December 2013 - Laborsphere

New Jersey Gender Equity in Pay – Notice and Posting Requirements Effective January 6, 2014

Governor Chris Christie signed Assembly Bill 2647 (the “Gender Equity Notice and Posting Law,” N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.12) into law, effective November 21, 2012 requiring New Jersey employers with 50 or more employees to conspicuously post a notice, where it would be accessible to all workers in each of the employer’s workplaces, informing employees of their “right to be free of gender inequity or bias in pay, compensation, benefits, or other terms or conditions of employment” under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, other New Jersey State law, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963. (http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2012/Bills/PL12/57_.PDF)

Under the Gender Equity Notice and Posting Law, employers have 30 days from December 9, 2013, the date the New Jersey Division of Labor and Workforce Development (“NJDLWD”) issued the “notice” to comply. The gender equity notice is now available for download from the NJDLWD at: http://lwd.state.nj.us/labor/forms_pdfs/EmployerPosterPacket/genderequityposter.pdf

Here is what “covered” employers (those employers with 50 or more employees, whether they work inside or outside of New Jersey) must do:

Beginning January 6, 2014, conspicuously post the gender equity notice where it is accessible to all employees in each of the employer’s workplaces. If the covered employer has an internet or intranet site for its employees’ exclusive use to which all employees have access, posting of the notice on such a site will satisfy the conspicuous posting requirement.
By February 5, 2014, provide each employee hired on or before January 6, 2014 with a written copy of the gender equity notice.
After January 6, 2014, provide each employee with a written copy of the gender equity notice at the time of the employee’s hiring.
Beginning January 6, 2014, and on or before December 31 of each subsequent year, provide each employee a written copy of the gender equity notice.
At any time, upon the first request of the worker, provide each employee a written copy of the gender equity notice.

Covered employers may distribute the gender equity notice as follows:

By email;
Via printed materials, including, but not limited to, a paycheck insert, brochure or similar informational packet provided to new hires, an attachment to an employee manual or policy book, or flyer distributed at an employee meeting; or
By way of an internet or intranet site, so long as it is accessible by all employees, for employees’ exclusive use and the employer provides notice to workers of its posting.

Covered employers must ensure that the gender equity notice contains an acknowledgment, indicating that the worker has received the notification and has read and understands its terms. The acknowledgment must be signed by the employee, in writing or electronically verified form, and returned to the employer within 30 days of receipt. The notice must be posted in English, Spanish, and any other language the employer reasonably believes is the first language of a significant number of workers in the covered employer’s workforce, provided that the NJDLWD has issued a form notice in that language.

New Jersey employers (with 10 employees or more) are reminded of the similar, annual posting and distribution requirements of the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (“CEPA”) and of the new posting requirement of the New Jersey SAFE Act, which provides unpaid leave for victims of domestic violence. As the end of 2013 rapidly approaches, New Jersey employers are encouraged to take time out to make sure that all postings are current for the new year, that all distribution requirements are or will be satisfied, and that handbooks are updated to reflect these new laws.

California Employers: What You Need to Know for 2014 – Everything Else

A new year means new legislation and regulations for employers with operations in California. This four-part series will take a look at some of the new laws and regulation affecting private employers doing business in California. Today’s final post in this series takes a look at the other changes for 2014 that California employers should be aware of and were not already covered in the first three posts (Wage and Hour Laws and Penalties, Discrimination and Retaliation and Immigrant Protections & Leaves, Accommodations, and Benefits) of this series.

Miscellaneous

Criminal conviction history. Existing law prohibits all employers from asking job applicants to disclose, orally or in writing, any information related to an arrest or detention that did not result in a conviction. Effective July 1, 2014, AB 218 will further prohibit any state or local agency from asking an applicant to disclose information regarding a criminal conviction until after determining that the applicant meets minimum employment qualifications. Positions for which a criminal background check is otherwise required by law are exempt.

Business mileage deduction. The IRS has issued new optional standard mileage rates which may be used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical, or moving purposes. The standard mileage rates for 2014 for business driving is $.56 per mile. Of course, taxpayers still have the alternative option of calculating the actual costs of using a business vehicle.

Labor Commissioner liens on real property. Under current law, the Labor Commissioner is authorized to issue orders, decisions, or awards in connection with employee complaints governed by the Labor Code. AB 1386 provides that the amount due under a final Labor Commissioner order, decision, or award shall create a lien upon the employer’s real property, recordable by the Labor Commissioner.

Garment manufacturer registrations. AB 1384 creates a civil penalty for a garment manufacturer’s failure to display its name, address, and registration number at the front entrance of the premises. The penalty for an initial citation is $100 per calendar day of non-compliance, and the fine increases to $200 per calendar day for subsequent violations.

California Employers: What You Need to Know for 2014 – Immigrant Protections & Leaves, Accommodations, and Benefits

A new year means new legislation and regulations for employers with operations in California. This four-part series will take a look at some of the new laws and regulation affecting private employers doing business in California. Today we look at new laws and regulations in California dealing with immigrant protections & leaves, accommodations and benefits.

Immigrant Protections

Retaliation. AB 263 prohibits an employer from using immigration law to retaliate against employees who assert protected rights under the Labor Code. Employers who do so, e.g., by contacting or threatening to contact immigration authorities about the immigration status of a current, former, or prospective employee or their family members, will face various penalties, including suspension of certain business licenses, and may face civil action from affected employees.

Extortion. Similarly, AB 524 clarifies that any person that threatens to report the known or suspected immigration status of an individual may be guilty of criminal extortion.

Despite both laws however, employers may still require employees to verify eligibility for employment under Form I-9 without becoming subject to any penalties.

Leaves, Accommodations, and Benefits

Leave for serious crime victims. Under SB 288, an employee who has been a victim of certain serious crimes may not be discriminated or retaliated against for taking time off from work to appear in any legal proceeding in which his or her right as a victim is at issue. The law defines “victim” to include any person who “suffers direct or threatened physical, psychological, or financial harm as a result of the commission or attempted commission of a crime or delinquent act,” as well as that person’s spouse, parent, child, sibling, or guardian. Employees must, however, comply with specific requirements for requesting the leave.

Leave for stalking victims. SB 400 extends existing leave protections for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault to victims of stalking. All employers must provide time off to these victims to appear at legal proceedings, and employers with 25 or more employees must also provide time off to deal with medical/psychological treatment, including safety planning.

Leave for volunteer firefighters, peace officers, and rescue personnel. Existing law requires an employer with 50 or more employees to permit an employee who is a volunteer firefighter to take temporary leaves of absence, not to exceed an aggregate of 14 days per calendar year, for the purpose of engaging in firefighting or law enforcement training. AB 11 extends these leave provisions to reserve peace officers or emergency rescue personnel pursuing firefighting, law enforcement, or emergency rescue training.

Wage replacement. Effective July 1, 2014, SB 770 extends paid family leave benefits to employees taking time off to care for a seriously ill grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or parent-in-law. The law previously only covered time spent caring for a seriously ill child, spouse, domestic partner, or parent or to bond with a child within one year of birth, adoption, or foster care placement. Note, however, that the law does not create the right to a leave of absence, but only to compensation/wage replacement during a qualifying absence.

“Family friendly” work arrangements in San Francisco. According to the Family-Friendly Workplace Ordinance, employers with twenty or more full and part-time employees working within the geographic boundaries of San Francisco must consider employee requests for “flexible or predictable working arrangements to assist with care giving responsibilities,” provided that the employee has worked more than six months for the employer, works at least eight hours per week on a regular basis, and complies with guidelines set by the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement in making the request. The ordinance also requires applicable employers to post a notice on the premises informing employees of their rights, and protects employees from retaliation for making a request or from adverse action based on “caregiver” status.

Small business health insurance. Small business owners with one to fifty eligible employees may now enroll for health care coverage online at the Small Business Health Options (“SHOP”) segment of the Covered California website. In fact, beginning on January 1, purchasing insurance through SHOP will be the only way for small business owners to access federal tax credits helping to offset contributions toward employee premiums. Small businesses will be eligible for such tax credits if they have fewer than twenty-five full-time-equivalent employees for the tax year, pay employees an average of less than $50,000 per year and contribute at least fifty percent of their employees’ premium cost. Maximum tax credits will go to employers with ten or fewer full-time-equivalent employees with wages averaging $25,000 or less per year.

Make sure to check out the first two posts in this series on new Wage and Hour Laws and Penalties and Discrimination and Retaliation.

California Employers: What You Need to Know for 2014 – Discrimination and Retaliation

A new year means new legislation and regulations for employers with operations in California. This four-part series will take a look at some of the new laws and regulation affecting private employers doing business in California. Today we look at new laws and regulations in California dealing with discrimination and retaliation.

Discrimination and Retaliation

Retaliation. AB 263 expands employer liability for violating Labor Code 98.6, which currently protects employees from discharge or discrimination when they have asserted their rights under the Labor Code. As amended, the law will:

Prohibit any retaliation or adverse action against employees who have asserted any right under the Labor Code or who have updated or attempted to update their “personal information” in a manner unrelated to their skill set, qualifications, or knowledge required for the job;
Expand protected activity to include a written or oral complaint by an employee that they are owed unpaid wages; and
Provide a civil penalty to employers of up to $10,000 per employee per instance of retaliation.

New protected class. AB 556 adds “military or veteran status” to the list of classes protected from employment discrimination under the Fair Employment and Housing Act.

Sexual harassment. SB 292 clarifies that sexually harassing conduct is unlawful under FEHA regardless of whether the conduct is motivated by any sexual desire.

Whistleblower protections. Labor Code 1102.5 prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who report violations of a state or federal rule or regulation to a government agency, except for employees with duties related to company compliance. SB 496 extends whistleblower protections to employees with compliance duties and expands protected activity to include:

Reports alleging a violation of a local rule or regulation; and
Internal complaints to “a person with authority over the employee or another employee who has the authority to investigate, discover, or correct the violation or non-compliance.”

The new law also clarifies that retaliation is prohibited when the employer “believes the employee disclosed or may disclose information.”

Make sure to check out the first post in this series on new Wage and Hour Laws and Penalties.

California Employers: What You Need to Know for 2014 – Wage and Hour Laws and Penalties

Wage and Hour Laws and Penalties

Minimum wage increase. AB 10 raises the state-wide minimum wage from the current $8 per hour to $9 per hour, effective July 1, 2014, and then to $10 per hour, effective January 1, 2016. Employers should note that employees currently classified as exempt must still meet the salary basis test to qualify for the particular exemption claimed.

Minimum wage penalties. Under Labor Code section 1194.2, employees who have not been paid minimum wages may recover liquidated damages through civil actions or administrative wage hearings before the Labor Commissioner. AB 442 extends the authority of the Labor Commissioner to award liquidated damages to affected employees through the labor commissioner citations process. Thus, affected employees will be able to recover liquidated damages in an amount equal to the wages unlawfully unpaid plus interest thereon through either a civil action, an administrative hearing, or a citation issued by the Labor Commissioner.

Wage claim attorneys’ fees. Labor Code section 218.5 awards attorneys’ fees and costs to the prevailing party in any action for nonpayment of wages, fringe benefits, or health and welfare or pension fund contributions, regardless of whether the prevailing party is the employer or employee. Under SB 462, a prevailing employer may only recover attorneys’ fees and costs if the court determines that the employee filed suit in bad faith.

Domestic worker overtime. AB 241 enacts the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, which provides that a “domestic work employee who is a personal attendant” will be eligible for overtime at 1.5 times his or her regular rate of pay if he or she works more than nine hours in any workday or more than 45 hours in the workweek. Individuals and entities employing in-home help should determine whether they or their employees qualify for an exemption.

Heat illness recovery periods. Under Cal/OSHA regulations, employees that work outdoors in temperatures exceeding 85 degrees Fahrenheit must be allowed, and encouraged, to take a cool-down rest for at least five minutes when they feel the need to do so in order to avoid overheating. SB 435 now adds this “heat illness recovery period” to the requirement in Labor Code section 226.7 that employers provide employees with meal and rest breaks. Thus, an employer’s failure to provide a heat illness recovery period to non-exempt employees will now result in penalties under Labor Code section 226.7 amounting to one additional hour of pay at the employee’s regular rate of compensation for each workday that the recovery period is not provided.

Criminal withholding. Labor Code section 218.5 makes it a crime for an employer to willfully fail to remit agreed-upon payments to health and welfare funds, pension funds, or other various benefit plans, with failure to remit more than $500 constituting a felony. SB 390 amends section 218.5 to include an employer’s failure to remit withholdings from an employee’s wages made for state, local, or federal tax purposes.

Prevailing wages. Employers who provide services or construction work for any public entities must pay current prevailing wages, which are usually significantly higher than the minimum wage. Prevailing wage laws have been updated for 2014 in the following ways:

AB 1336 and SB 377 amend the process and timeline for assessing prevailing wage violations. Under these provisions, a notice of completion of a public work filed with a county recorder must also be given to the Labor Commissioner, and the awarding body or political subdivision which accepts a public work must also provide notice of that acceptance to the Labor Commissioner. The new laws then extend the deadline for the Labor Commissioner to serve a civil wage and penalty assessment alleging a violation of the prevailing wage law from 180 days (roughly six months) to eighteen months after the filing of a valid notice of completion with the applicable county recorder, or after acceptance of the public work, whichever occurs last. Moreover, if notice is not given in a timely manner to the Labor Commissioner, the deadline to serve an assessment shall be tolled for the length of the delay.
AB 1336 also amends prevailing wage law to allow a court to award liquidated damages and civil penalties, whereas such relief was previously recoverable only in an administrative action brought by the Labor Commissioner.
Existing law requires affected contractors to keep detailed payroll records relating to public works and produce these as necessary, with names and social security numbers redacted, to a joint labor-management committee. AB 1336 amends this rule to require redaction of social security numbers only.
SB 377 also establishes specific deadlines for the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations to respond to a request for a determination of whether a specific project or type of work is a public work within the meaning of the prevailing wage law.
SB 7 prohibits a charter city from receiving or using state funding or financial assistance for a construction project if the city has awarded, within the prior 2 years, a public works contract without requiring the contractor to comply with prevailing wage provisions. Small project exemptions apply. SB 7 was enacted on the heels of a decision by the California Supreme Court holding that, under the California Constitution, the wage levels of workers employed by charter cities on locally funded public works projects are a municipal affair not subject to state regulation. Thus, the constitutionality of this new law may be the subject of future litigation.
SB 54 extends prevailing wage requirements to privately financed refinery construction projects.
SB 776 prohibits contractors from counting payments for monitoring and enforcing prevailing wage laws towards their obligation to pay prevailing wages.

Unless otherwise noted the laws and regulations discussed above go into effect on January 1, 2014. These summaries are not exhaustive, so employers who may be affected by California’s new laws should contact their attorneys to ensure that they are prepared for compliance and to update their employee policies and manuals as appropriate.

Court Rules In First of Five Church Plan Retirement Plan Cases Rejecting Dignity Health Retirement Plan Church Plan Status

By: Mark E. Furlane and David R. Levin

Last spring five complaints were filed against hospital systems challenging the church plan status of one or more of their plans. The Hospital systems were Dignity Health, San Francisco; Ascension Health Alliance, St. Louis; Catholic Health Initiatives, Englewood, Colo., Catholic Health East, Newtown Square, Pa.; and Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, New Brunswick, N.J. They all operated their pension plans under church plan status. Motions to dismiss were filed and fully briefed in four of those cases and oral argument was heard in two of them.

On December 12, 2013, the district court for the Northern District of California ruled in one of them, Rollins v. Dignity Health, agreeing with Plaintiff that the Dignity Health retirement plan was not a church plan. The suit claimed Dignity Health is “not a church or a convention or association of churches” nor does it meet any of the other criteria necessary to be considered a church plan sponsor under federal regulations.

In reaching its ruling that the retirement plan was not a church plan, the court rejected Dignity Health’s argument that its Pension Fund Sub-Committee met the committee approach to church plan status under 29 U.S.C. §1002(33)(C)(i). The court ruled that under 29 U.S.C. §1002(33)(A), only a church or convention of churches can establish a church plan. The court then rejected Dignity Health’s argument that the Plan met an alternative means of establishing a church plan found in 29 U.S.C. §1002(33)(C)(i). According to Dignity Health, that section allows church plan status for plans not established by a church or convention or association of churches so long as they are “maintained” by an “organization” controlled or associated with a church, where the “organization’s” principal purpose is the administration of benefits. The court rejected that argument, stating that it violates a cardinal rule of statutory construction, and concluding that the organization itself must have a principal purpose of benefit plan administration, not its Retirement Plan Sub-Committee.

The Dignity Health suit and the other four lawsuits demand that the pension plans be brought into compliance with ERISA and that the plans make whole any losses to participants; pay civil penalties and pay attorney fees and expenses to the plaintiff. If the Dignity Health ruling is followed in the other cases or affirmed on appeal it will have a significant impact on the plans, both operationally and financially. The financial implications of a binding ruling that upholds the position of the district court may include funding the plans to meet minimum funding levels, payment of PBGC premiums, and losses to participants harmed by plan terms and operations less favorable than those required by ERISA.