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
The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has launched a new website to help workers injured at work. The site includes easy step-by-step instructions to help workers’ navigate through the process. According to the Administrative Director of the DWC Rosa Moran, “when a worker is hurt on the job, they need more than a doctor; Read more
Employers often have reason to be interested in an applicant’s or employee’s arrest and conviction records, but are understandably concerned about violating state and federal anti-discrimination laws. To assist employers in complying with federal law, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently announced the release of an updated “Enforcement Guidance” on an employer’s use of Read more
Did you know that restaurants in California are not required by law to report cases of food poisoning to officials? You might think that restaurants would be required to notify public health officials, but reporting is only encouraged. The lack of reporting requirements present a gap in food safety and is potentially dangerous for consumers. Read more
On May 1, 2012 British Columbia’s minimum wage will increase to $10.25 per hour. The liquor server minimum wage will increase to $9.00 per hour. The May increases are part of a three-stage increase in the minimum wage announced in March, 2011. Last year, British Columbia’s minimum wage increased twice. In 2011, the minimum wage Read more
