The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries recently released a fact sheet covering frequently asked questions (FAQs) about pay requirements, deductions from pay, hiring a teen worker, employee uniforms, and employee access to personnel files. The fact sheet is a succinct description of the laws with links to more detailed fact sheets on some [...]
Archive for the ‘Employment Contracts’ category
WASHINGTON STATE WAGE AND HOUR FAQ’S
March 26, 2010Federal Employment Law Guide Updated
December 5, 2009The U.S. Department of Labor announced on November 30, 2009 that it has updated its online Employment Law Guide (click on title to open link). This Guide discusses federal laws on wages and hours worked; safety and health standards; health benefits; retirement standards and worker’s compensation; lie detector tests; whistleblower and retaliation protections; plant closings and mass layoffs; union officer elections and financial controls; uniformed servicemember rights under USERRA; work authorization for non-U.S. citizens; and federal contracts, among other topics. The Employment Law Guide is a good starting point for identifying issues under Federal law, but keep in mind that if there is a state or local law that is more protective of employees, it will probably be applied, so state and local laws should be checked before deciding if an employer is in compliance with all applicable laws.
There is a related federal online tool called FirstStep Employment Law Advisor, which provides basic information about recordkeeping requirements, reporting, posters and other notices relating to federal employment laws.
Court Limits Arbitration Clause
October 20, 2009A Washington court recently held that an arbitration clause in an employment agreement was partially unenforceable because it required the employee to arbitrate his case in Denver, and because it entitled the employer to be awarded attorney’s fees if it won.
