“On Thursday, the long-anticipated “employer mandate” kicks in, meaning businesses with 50 or more employees need to start offering their workers health insurance plans, if they’re not doing so already. Well, for the most part. Nothing is ever simple when it comes to health reform, especially in the group market. Employers with between 50 and…
“Legislation creating a voluntary certification program for professional employer organizations within the IRS received approval from the US Senate last night, the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations announced. It passed the House two weeks ago. The legislation, the Small Business Efficiency Act, was part of a tax extenders bill passed by the Senate, according…
“This past Monday, July 21, 2014, Illinois joined Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Rhode Island as the fifth State to enact a so called “ban the box†law.  Signed by the Governor, the law will take effect on January 1, 2015. Called the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act, the law prohibits private sector employers from…
“Capitol Hill Democrats and Republicans lowered their swords long enough to pass the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, which dangles tax credits at employers as incentive to hire military veterans. Â But Veterans Day is a reminder that there’re plenty of other reasons to hire military vets. Here are 10 of them, courtesy of…
“This week, Rhode Island became the eighth state in the country to pass a statewide Ban the Box law, and it’s one of the most expansive versions out there: The state will require all private and public employers to delay questions about criminal history, following Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Hawaii. Four other states and 51 municipalities…
“To resolve a legal challenge to its background-checking process, Advance Auto Parts has tentatively agreed to pay $100 apiece to more than 2,500 people who were turned down after applying for a job. The settlement’s price tag is an estimated $360,000, money Advance has tentatively agreed it would furnish without admitting responsibility or conceding any…
In the decision, Judge William H. Pauley III ruled that Fox Searchlight should have paid two interns on the movie “Black Swan,†because they were essentially regular employees.
The judge noted that these internships did not foster an educational environment and that the studio received the benefits of the work. The case could have broad implications. Young people have flocked to internships, especially against the backdrop of a weak job market.
Employment experts estimate that undergraduates work in more than one million internships a year, an estimated half of which are unpaid, according to Intern Bridge, a research firm.
“Employers have already started to take a hard look at their internship programs,†said Rachel Bien, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. “I think this decision will go far to discourage private companies from having unpaid internship programs.â€
Chris Petrikin, a spokesman for 20th Century Fox, said: “We are very disappointed with the court’s rulings. We believe they are erroneous, and will seek to have them reversed.â€
Eric Glatt and Alexander Footman, production interns on “Black Swan,†sued Fox Searchlight in September 2011. In the suit, Mr. Glatt and Mr. Footman said they did basic chores, usually undertaken by paid employees. Like their counterparts in other industries, the interns took lunch orders, answered phones, arranged other employees’ travel plans, tracked purchase orders, took out the trash and assembled office furniture.
“I’m absolutely thrilled,†said Mr. Glatt, who has an M.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University. “I hope that this sends a very loud and clear message to employers and to students doing these internships, and to the colleges that are cooperating in creating this large pool of free labor — for most for-profit employers, this is illegal. It shouldn’t be up to the least powerful person in the arrangement to have to bring a lawsuit to stop this.â€
In the ruling, the judge said unpaid internships should be allowed only in very limited circumstances.â€
“On Tuesday, May 28, 2013, the Common Council of the City of Buffalo followed the lead of New York City, Newark, and Philadelphia, when it passed its own “ban the box†ordinance by a vote of 7-2. The ordinance, which amends Chapter 154 of the Code of the City of Buffalo, and which passed by…
“As the economy recovers around Acadiana and the U.S., more and more jobs are becoming available on sites such as Craigslist in a variety of different employment fields. But the increase in employment opportunities and resulting jobs listings also opens the door to scammers high jacking the names of real companies to put out job…
“The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s current enforcement priorities include eliminating hiring barriers, exploring emerging workplace issues, and examining employer compensation practices, EEOC Commissioner Victoria A. Lipnic said at an April 24 conference. Lipnic said EEOC established these priorities and others in its FY 2013-2016 strategic enforcement plan, which commissioners approved 3-1 in December 2012 (30…
Contact Us!
