never should have happened — since having the teen use the Read more
Minimum wage is always an interesting topic — since there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it! Some states raise their minimum wage rates every year like clockwork, while other states never budge. And as for that federal minimum wage rate, it has come a long way since it was first created in Read more
Maryland has become the first state to officially prohibit employers from requiring that applicants or employees disclose their user names or passwords for websites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Last week, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed the controversial Senate Bill 433 which goes into effect October 1, 2012. The new law applies to applicants’ Read more
Does your company feel overwhelmed by all of the state and federal employment-related labor law compliance requirements? Or what about those pesky poster companies that send out threatening notices regarding mandatory poster updates. Labor law compliance is not rocket science but it does require lots of time and attention. State and federal statutes, laws, and Read more
