If you are a direct care worker who works for a home care agency or other type of third party employer, there were some changes that occurred on January 1, 2015, that could affect your pay and overtime. On that date, federal regulations changed and home care agencies are now required to pay employees at least the amount of federal minimum wage for the hours their employees have worked.
How are workers protected under the FMLA?
American workers are protected by many laws, including the Family and Medical Leave Act. While many people understand the FMLA, including how this protects them as an employee, some are unsure of what benefits it brings to them.
Sexual Harassment In The Health Care Setting
Professional nursing groups pay attention to issues related to sexual assault and harassment in the medical workplace. Organizations such as the American Nursing Association offer training to members to help nurses and other health care professionals prevent sexual assault. The need for this should not be surprising, as health care professionals are victims of more than half of all workplace violence incidents, including incidents of sexual assault and rape, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Richmond police chief facing sexual harassment lawsuit
In an unusual case of "he said, he said," a former Richmond, California, police officer has filed a lawsuit against the openly gay chief of police claiming sexual harassment. The former officer claims that he was fired back in 2013 after he accused the police chief of making sexual advances against him that were unwanted.
Sexual harassment training for California supervisors
There are both state and federal laws in place to help protect against sexual harassment in the workplace. Even with these laws, some people, such as supervisors, cross the line by sexually harassing a coworker.
Executive order addresses transgender discrimination issues
An executive order that was signed last week by President Barack Obama officially made into law an order that bans discrimination against federal employees and contractors who are gay or transgender. The order comes on the heels of a March 16, 2015, hearing held by the United States Commission on Civil rights to discuss workplace discrimination against those who are part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, and Transgender community.
Does my employer need a reason to fire me?
As an employee, there is no denying that you have many rights. At the same time, your employer is in position to make decisions for the betterment of the company. This leads to one very important question: does my employer need a reason to fire me?
What you should know about reverse discrimination
Reverse discrimination is a term used to describe an action where an individual or group of individuals who are members of a majority, are discriminated against due to what is considered a protected factor, such as gender or race. As an example, a Caucasian male is turned down for a promotion because a company is trying to promote more women or African-Americans into management, even though the male is the more qualified candidate.
California employers benefit by misclassifying workers
Independent contractors work for California employers but are not classified as employees. Contract workers are not afforded the job protections employees have due to this separate title. Without the status of an employee, independent contractors forfeit benefits like group health care coverage, workers' compensation benefits for job-related illnesses and injuries and family leave.
How are spouses defined in the Family and Medical Leave Act?
California employment laws provide protections for workers that aren't available in other parts of the country. Some laws like the federal Family and Medical Leave Act and the California Family Rights Act have overlapping provisions. The extended protections for Los Angeles workers highlight the laws' differences.
