Employment / Labor Law News Roundup: October 2014

Friday, October 31, 2014

National Council on Disability makes reccommendations

Since its inception, the National Council on Disability has reported on the status of people with disabilities in the United States of America. The 2014 review of National Disability Policy: A Progress Report continues that tradition, fulfilling our statutory mandate with added significance this year as we celebrate our 30th anniversary as an independent federal agency.

http://ift.tt/1sUqXzP

2015 Budget: A look at other funds

The Fort Morgan City Council passed the 2015 city budget on first reading at the Oct. 21 regular meeting. A public hearing will be held at the Nov. 4 regular meeting before the council considers finalizing the budget.

http://ift.tt/1DF8z4g

Few states escape recession's damage to businesses

The number of private employers decreased in most states during the recession, but not in oil-rich states, New York or the District of Columbia, a Stateline analysis of recent census data found. The County Business Patterns data for 2008 and 2012 show the terrible toll of the recession, which officially ended in June 2009, on businesses around the nation.

http://ift.tt/1DF4IEv

Yes or No on Initiated Measure 17?

Our most recent poll shows voters strongly in favor of a yes vote at 42 to eight percent. But most notable, about half of voters are still undecided about the measure.

http://ift.tt/1s1VX1z

Three California teens killed in Halloween hit-and-run

Three teenage girls trick-or-treating in costume were hit by a vehicle and killed while walking at a Southern California intersection. Santa Ana police Cpl.

http://ift.tt/1G4HFXC

Shareholder Alert: Brower Piven Encourages Investors Who Have Losses...

The securities litigation law firm of Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation, announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California on behalf of purchasers of Retrophin, Inc. securities during the period between March 27, 2014 and September 30, 2014, inclusive . Investors who wish to become proactively involved in the litigation have until December 19, 2014 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff.

http://ift.tt/1wPcvxj

Emails shed little light on National Guard case

Emails released by the state of Alaska on Friday shed little new light into how allegations of sexual assault and misconduct in the Alaska National Guard were handled by state or guard officials. A judge ordered the release of nearly 600 pages after the Alaska Dispatch News and Alaska Public Media sued.

http://ift.tt/1znspTR?

$1.2 million grant will fund street improvements at Keystone College

This rendering of the completed streetscape project at Keystone College in Pl Plume was provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. This rendering of the completed streetscape project at Keystone College in Pl Plume was provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

http://ift.tt/1wRttOM

Guard on CDC elevator with Obama was not a felon after all

A Secret Service agent stands by as President Obama speaks about the economy at Rhode Island College in Providence. An armed security guard who was on an elevator with President Obama had not been convicted of a felony, as previously reported, according to two people briefed on the incident.

http://ift.tt/1pd1x5Y

Garfield and his creator, Jim Davis, joined Governor Mike Pence in handing out candy.

The treats came from here, a bucket on the front steps. The tricks came from here, the sky, rainy and windy.

http://ift.tt/1zT2THp

E-mails: VA secretary sought changes in Phoenix report

In recent congressional testimony, acting VA Inspector General Richard Griffin adamantly denied that changes in the final report, which downplayed links between delayed care and up to 40 veteran deaths, had been "dictated" by VA headquarters. But e-mails released Friday by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs show that Sloan Gibson, then the acting VA secretary, personally corresponded with Griffin in early August, asking him to amend the report.

http://ift.tt/1pcYKJQ

Shareholder Alert: Brower Piven Encourages Investors Who Have Losses...

The securities litigation law firm of Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation, announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire on behalf of purchasers of GT Advanced Technologies Inc. securities during the period between November 5, 2013 to 9:40 a.m. EDT on October 6, 2014, inclusive . The lawsuit has been filed against certain of the Company's executive officers and directors, as well as the underwriters of the Company's public offering of 3.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 and GT's public offering of common stock, both conducted on or around December 4, 2013 .

http://ift.tt/1DELSgF

Shareholder Alert: Brower Piven Encourages Investors Who Have Losses...

The securities litigation law firm of Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation, announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas on behalf of purchasers of Willbros Group, Inc. common stock during the period between August 4, 2014 and October 21, 2014, inclusive . Investors who wish to become proactively involved in the litigation have until December 29, 2014 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff.

http://ift.tt/1tK3B4Y

What's next?

We went from having marriage equality in 19 states - in addition to 10 Native American tribes, and Washington D.C. - to 32 states in a matter of weeks. As lawsuits across the country continue to play out, we can expect even more change soon.

http://ift.tt/1u46sqV

Murder scene causes real fear on Halloween

Trick-or-treaters in one neighborhood had to walk around a disturbing sight Friday - a police crime scene where a man was gunned down that afternoon. A small child was among the people with the victim when he was shot and killed.

http://ift.tt/1vqLY7b

Prominent Financial Firm Shuts Downtown Offices; Managers 'Operating Virtually From Their Homes'

Smith Whiley & Co., a Connecticut financial services firm that once handled tens of millions of dollars in state pension fund investments, got a $350,000 state economic development deal in 2012 on the condition that it add jobs to its payroll - but now it has cleared out of its downtown Hartford offices. Also, the company was fined $1,800 last year by the state Department of Labor for failing to pay wages to six employees, labor department spokeswoman Nancy Steffens said.

http://ift.tt/1wlZOfi

SBE Agenda for November 2014

Please see the detailed agenda for more information about the items to be considered and acted upon. The public is welcome.

http://ift.tt/13pLFD1

Barrister John Butterfield QC defends paying whistleblowers in public interest

Spoke at the trial of reporters who are accused of paying a prison officer for information on Jon Venables, the killer of James Bulger Representing a reporter who faces jail for making the child-killer Jon Venables feel 'down in the dumps', John Butterfield QC said: 'They call it crime - we call it democracy.' He went on to say: 'It is necessary and appropriate to reimburse whistleblowers against the risk they are going to get the sack.

http://ift.tt/1u3i5yp

E-mails: VA secretary sought changes in Phoenix report

The secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs and a White House appointee pressed for changes in an inspector general's report on the Phoenix VA medical center, successfully getting a key finding added, according to newly released documents. In recent congressional testimony, acting VA Inspector General Richard Griffin adamantly denied that changes in the final report, which downplayed links between delayed care and up to 40 veteran deaths, had been "dictated" by VA headquarters.

http://ift.tt/1wlUh8z

Overweight Women Get Paid Less And Work More Physically Demanding Jobs Compared To Skinnier Women

Whether we like it or not, our appearance plays a crucial role in landing a job, but should our weight determine what type of job we should land or even how much we get paid? A paper by Jennifer Shinall, assistant professor of law at Vanderbilt Law School, has revealed that overweight and obese women have a harder time finding work that doesn't involve physical activity and, on average, are paid less than their skinnier counterparts. "Starting when a woman becomes overweight, she is increasingly less likely to work in a personal interaction or personal communication occupation," Shinall said in a statement .

http://ift.tt/1u3b4gU

Hagens Berman Announces the Filing of a Class Action Against American ...

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, a national investor-rights law firm, alerts investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against American Realty Capital Properties, Inc. . The suit is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and investors have until December 29, 2014 to move for lead plaintiff .

http://ift.tt/10bzEyM

In the Blogs: Sports Issues and Boxing Puns

Tax Girl : Fundraising has ended - happily - for Nina Pham, the nurse who contracted Ebola while taking care of the late Thomas Eric Duncan and who's been declared cured. Donors are now encouraged to put their dollars toward Ebola charities - and so of course scams related to the deadly disease are spreading as their own kind of especially foul virus.

http://ift.tt/1zSqlo0

Political ad battle heats up as Election Day nears

You might be able to tell that by the political commercials you've been seeing lately. They appear to be turning negative.

http://ift.tt/1zn2Wdi

Open House Set for 66th and Fremont Safety Project

The public is invited to an open house Thursday, November 6 on a safety improvement project at the 66th and Fremont intersection. The open house is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the media center at Pershing Elementary, 6402 Judson St. The 66th and Fremont intersection has been identified by the City as a high-accident location.

http://ift.tt/1zn2Z8Q

Near east side neighbors grateful as city targets abandoned homes

We've been telling you about how the city is working to eliminate abandoned homes as a way to target crime. While many communities see their neighborhoods deteriorating as crime creeps in , there are others that are starting to see a change for the better.

http://ift.tt/10bmsda

White Jew tries to apply for fellowship for minority journalists

Freelance journalist Evan Gahr, who is white and Jewish, is trying to apply for an $85,000 one-year investigative journalism fellowship run by BuzzFeed and the Columbia Journalism School seeking to find "journalists of color and other diverse backgrounds." Gahr said that at one point he e-mailed BuzzFeed Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith and offered to start visiting a tanning salon so he might qualify.

http://ift.tt/13ohJqW

HALLOWEEN: What you need to know

They are excited, and will want to run from house to house or across the street. They may not be watching as well as they should.

http://ift.tt/1rZzanc

Two injured in head-on crash

Two people are in the hospital this morning after a head-on crash shortly before 11:30 p.m. Thursday in the 2800 block of South Meridian Street on the city's south side. A woman's fight to end her life the way she wants is taking a twist.

http://www.wthr.com/story/27172830/2014/10/31/two-injured-in-head-on-crash

Harris v. Amgen Inc

Steve HARRIS; Dennis F. Ramos, aka Dennis Ramos; Donald Hanks; Jorge Torres; Albert Cappa, On Behalf of Themselves and All Others Similarly Situated, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. AMGEN, INC.; Amgen Manufacturing, Limited; Frank J. Biondi, Jr.; Jerry D. Choate; Frank C. Herringer; Gilbert S. Omenn; David Baltimore; Judith C. Pelham; Kevin W. Sharer; Frederick W. Gluck; Leonard D. Schaeffer; Charles Bell; Jacqueline Allred; Amgen PlanFiduciary Committee; Raul Cermeno; Jackie Crouse; Fiduciary Committee Of The Amgen Manufacturing LimitedPlan; Lori Johnston; Michael Kelly, Defendants-Appellees, Dennis M. Fenton; Richard Nanula; The Fiduciary Committee; Amgen Global Benefits Committee; Amgen Fiduciary Committee, Defendants.

http://ift.tt/1sPhcD3

Ferguson v. Middle Tennessee State University

SHARON G. LEE, C.J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which CORNELIA A. CLARK, GARY R. WADE, and WILLIAM C. KOCH, JR., JJ., joined. JANICE M. HOLDER, J., not participating.

http://ift.tt/1zlnYcm

Metrie employees in Monroe to get federal aid

Employees at wood molding manufacturer Metrie in Monroe will receive federal benefits after their plant shuts down by the end of this year. Fifty-four employees are losing their jobs when Metrie formerly known as Moulding & Millwork moves the work to Calgary, Alberta.

http://ift.tt/1vndouB

Dignity Health Whistleblower Case Returns over $36 Million to the Federal Government

Today, Nolan Auerbach & White announces the successful resolution of its client's 5-year-long civil False Claims Act case against Dignity Health . The qui tam case was brought in November 2009 by client Kathleen Hawkins, a former Dignity Health Director of Medical Management.

http://ift.tt/1uboCYm

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Don Young Says He'd 'Probably' Vote For ENDA

Rep. Don Young attends an event in Cannon Building on reuniting military service dogs with their handlers, July 23, 2014. Alaska's Republican congressman, Don Young, suggested in a debate Thursday night that he may be open to voting for workplace protections for gays and lesbians.

http://ift.tt/1zPxp4P

Shipyard Fined $1M in Coast Guard Scam

A Florida shipyard and its president will pay a $1 million fine for a scam designed to siphon off federal contracts meant for small businesses run by disabled veterans. The fine will "resolve allegations" that North Florida Shipyards Inc. and president Matt Self violated the False Claims Act by creating a shell company in order to obtain U.S. Coast Guard contracts that were designated for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses , the Justice Department announced Wednesday .

http://ift.tt/10DUdFl

Feds probe company

That's a mystery several people were wondering about Thursday morning after federal agents stormed the business in unmarked cars and blocked the parking lot in their search for evidence. "We can confirm there is an investigation," said Davilyn Walston, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Texas.

http://ift.tt/1zPFsP1

Parnell shares responsibility for guard fiasco

OPINION: Kevin Clarkson, and other defenders of Gov. Parnell, are missing the big picture. Parnell's actions do not pass a "reasonable governor" test.

http://ift.tt/1sOtprG

Making the town accessible to all

ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND Workers from Rock Solid Construction Corp. of Pembroke prepare a slab for concrete Thursday where special equipment for the disabled will be placed at the new Veterans Park Playground in Hyannis. "Little by little we're making Barnstable more accessible," Sheila Mulcahy, chairman of the town's disability commission, told the Town Council recently.

http://ift.tt/1sOlElq

Dignity Health Whistleblower Case Returns over $36 Million to the Federal Government

Nevada court says strip club dancers are employees, should be paid minimum wage

In a legal decision with wide implications for strip clubs in Sin City, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Thursday that dancers at one Las Vegas club are employees, not independent contractors, and are entitled to be paid minimum wage. The unanimous ruling Thursday in a 2009 class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of six dancers at Sapphire Gentlemen's Club could change the landscape statewide in a business where dancers have for decades depended on tips and even paid "house fees" to establishments that allowed them to work.

http://ift.tt/1ub0hSv

Dignity Health Whistleblower Case Returns over $36 Million to the Federal Government

EmeryCare Hires Twenty New Employees

EmergyCare Ambulance will welcome twenty new employees on Monday November 3, as part of their first EMS Academy, a new training and education program to help address the region's and state's lack of healthcare workers, especially Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics. Over the past several years EmergyCare and other EMS agencies across the state have struggled to recruit adequate numbers of emergency medical service workers.

http://ift.tt/1xH1pdD

Court: Vegas strippers are employees, entitled to minimum wage

View Press Release

The qui tam case was brought in November 2009 by client Kathleen Hawkins, a former Dignity Health Director of Medical Management. Dignity Health has agreed to pay $36,744,423 to resolve Ms.

http://ift.tt/1p9kTJb

Code Louisville gets $3 million federal grant to expand program

At today's news conference, Vidya Ravichandran, president of GlowTouch Technologies, said she already has hired an employee who graduated from the Code Louisville program. Louisville's efforts to train and supply software developers got a boost today with a $2.9 million grant to expand a coding training program.

http://ift.tt/1xGZBBq

Nevada Court Rules Strip Club Dancers Are Employees

Listen Live Welcome to FM News 100.5 KXNT! FM News 100.5 KXNT is dedicated to being the dominant information and [] CBS Sports Radio 1140 and 100.5-2 FM HD2 CBS Sports Radio 1140 and 100.5-2 FM HD2 7255 South Tenaya Way Suite 100 Las Vegas, NV 89113 Business Office: 702-889-7300 Business Fax: 702-889-7373 Andrew Paul, Program Director, 702-889-7304, Andrew.Paul@cbsradio.com Brenda Brown, General Sales Manager, 702-889-7566, Brenda.Brown@cbsradio.com [] The Nevada Supreme Court ruling declared clubs are not exempt from provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

http://ift.tt/1wLlfoW

says: pssst, we need to talk about privacy

Five national security lies you were told yesterday. "The border is not a line on the map": Immigration Department aces newspeak.

http://ift.tt/1wM53VB

The Seattle 100, who put a choke hold on umpteen Constitutional amendments to keep us locked in fear

In late May, about 100 Seattle police officers joined together in a lawsuit against Seattle, the federal government, City Attorney Pete Holmes, children who wouldn't let go of their candy, pencil holders and day-old bread. Why? For violating the officers' civil rights to crush their enemies as guaranteed by the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th and umpteenth and 53rd amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

http://ift.tt/1G0PfCH

Nevada court says Strip club dancers are employees

Reports Differ on Injuries Regarding Metropolis Uranium Hexafluoride Leak

Conflicting reports have circulated among Metropolis, Illinois, residents concerning the Sunday, Oct. 26, uranium hexafluoride leak at the Honeywell plant at about 7:35 p.m. Although a plant news release quickly stated that no injuries have been reported and the leak was contained to plant property, resident Gaylan Hayden told HNN Thursday night, Oct. 30, of leaving the union hall "flabbergasted." Union representatives are reporting that seven people north of the plume suffered burns and that another seven to ten at or near the EEI plant who had sheltered in place also suffered injuries.

http://ift.tt/1vmwxg5

Unemployment Claims Up Again This Week

Today the United States Department of Labor released their advance News Release on Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims for the week ending October 25, 2014. For the second week in a row unemployment claims increased with 3,000 claims this week.

http://ift.tt/1vmwv8f

What Cook's coming out could mean in the workplace

"So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me." And with that, Apple CEO Tim Cook, chief of one of the world's most valuable companies, became the first CEO in the Fortune 500 to come out as gay.

http://ift.tt/105YQXM

Ex-principal says he was targeted because of race

A Columbus principal who was forced out for manipulating data is claiming the school district targeted him for termination because he is black. Christopher Qualls is the same principal who was awarded a $3,000 bonus last week for his school's performance in the 2011-12 school year even though he'd been accused of making illegal changes to student records in 2010-11.

http://ift.tt/1p8MLwT

Dog Bite Injuries: Do You Have a Case?

But not every dog bit incident will necessarily make for a successful dog bite injury lawsuit . From the extent of any possible injuries, to the circumstances surrounding the incident, there are many factors that a personal injury attorney will use in determining the potential merits of a lawsuit.

http://ift.tt/1xGDLho

Home-care worker awarded $30,000 in discrimination case

Baywood Home Care, one of the state's largest providers of home health care for senior citizens, must pay $30,000 to a home health aide to resolve allegations that she was illegally fired because of a physical disability, in a consent decree approved Wednesday. Laurie J. Goodnough was allegedly fired in 2011 after two supervisors observed her walking with a cane.

http://ift.tt/105x0Lp

Video: Promoting Labor Rights and Leveling the International Playing Field

Please join us for an armchair conversation with Carol Pier, Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs at the Department of Labor. This discussion will focus on how the U.S. government helps ensure that workers around the world are treated fairly and able to share in the benefits of the global economy.

http://csis.org/multimedia/video-promoting-labor-rights-and-leveling-international-playing-field?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CSIS+%28NEW+%40+CSIS.ORG%29

NIMS Launches Website for Employers

The new website provides accurate information, tools and how-to guides to help employees learn about and implement industry-recognized credentials at their companies. The National Institute for Metalworking Skills , the global authority on education and training for precision manufacturing jobs launched a new website catered to employers seeking to fill open jobs and build a pipeline of globally competitive talent.

http://ift.tt/1rXNqgd

Home-care worker awarded $30,000 in discrimination case

Baywood Home Care, one of the state's largest providers of home health care for senior citizens, must pay $30,000 to a caregiver to resolve allegations that the worker was illegally fired because of a physical disability, in a consent decree reached Wednesday. Laurie J. Goodnough, a former home health aide at Baywood, was allegedly fired in 2011 after two supervisors observed her walking with a cane.

http://ift.tt/1whNLjb

64 Job Openings in Manassas: Live Nation, Novant Health, Waste Management and More

Michaels Arts & Crafts - Manassas, VA Replenishment Manager is enthusiastic and passionate about Creativity, People and Arts and Crafts. The Presentation Replenishment Manager focuses primarily on the areas of...2 hours ago from The Washington Post Great Clips - Manassas, VA A great opportunity.

http://ift.tt/105yW6y?

Sara Boyns, Workplace Law: Guidelines key in keeping holiday parties enjoyable

Q With the holidays approaching, I'm thinking of having office holiday parties. Are there any guidelines I should follow? A Workplace holiday celebrations can boost morale and help with team building by increasing interactions among employees who do not often work together.

http://ift.tt/1whNLj3

Apple CEO Tim Cook says he's gay in first-person essay

In Silicon Valley, Apple CEO Tim Cook's sexual orientation doesn't come as much of a surprise. Tim Cook was already one of the most high-profile business leaders in the world, and now he is its most prominent openly gay CEO.

http://ift.tt/105yTYi

Will public employee pension costs cause your property taxes to increase?

The House Finance Committee held a work session yesterday focused on the fiscal health of Washington's cities and counties. Among the presentations lawmakers heard was a pitch from the Washington Association of Counties to provide local governments more flexibility on existing tax sources while providing new tax options.

http://ift.tt/1yKwLkQ

Spokane man sentenced in worker's comp fraud - Thu, 30 Oct 2014 PST

Receive FREE access by logging in to or creating your Spokesman.com account. A Spokane man accused of worker's compensation fraud was sentenced to 10 days in jail and 240 hours of community service, and ordered to pay nearly $100,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to three counts of third degree theft.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/oct/30/spokane-man-sentenced-workers-comp-fraud/

Public Mtg. - Idalia Road

The city of Rio Rancho Public Works Department is holding a meeting on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, to discuss the proposed reconstruction of Idalia Road from Iris Road to N.M. 528. The public meeting will take place at Rio Rancho City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with the presentation portion starting at 6:15 p.m. Area residents, landowners, and all other interested parties are encouraged to attend the meeting to provide input and ask questions.

http://ift.tt/1vlZEjK

SmithChiropractic, a Leading Chiropractic Facility, Receives the...

With over 4,000 physicians in their network, Power Liens has a special designation for the most experienced and trusted doctors, who consistently deliver quality care. When you see the Power Liens designation of "Preferred Provider," you can be rest assured that the practice has been screened and meets a standard of high quality care.

http://ift.tt/1vlZDfB

Store responds to transgender complaint

In a legal filing last week, Cabela's retail chain said a former employee who is transgender didn't require any workplace accommodations because she wasn't disabled. Between September 2006 and March 2007, Kate Lynn Blatt worked as a seasonal stocker at Cabela's outlet in Hamburg, Pa.

http://ift.tt/1zkir5K

Ashland seeks grant for theater renovation

Oct. 21, town council unanimously supported an application requesting $600,000 of grant funding from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development's Industrial Revitalization Fund. If the grant gets state approval, the town would have to provide 50-50 matching funds of its own, putting the restoration budget for the circa-1948 theater, gifted to the town roughly one year ago, at $1.2 million.

http://ift.tt/1sMPwi6

Funding complete for new Conference House Park pavilion in Tottenville

Adena Long, borough commissioner for NYC Parks and Recreation, Borough President James Oddo and Councilman Vincent Ignizio announce $1 million to completely fund the rebuild of the pavilion in Conference House Park on Thursday. A design rendering of the new pavilion to be built at Conference House Park in Tottenville.

http://ift.tt/1sMPw1E

RFP: Mirrored-Finish Car Turntable for Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa

Cherokee Nation Entertainment, LLC, , a wholly owned tribal company of the Cherokee Nation, is seeking qualified bids for ONE mirrored-Finish Car Turntable for Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa. *The turntable should be made of stainless steel, rugged with an OSB underlayment and a mirrored finish.

http://ift.tt/1whzjre

'Enemy of 40 is 30, not 50,' U.S. Supreme Court Rules

I recently attended an employment law seminar at which a judge on the Eastern District bench observed that the participants should pay particular attention to age discrimination claims because the Age Discrimination in Employment Act is the only statute that would cover everyone in the room, sooner or later. LexisNexis is now the exclusive third party online distributor of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications.

http://www.thelegalintelligencer.com/employment-law/id=900005403324/Enemy-of-40-is-30-not-50-US-Supreme-Court-Rules?mcode=1202617367506&curindex=97

How 'coming out' has evolved, and why it still matters

"For years, I've been open with many people about my sexual orientation," Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote in a powerful personal essay , published Thursday in Businessweek . "Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I'm gay, and it doesn't seem to make a difference in the way they treat me."

http://ift.tt/1xG01bf

Tim Cook's Courage Puts Spotlight On the Cost of the Closet at Work

Despite remarkable progress for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, research by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation has found that coming out in the workplace is still extremely difficult for LGBT workers. A recent HRC report found that 53 percent of LGBT workers nationwide hide who they are at work.

http://www.pressreleasepoint.com/tim-cook-s-courage-puts-spotlight-cost-closet-work

New ADA Amendments Put Damper on New Year Celebration for Employers

While many will be gathering to watch the ball drop on New Year's Eve, employers are likely to be waiting for the other shoe to drop given the recent amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act. LexisNexis is now the exclusive third party online distributor of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications.

http://www.thelegalintelligencer.com/employment-law/id=1202425513322/New-ADA-Amendments-Put-Damper-on-New-Year-Celebration-for-Employers?mcode=1202617367506&curindex=70

Sheriff Maketa investigation findings released

El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa engaged in inappropriate relationships, gave preferential treatment and improperly tried to influence internal affairs investigations, according to findings released Thursday by the Board of County Commissioners. In May, El Paso County Commissioners received a letter from the three commanders in the Sheriffs' Office that contained employment-related complaints.

http://ift.tt/1tn0XAH

New rules for annuities and target date funds inspire products race

Retirement plan service providers are revving up their product development engines now that the Treasury and Labor departments are paving the way for annuities to be paired with target date funds in 401 plans. Plan service providers have long awaited guidance from regulators on whether plan sponsors can use these products as qualified default investment alternatives.

http://ift.tt/1wKuXZP

ADA Violations in New Rochelle Schools - Part IX: Albert Leonard Middle School

This article is Part IX in an Investigative Series by Talk of the Sound into apparent violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act at New Rochelle schools. The investigation covers exterior issues only.

http://ift.tt/1sMvYun

Wells Fargo faces whistleblower lawsuit over Wachovia's banking practices

One silver lining: new development along expanded Silver Line Metrorail

Tim Steffan doesn't mind boasting when talking about Tysons Tower. His employer, California-based Macerich, opened the 22-story building this June at the Tysons Corner Metro Station - one of four new stations at Tysons along the expanded Metrorail Silver Line.

http://ift.tt/1p5LTJt

Mesick candidate is suing school board to which she seeks election

A candidate running for election to the board of Mesick Consolidated Schools is suing the school board she hopes to be elected to, but said she will recuse herself from discussion or decisions on the suit if she is elected. Nancy Gabier and her husband, Craig Gabier, are plaintiffs in the suit.

http://ift.tt/1zMN30V

Sandiganbayan allows opening of Benhur Luy's bank accounts

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has allowed with finality the opening of the bank accounts of pork barrel scam primary whistleblower Benhur Luy and the other witnesses in the supposed multi-billion anomaly. In a resolution issued on October 24, made available to the media only on Wednesday, the court upheld its earlier ruling dated August 22, granting the motion filed by the lawyers of Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the multi-billion pork barrel fund scam, to issue subpoena on the bank accounts of Luy, his mother Gertrudes Luy, as well as those of whistleblowers Merlina SuA as and Marina Sula.

http://ift.tt/1wHiqFz;

Residents express health concerns related to asbestos abatement at Mount Manresa

A retired police officer, Beth Malone of Rosebank worries every day about her health after working at Ground Zero in the weeks following the September 11 terrorist attacks. And just last month she had another health-related concern, when asbestos was being removed from two buildings at Mount Manresa to make way for 250 townhouses.

http://ift.tt/1wHintl

Philadelphia Attorneys James J. McEldrew, III and Eric L. Young...

McEldrew Young, Attorneys-at-Law, will represent whistleblowers reporting to the DOJ, IRS, SEC and CFTC as well as families requiring legal representation due to catastrophic injuries involving medical malpractice, railroads and transportation accidents. [James McEldrew's] team gives us the resources and experience we need to effectively represent our [whistleblower] clients if the government declines to intervene in any of our cases.

http://ift.tt/1zhNLSt

C'mon in, make yourself uncomfortable

In 2008, photographer Nathalie Daoust was given unprecedented access to the Alpha-In, a Tokyo "love hotel" catering to S&M enthusiasts. She would go on to spend months documenting the hotel's outlandish themed suites -- rentable nightly or by the hour and styled to look like dungeons, caves and operating rooms -- as well as the women working there as dominatrices and escorts.

http://ift.tt/1wHA4I9

HR and Benefits Webinar Presentations Available from Benefit Express

Benefit Express has released the presentations for four HR and benefits related webinars including: How to Comply with FMLA, Top 6 Questions Regarding Common Compliance, Are You Ready for the 2015 Employer Mandate, and The In's and Out's of ERISA. These up-to-date insightful presentations can be great places to continually refer back to if you have any questions about certain HR or benefits topics, Benefit Express Services, LLC , a leader in providing benefits administration for large, medium, and small organizations, has released a recap of the first half of its 2014 fall and winter webinar schedule.

http://ift.tt/1tRnmZO

Worldwide Broker Networka Adds Ironwood Insurance Services

"We welcome Ironwood to our network. The firm is ranked among the fastest-growing in the U.S. and its structure parallels the WBN model," Bruce Basso, WBN CEO Worldwide Broker Network a today announced that Ironwood Insurance Services has become the 98th partner firm in the WBN Network of independent insurance brokers and employee benefits consultants.

http://ift.tt/1tRnokd

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Countdown to election day for Olson, Thornton

The campaign clock is winding down for newcomer Shauna Thornton, a Democrat from Kenai, and incumbent Rep. Kurt Olson, R-Soldotna, for the District 30 seat in the state House of Representatives. Since announcing her candidacy in August, Thornton has been knocking on doors.

http://ift.tt/13htH5y

Anaheim to pay $460,000 to settle Honda Center disability access lawsuits

The city will pay $460,000 to settle two federal lawsuits that accused the Honda Center of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act in addition to making a wide range of changes to parking, ticketing, concessions and employee training at the city-owned venue. Even though the City Council quietly approved the settlement in September, officials this week released documents outlining the agreement's terms.

http://ift.tt/1tjI6YQ

EEOC Silent As Department of Justice Argues New Scheme to Derail Civil Rights

In a statement released this week, a coalition of civil right leaders called for the Obama administration to promptly address the U.S. Department of Justice's use of a "six-year time bar" scheme that would restrict the access of federal Equal Employment Opportunity complainant's to the courts. On October 10, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard oral arguments in the precedent setting case Janet Howard and Joyce E. Megginson v Penny Pritzker, Secretary-U.S. Department of Commerce Case Nos.

http://ift.tt/1zh0zZB

Morton Grove Public Library Purchases Property on Lincoln Ave.

The Morton Grove Public Library is excited to announce that it has purchased the property at 6200 Lincoln Ave, a 6000+ square foot building across Georgiana St. from the current library facility. The building is being sold to the library at a greatly reduced price, as the current occupant has moved to a new location.

http://ift.tt/13hrpn1?

Solar Project Crew Gets $2M in Back Pay

Painters, bridge crane operators and other skilled laborers will share $1,914,681.50 in back wages and benefits they are owed for months of work on a solar energy project in a Nevada desert, the U.S. Department of Labor has announced . The back pay will go to 147 workers for Henderson, NV-based Proimtu Mmi-Nv LLC, a subcontractor providing construction services at the federally funded Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project in the Tonopah desert.

http://ift.tt/1tjCGgt

U.S. agency sues Honeywell over employee wellness testing

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued Honeywell International Inc to stop the company from imposing penalties on employees who refuse to undergo testing under its corporate wellness program. The lawsuit is the third case since August filed by the federal agency challenging a corporate wellness program, with Honeywell the biggest company to be targeted.

http://ift.tt/13hbmpe

Grand opening of Twin Cinema is Nov. 14

With extensive renovations nearly complete, the new owners of the Salem Twin Cinema are expecting to hold a ribbon cutting and open house a week from today, on Nov. 6, with the grand opening on Friday, Nov. 14. More details about the open house will be announced next week, but a press release issued this week provided details of the work "to bring first-run movies in a unique theater experience to the greater Salem Area." The former longtime Salem Twin Cinema shut down last December, but Salem residents Jock and Natalee Buta announced in May that they purchased the business and planned to update the facilities.

http://ift.tt/13hbm8I

Nobody wants to play with fire in the Department of Justice

And one would imagine that the Minister for Justice would be especially leery of the explosive topic, given that in recent turbulent times her department was busily sending up rockets and distress flares to beat the band, what with the revolving Catherine Wheel of departing Garda Commissioners and ministers and arriving whistle-blowers. But Frances Fitzgerald - accompanied by the Minister for Children James Reilly - popped up in Dublin Castle to warn the more feckless firebugs among the citizenry that messing about with bangers and the like can lead to all sorts of gruesome injuries.

http://ift.tt/13hbogP

UPDATE 1-U.S. agency sues Honeywell over employee wellness testing

Curbside option makes voting accessible

Since 1999, Texas has required that all new voting systems be accessible to voters with disabilities. Curbside voting is an option for those who are unable to get into the polling location.

http://ift.tt/1tkvn6H

'Let's Move!' plan inspires V.A. to steal candy from babies

They may not be The Grinch, and this may not be Christmastide, and it's also highly doubtful that many children in Southeastern Pennsylvania are having visions of broccoli or erasers dancing in their heads. But as reported by both the Washington Free Beacon and The Blaze news portal on Oct. 29, 2014, at least one federal office in the Philadelphia area has issued the offiziell verboten notification to all employees regarding candy and other sweets that might have been distributed to die Kinder this upcoming Halloween .

http://ift.tt/1rU4TpH

Is SeaWorld discriminating against disabled?

SeaWorld is the target of parent complaints about a decision to no longer offer free admission for those accompanying disabled individuals to the San Diego park. - John Gibbins SeaWorld is the target of parent complaints about a decision to no longer offer free admission for those accompanying disabled individuals to the San Diego park.

http://ift.tt/1rU1Q0T

Girl Kept Out Of School For Ebola Fears, Dad Sues

A Connecticut couple is suing their daughter's school, after the child was banned from the premises for fear of infecting other students with Ebola. "They had an opportunity to educate the people and they chose not to, they chose instead to penalize a 7 year old girl," said Phelan.

http://ift.tt/13gSdnu

Madera County farm company, feds reach labor practices agreement

A Madera County farming company and the federal government have entered into a voluntary agreement to self-monitor the farmer's labor practices and those of the labor contractors it hires. Officials with Agriland Farming Company of Chowchilla and the U.S. Department of Labor signed the agreement on Wednesday.

http://ift.tt/1q0IZAo

Hobby Lobby take two? Moody encourages witnessing at work

Today's guest column is written by Sarah Jones, Communications Associate for Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The views expressed in this piece belong to Jones and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer.

http://ift.tt/1q0IZjT

Schools 'progressing too slowly'

There are 1.6 million pupils in schools in England that are not good enough and interventions to improve them are not working effectively, a spending watchdog has said. A spokeswoman said the report's conclusions were "not supported by the facts" as the proportion of schools rated by Ofsted as good or outstanding had risen from 68% to 81% since August 2010.

http://ift.tt/1q0DUIk

1.6m 'not getting a good education'

Nearly one in four children are still being taught in schools that are considered less than good by Ofsted, the report warns More than 1.5 million children are still not getting a good education, but the Government and local councils are failing to deal with under-performing schools consistently, the spending watchdog has warned. In a damning report, the National Audit Office said the Department for Education has not been able to show the impact of the different measures it uses to tackle low standards, despite hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money being spent on overseeing England's state schools and academies.

http://ift.tt/1p3SCUm

Teacher asks board to recognize gay marriage

A high school science teacher wants his marriage to another man to be recognized by Brevard Public Schools. And on Tuesday, he called on the Brevard School Board to change its non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

http://ift.tt/1046L7G

Wells Fargo faces whistleblower lawsuit over Wachovia's banking practices

Whistleblowers, including one from the Bay Area, are suing Wells Fargo alleging improper accounting controls and banking practices in Wachovia's investment bank ahead of the 2008 financial crisis, the Charlotte Observer reported. In July, the U.S. Justice Department declined to officially join the suit but said the whistleblowers could continue the case on their own, the Charlotte newspaper reported.

http://ift.tt/1q0qfky

OSHA cites West Manheim Township contractor

Federal safety officials have cited a West Manheim Township contractor with "severe" safety violations for allegedly exposing workers to hazardous conditions while they worked in a trench, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated the company, C & G Refrigeration Inc., in August and found that it had committed several violations while performing underground utility work in a 13-foot trench at a Hanover home.

http://ift.tt/13fQu1z

Hilton, Pa. join forces to fight veteran unemployment

American troops have been fighting the War on Terror for 13 years. They've been bruised, bloodied and battered on foreign battlefields.

http://ift.tt/1q0qegB

OSHA cites West Manheim Township contractor

City officials pleased with revised town center plan - Wednesday, 29 October 2014 14:22

At a joint meeting of the King City City Council and Planning Commission on Oct. 15, Keith Liden, the city's planning consultant, provided an updated overview of the project that reflected many comments and suggestions made at open houses and charrettes held since last May. As a point of reference, the town center referred to in the plan is much more than the King City Plaza - it encompasses the commercial area along Pacific Highway from Fischer Road north to the condominiums. The King City Town Center Plan and Implementation Strategy is looking at how the city's business district might accommodate a greater range of uses and activities, be more pedestrian-friendly and provide better transit access.

http://www.pamplinmedia.com/rc/62-news/238746-105253-city-officials-pleased-with-revised-town-center-plan

Erie awarded Keystone Communities grant

Governor Tom Corbett today announced that the Department of Community and Economic Development awarded Erie a $350,000 Keystone Communities grant to support downtown improvements in West Perry Square, Erie County. "Our partnership with Mayor Sinnott on these community redevelopment projects is transforming Erie," Gov. Corbett said.

http://www.yourerie.com:80/news/news-article/d/story/erie-awarded-keystone-communities-grant/98062/PgPqYTKbr0yBZf8HpmNnpA

Lawrence Livermore lab workers threaten strike over wages, safety concerns

The union representing more than 200 electricians, plumbers and other skilled trades workers at Lawrence Livermore Lab is threatening to strike over what they're calling unfair labor practices, safety concerns and wage fraud by lab management. After more than a year of negotiating a new contract, members of the workers' union say they plan to picket the lab Thursday to demand fair pay and protest against "grossly inadequate maintenance procedures" they say endanger the community.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/crime-courts/ci_26824788/lawrence-livermore-lab-workers-threaten-strike-over-wages?source=rss

Man indicted for shooting at Nevada agency

A Clark County grand jury indicted a man on attempted murder charges who is accused of shooting a lawyer in the chest a few weeks ago outside the Nevada Attorney for Injured Workers office on Rancho Drive. Leonard Sullivan, who remains in custody in the Clark County Detention Center, is due in court Nov. 5. Bail was set at $500,000.

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/27156315/man-indicted-for-shooting-at-nevada-agency?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+lasvegasnow%2Fhomepage+%288NewsNOW.com+-+Local+Headlines%29

Keystone College to make street, lighting improvements

Keystone College will use a state grant to reconstruct the school's main entrance and install new street lighting, landscaping and sidewalks. The $1.2 million Multimodal Transportation Fund investment grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will improve both safety and campus aesthetics, school officials said.

http://ift.tt/101ufus

Measure A a simple choice

Measure A is a simple choice. You either support students and schools or you don't.

http://ift.tt/1p3ztSt

U.S. agency sues Honeywell over employee wellness testing

Carpentry business to pay more than $220K in back wages

An Indio-based carpentry business has agreed to pay more than $220,000 in both overtime and damages to 29 workers after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour division found the company failed to pay them adequately during an Irvine home-building contract. The investigation found Next Level Door & Millwork Inc. failed to pay workers for all hours worked between June 2012 and June 2014, including time spent shuttling materials to and from the shop and job sites.

http://ift.tt/1zLjUmP

Feds Sue Honeywell Over Employee Wellness Program

It's a major challenge to a workplace wellness incentive, but this story isn't just about Honeywell workers. It could impact anyone working at a company that has a wellness incentive program, and that list is growing.

http://ift.tt/1tipIj4

U.S. agency sues Honeywell over employee wellness testing

City Must Modifiy Center To Meet ADA Standards

Federal officials have given Rapid City 30 months to make changes to the city's events center to meet ADA standards. The changes to Rushmore Plaza Civic Center must be done regardless of whether the city decides to build a new arena.

http://www.kdlt.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=39382&Itemid=57

Feds sue Honeywell over its wellness program

Federal officials are challenging new benefit rules at Honeywell Inc. that create monetary penalties unless employees and spouses take medical tests. A lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in response to complaints from two Minnesota employees sets up a potential court case over how far employers can go to shift health costs and influence worker behavior.

http://ift.tt/1vhWOML

By Catholic News Service TAMPA, Fla. -- A federal judge in Florida has granted Ave Maria University's motion for a preliminary injunction to keep the Catholic university from being forced to follow the latest procedures that nonexempt religious employers must use to opt out of the contraceptive mandate.

http://ift.tt/1wMbdGD

Horton Rises

Although the Fifth Circuit tried to put a stake in the heart of the NLRB's Horton decision, the Board confirmed its vitality today in its opinion in Murphy Oil U.S.A . The bottom line: the NLRB "reaffirmed the D.R. Horton rationale and applied it to find that the employer violated section 8 of the NLRA "by requiring its employees to agree to resolve all employment-related claims through individual arbitration" and by trying "to enforce the unlawful agreements in Federal district court" when employees filed a collective action against the company under the FLSA.

http://ift.tt/1ti6gmJ

BRIEFLY: Area Commission on Transportation meets

The LaGrande Observer is now online in a Replica E-edition form and publishes Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Current subscribers have full access to the E-edition.

http://ift.tt/1wMbbhW

Honeywell latest firm to draw EEOC scrutiny over wellness program penalties

Honeywell International Inc. on Wednesday called the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's recent lawsuit against the company over plans to penalize workers who refuse to participate in its workplace wellness program "frivolous" and "out of step." The Morristown, N.J.-based multinational company informed employees at its facilities in Minnesota earlier this year that non-participation in wellness-related biometric screenings would result in a $500 annual surcharge on their 2015 health insurance premiums, the EEOC claims in a lawsuit filed Monday in a Minneapolis federal District Court.

http://ift.tt/1pZIJBZ

Whistleblower Complaints Lead to Stiffer Penalties

The tradeoff? Whistleblower involvement contributes significantly to longer total duration of an enforcement action, by an average of almost 10 months. Whistleblowers provide valuable information to regulators in corporate fraud enforcement cases but the benefits of their involvement come at a cost of prolonged enforcement efforts, new research concludes.

http://ift.tt/1p2EDy0

Wells Fargo whistleblower lawsuit from 2011 unsealed

A big bank in Charlotte is being sued over allegations connected to the mortgage crisis. It's not Bank of America.

http://ift.tt/13eE0aD

Report: Prostitution investigator tied to prostitute

The man tasked with heading the probe into the Secret Service sex scandal has been tied to a prostitution scandal of his own. Report: Prostitution investigator tied to prostitute - The man tasked with heading the probe into the Secret Service sex scandal has been tied to a prostitution scandal of his own.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/nation/2014/10/29/prostitution-investigator-caught-with-prostitute/18121863/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+firstcoastnews%2Fflorida+%28Firstcoastnews.com+Florida+News%29

Who's the boss? Tips for avoiding joint employer liability

Recognizing franchisors as joint employers alongside franchisees means liability in cases involving wages, sexual harassment, worker's compensation, etc., could shift to franchisors, said Mark Seibert, president of the iFranchise Group, in a recent webinar. That could make franchisors an attractive target for litigants seeking deep pockets.

http://ift.tt/1u6gAQt

FL hospice, nursing homes, hospital passed patients back and forth to ...

Two Florida nursing homes and a hospital allowed a hospice company to provide free services in exchange for patient referrals, according to recently unsealed whistleblower charges. Between 2004 and 2011, Hernando-Pasco Hospice provided free nursing care, social services, spiritual care and other services to residents of Zephyrhills Health & Rehab Center, Zephyr Haven Health & Rehab Center and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Hospital, the complaint contends.

http://ift.tt/1xDS8TQ

Union Expert Al DiLeo Joins Alliant Insurance Services as Vice President, Employee Benefits Group

The longtime union benefits expert will focus on marketing voluntary benefits to union and association groups throughout the U.S. DiLeo has nearly two decades of experience with the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program . He has extensive experience with plan management and implementation and has directed numerous senior management teams to improve product offerings and reduce healthcare costs.

http://ift.tt/1xDS8TG

Elderly bullies: Why your grandparents might be victimized, too

There have been situations that have garnered national attention, like the bullying of a 68-year-old woman on a bus in Greece, New York . But a lot of it happens in assisted-living and nursing homes.

http://ift.tt/1wCmK8M

HMRC pays out 400,000 to tax evasion informants

HM Revenue and Customs has confirmed it paid out more than 400,000 last year to 'informants' in the shape of rewards for notifying them of people who had evaded paying their tax liabilities. A recent Freedom of Information request submitted by The Telegraph found that HMRC distributed 402,160 in 2013 to 'informants' - a 30 per cent increase in the value of these such rewards over the last three years.

http://ift.tt/1thhciI

Ocean Springs faces sanctions for rejecting clinic

The U.S. Justice Department is scheduled to meet with Ocean Springs officials next week to discuss sanctions related to the city's denial of a permit for the Psycamore mental health clinic. The Justice Department has cited the city for violating the Americans With Disabilities Act and discriminating against people with mental disabilities in denying the permit.

http://ift.tt/1zIpHtl?

Simplifying Travel Pay as per the Fair Labor Standards Act

AudioSolutionz's expert speaker Vicki M. Lambert will be talking about Travel Pay and how to handle it correctly in order to avoid conflict on Tuesday, November 4, 2014. Also, learn the regulations under FLSA that must be followed.

http://ift.tt/1zIpHtd

With Supreme Court case pending, UPS reverses policy on pregnant workers

This week United Parcel Service sent a memo to employees announcing a change in policy for pregnant workers: starting January 1, the company will offer temporary light duty positions not just to workers injured on the job, which is current policy, but to pregnant workers who need it as well. "UPS takes pride in attaining and maintaining best practices in the area of equal opportunity and employment, and has elected to change our approach to pregnancy accommodations," a memo sent to workers reads.

http://ift.tt/139Hlrw

Ocean Springs faces sanctions for rejecting clinic

LHU Clearfield Career Development Day Postponed Until Dec. 4

The Department of Labor & Industry is co-hosting a career exploration and job fair with Lock Haven University's Clearfield campus. The original date of this event was Oct. 31, but has been postponed until Dec. 4. The job fair will be held from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Academic Building 212.

http://ift.tt/139mynP

Report: Montville's hands mostly tied when it comes to economy

The message from data gathered for this year's Community Profile Report is that trends in Montville are largely beyond the town's control, according to Town Planner Marcia Vlaun. The report reveals an aging population, declining school enrollment and an unemployment rate mirroring that of the state, declining over the past year.

http://ift.tt/139mxQW

Jobless rate drops for metro as more workers drop out of labor force

The region's shrinking labor force trimmed the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metro area unemployment rate by one-tenth of a percentage point in September to 6.7 percent, the lowest rate since October 2008. Yet, for the 54th consecutive month, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre unemployment ranked the highest among the state's 14 metro areas, according to data released Tuesday by the state Department of Labor & Industry.

http://ift.tt/1tKjnhw

Husson University to Host Leadership Unplugged: Presentation to Focus on Workforce Development

The upcoming presentation features Steve Pound, the associate director of workforce development at Cianbro Corporation. He will share his thoughts on the importance of employee development to the success of businesses.

http://ift.tt/1oZqQs2

Explosive Growth of Corporate Financial Wellness Programs Expected,...

According to corporate financial wellness firm, Four Seasons Financial Education , employer-sponsored financial wellness programs are poised for explosive growth over the next five years. The overall corporate wellness industry has grown significantly over the last decade.

http://ift.tt/1ryXQld

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

HCC accusations

Houston Community College Chancellor Cesar Maldonado next to Neeta Sane HCC board chair during his first board meeting at the downtown Houston campus Thursday May 15, 2014. Time for a lesson in Whistleblowers 101 down at the Houston Community College .

http://ift.tt/1385RJD

Honeywell Responds to EEOC's Frivolous Lawsuit To Stop...

The Chicago EEOC office is unfamiliar with the details of our wellness programs and woefully out of step with the healthcare marketplace and with the core intent of the Affordable Care Act to provide expanded access and improved healthcare to all Americans. The incentives in our wellness programs are pro consumer and have delivered demonstrably better healthcare outcomes for employees and their families.

http://ift.tt/1ryP6vA

Whistleblower suit targets accounting, controls in Wachovia's investment bank

A newly unsealed federal lawsuit alleges Wachovia's investment bank violated accounting rules and skirted internal controls to pursue short-term profits, benefiting senior management at the expense of the former Charlotte-based bank's financial health. Two whistleblowers, including a former Wachovia controller who lives in Union County, filed their lawsuit on behalf of the federal government, alleging the bank defrauded U.S. agencies that loaned money and provided other assistance to the bank in the financial crisis.

http://ift.tt/136UCRE

Anonymous Tip Line for Reporting Violations at Factory Farms

All Right!!! The Humane Society of the United States has launched a hotline for whistleblowers to report cruelty at factory farms, slaughterhouses and livestock auctions. Whistleblowers not only stay anonymous; they can receive a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for animal cruelty.

http://ift.tt/1oYQVrh

Vaughn Palmer: Health investigations pile up, but nary an answer to be found

For all the lingering mystery about those firings from the health ministry two years ago, the affair has not lacked for investigations of one kind or another. By my count, there have been eight, several ongoing.

http://ift.tt/100yAxR

Will the IRS ever listen?

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen recently called himself a "big believer" in the IRS whistleblower program. That change in tune at the IRS should be music to the ears of every law-abiding taxpayer in America.

http://ift.tt/136tamY

Accelerating Advanced Manufacturing in America

The President created AMP -- a working group of 19 leaders in industry, academia, and labor -- in June 2011 as part of his continuing effort to maintain the competitive edge on emerging technologies and invest in the future of our manufacturing sector. We've come a long way since then, and the policies fueled by AMP's recommendations have been a big contributor to that progress.

http://ift.tt/1zGPemF

Seasonal Hiring on Church Street

"We're a college town so for us we learn throughout the years that you need to start early for people that are going to be around when the dorms shut down," said Burlington GAP Senior General Manager Jason Schinzel. That's why Schinzel is preparing for the big rush.

http://ift.tt/136XFJx

Government sues Honeywell over employee wellness program

Student athletes deserve minimum wage, ex-Houston soccer player's suit says

Should college athletes at least be paid the same minimum wage as the students who usher at their games or sell refreshments to fans? A former University of Houston soccer player thinks so, and is suing hundreds of Division 1 universities and the NCAA, comparing collegiate athletics to work-study programs and seeking to get minimum wage payment for athletes. "Work-study participants who sell programs or usher at athletic events are paid, on average, $9.03 an hour," states the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Indiana.

http://ift.tt/1sBXbjl

OSHA fines Maui zipline company $7,000 over worker's death

Inadequate safety measures caused the May death of a worker who fell to her death at Piiholo Ranch Zipline Course on Maui, and the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is fining the company and Altres Inc. each $7,000, the agency said Tuesday. "OSHA is citing owner Jeff Baldwin of Baldwin Brothers for $7,000 and site operator Altres Inc. for $7,000," OSHA said in a statement.

http://ift.tt/1sBXdri

Tom Ovens: Vote out the incumbents

I agree with Matthew that one huge factor in the under performance of our schools, perhaps at its core, is the saturation of low-income housing. That issue needs to be addressed by our city council, which needs to protect us from more subsidized, absentee landlord housing.

http://ift.tt/1sBXdaR

Jobs are available in Vermont, says Department of Labor

Signs like this one are less prevalent than you might think in the Bennington area, according to the Vermont Department of Labor. BENNINGTON >> The story that there are no jobs in Bennington is a familiar one, but not completely accurate according to the Vermont Department of Labor.

http://ift.tt/136s1vz

UPS Changes Policy on Pregnancy, Will Try to Offer Lighter Duty Jobs

UPS has announced it is changing its policy with respect to pregnant employees and will try to accommodate them with light duty work. The new pregnancy accommodations will be effective Jan. 1 and the new policy "will serve to strengthen UPS's commitments to treating all workers fairly and supporting women in the workplace," UPS said.

http://ift.tt/1tHy9Wn

Suit seeks minimum wage for student athletes

Parking lot improvements underway at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

The San Mateo County Parks Department is improving the existing Fitzgerald Marine Reserve main parking lot located at California and North Lake streets in Moss Beach. 2. Modify the parking spaces to accommodate two Americans with Disabilities Act parking spaces while preserving the same number of existing spaces.

http://ift.tt/1DsN8U1

When Does an Employer Have to Engage in the Interactive Process under the ADA?

The Americans with Disabilities Act provides protection for "disabled individuals" who are currently employed or seeking employment. If an individual is disabled under the ADA, Employers are required to reasonably accommodate the individual's disability by engaging in the "interactive process."

http://ift.tt/1DYMLCG

ADA compliance lawsuit puts the pressure on civic center expansion project

The city of Rapid City could be facing a lawsuit from the Department of Justice. The pending lawsuit stems from the concern of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

http://ift.tt/1tI2uE8

OSHA cites Maui zipline operator

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is fining the owners and operators of a Maui zipline course the maximum amount allowed for the death of a new employee who fell from a platform while at work in May 2014. OSHA investigators determined Patricia Rabellizsa died because of inadequate safety measures in place on the platform at the Piiholo Ranch Zipline Course, where she received riders arriving from the previous platform.

http://westhawaiitoday.com/community-bulletin/osha-cites-maui-zipline-operator

Hawk Mountain will create disability-friendly trail

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has received a $188,000 state grant to create a family-friendly trail that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The sanctuary, which sits in Albany Township, Berks County, and East Brunswick Township, Schuylkill County, is one of the region's most popular recreational and wildlife education areas.

http://ift.tt/1wKJYMx

Screening Committee Revised Meeting Notice for the Instructional Quality Commission Appointment

The purpose of this meeting is to interview candidates for appointment to the Instructional Quality Commission. The Screening Committee will decide which candidates it will recommend to the full State Board of Education at the November 2014 meeting.

http://ift.tt/1wKK0UQ

Unemployment rate drops in York, Adams counties

The unemployment rate fell in both York and Adams counties in September, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry reported Tuesday. The rate dropped to 5.3 percent in York County, down from 5.4 percent in August.

http://ift.tt/1wKK0UF

Regulators Give Annuities a Green Light for Retirement

As the retirement landscape has shifted investors from the predictable payments of defined-benefit plans to the relative uncertainty of saving for their own retirements via defined-contribution plans, plan sponsors and industry practitioners have sought to combine aspects of both worlds: provide investors with guaranteed income and still give them flexibility with their assets. The U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service issued guidance on Oct. 24, 2014, that paves the way for strategies designed to help 401 participants accumulate a guaranteed income stream within a defined-contribution plan.

http://ift.tt/1tfjtuN

York County jobless rate falls slightly

The local unemployment rate is inching closer to the point where anyone who wants a job should be able to find one. Analysts with the state Department of Labor & Industry say that statistic is usually reflected in a 5 percent unemployment rate.

http://ift.tt/1DYE2QR

Right message, wrong messenger

There's been a lot of talk over the last day about the new book by former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson, who's something of a hero in conservative ranks for reporting extensively on stories that the right-wing thinks are being ignored by the rest of the media, like the "Fast and Furious" affair, or what really happened in Benghazi. But what Attkisson is now best known for is her claim -- which she first made on the Philadelphia airwaves on Dom Giordano's WPHT radio program, now amplified in the book -- that her computers were tampered with and that the U.S. government is likely to blame.

http://ift.tt/1xBU67a

Three candidates vying for Lieutenant Governor job

One week from tonight, Nebraska voters will decide the state's next Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The latter is not only the second in command, he or she will oversee the legislature, is the director of homeland security and chairs the Nebraska Information Technology Commission.

http://ift.tt/1DYuR2W

Whistleblower suit targets accounting, controls in Wachovia's investment bank

Robert Kraus is suing Wachovia after being let go from the bank. Kraus says he was let go without explanation and believes it's because he was raising questions about some dubious practices in the investment bank.

http://ift.tt/1vcqMSg

Maui zip line gets maximum fine due to lack of safety measures

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is fining the owners and operators of a Maui zip line course the maximum amount allowed for the death of a new employee who fell from a platform while at work in May 2014. OSHA investigators determined that Patricia Rabellizsa, 29, died because of inadequate safety measures in place on the platform at the Pi'iholo Ranch Zipline Course where she received riders arriving from the previous platform.

http://ift.tt/1DYqLYK

OSHA orders BNSF Railway to pay for work violation

The U.S. Department of Labor says BNSF Railway Co. violated federal law when it disciplined a worker in Iowa who was sick and took doctor-ordered leave.

http://ift.tt/1pVPaWv

Harassment by third parties can create exposure

A recent decision by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Freeman v. Dal-Tile Corp., serves as a reminder that employers can potentially be held liable not only for sexual or other harassment perpetrated by their own employees, but also for harassment carried out by third parties, such as employees of customers, vendors or other business associates.

http://ift.tt/1pVP950

Lehigh Valley jobs growth driven by transportation and warehousing sector

Trucks are parked along the Amcor Rigid Plastics warehouse on Schantz Road in Upper Macungie Township on Tuesday. Across the Lehigh Valley, the transportation and warehousing sector is booming - a point reinforced by the monthly workforce data released Tuesday by the state Department of Labor... Trucks are parked along the Amcor Rigid Plastics warehouse on Schantz Road in Upper Macungie Township on Tuesday.

http://ift.tt/1ry77dt

St. Louis company fined 52K for workplace hazards

A St. Louis steel fabricator has been fined more than $50,000 by a federal agency for 15 workplace safety violations. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Continental Fabricators Inc. following an unspecified number of employee injuries that included broken bones, sprains and muscle injuries.

http://ift.tt/1ry77dh

Group wants more protection for gay, lesbian students at Brevard County schools

A group in Brevard County is asking the school district to do more to protect gay and lesbian students from bullying. The group is planning to ask the school board on Tuesday to amend its nondiscrimination policy to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

http://ift.tt/134KGrQ

Arc of Somerset celebrates National Disability Awareness Month

The Arc of Somerset County celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month which takes place each October to inform the public about the issues involving employment of individuals with disabilities and to recognize the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. Much has changed since the Department of Labor began sponsoring this annual campaign in 1945, but the fact that individuals with disabilities want to work and are a vital part of the American workforce still remains as the central part of the message.

http://ift.tt/1ry5yfm

Richards Challenging Carpino In 32nd House District

Republican State Rep. Christie Carpino of Cromwell is seeking a third term in the 32nd House District against challenger Kathleen Richards, a Democrat, of Portland. Carpino said she offers "nonpartisan representation" for the district, which covers all of Portland and Cromwell.

http://www.courant.com/community/portland/hc-32nd-house-carpino-richards-1028-20141028-story.html

Monday, October 27, 2014

Feds set to destroy H-1B records

The U.S. has changed its H-1B record retention policy to the concern of people who study the visa's impact on the workforce and economy. In a notice posted last week, the U.S. Department of Labor said that records used for labor certification, whether in paper or electronic, "are temporary records and subject to destruction" after five years, under a new policy.

http://ift.tt/1tC8QF6

Baron and Budd Files First Lawsuit Regarding Takata Air Bag Recall

Today, the law firm of Baron and Budd, together with co-counsel Labaton Sucharow LLP and Podhurst Orseck P.A., filed the nation's first lawsuit regarding the recent recall of Takata-brand air bags that were placed in nearly eight million vehicles. According to numerous consumer reports, the air bags, when deployed, can propel metal pieces similar to shrapnel, causing serious, and sometimes even fatal, injuries to drivers and passengers.

http://ift.tt/12XP6Rb

Sen. Kennedy RememberedSAIL AWAY

The Democratic Party's most stalwart defender of civil rights, labor rights, health care, immigration, housing and education for nearly five decades in the U.S. Senate has left us. On Tuesday night, cancer claimed the life of Edward M. Kennedy, the 77-year-old senior senator from Massachusetts.

http://ift.tt/1oTfcyK

GT Advanced layoff will claim 46 jobs in Merrimack

"This mass layoff is expected to be permanent," Andrew Pfeifer, the company's senior director of compensation, benefits and HRIS, wrote in a letter dated Thursday.

http://ift.tt/1wFYCEQ

Grant comes through for Unity Skate Park, Greenfield dog park, Northfield recreation

Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Maeve Bartlett and Representative Stephen Kulik announces grants for parks for area towns, including $226,000 for Montague to finally build a skate park and $400,000 for Greenfield to develop Green River Park.

http://ift.tt/1oST73l

First Transita s performance improves; paratranist users hope to meet with City Transit

Loa Owen of Washington expresses her feelings Monday about accessible transportation for the disabled during the monthly meeting at Tri-County Patriots for Independent Living in Washington.

http://ift.tt/1v7zqBp

Baron and Budd Files First Lawsuit Regarding Takata Air Bag Recall

According to numerous consumer reports, the air bags, when deployed, can propel metal pieces similar to shrapnel, causing serious, and sometimes even fatal, injuries to drivers and passengers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported at least six deaths related to the air bags in Florida alone.

http://ift.tt/1rPrnZ2

FBI tipped to have raided second leaker's home

Edward Snowden will likely be leaker extraordinaire in the public's eyes for a long while, but rumor that a second leaker is out there following in his footsteps has been around for a while. We previously detailed this alleged second leaker, which came to the forefront after a report published by The Intercept , but details were slight and nothing was confirmed.

http://ift.tt/1u150q0

Unlikely Political Pals

Don't let the campaign promises fool you - bipartisanship is elusive in today's bitter national politics and will probably continue to be after the midterms. Republicans are poised to control both houses of Congress next term, but if the GOP hopes to enact any part of its legislative agenda, it will still need to find common ground with the president to avoid vetoes and with the Senate's Democratic minority to prevent filibusters.

http://ift.tt/1zCbWw4

Talk of the Sound Primer on Compliance with Americans with...

When the City School District of New Rochelle agreed to enter into a Consent Decree after the U.S. Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in White Plains, NY, Talk of the Sound embarked on its own study of the District's compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act . The results were disturbing.

http://ift.tt/1rP7FwB

Hawk Mountain to create disability-friendly trail

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has received a $188,000 grant to build an ADA-compliant trail. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has received a $188,000 state grant to create a family-friendly trail that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

http://ift.tt/1u18OaO

Lakemoor approves bonds to fund new village hall construction

LAKEMOOR – The new Lakemoor Village Hall will be paid for using saved-up development fees, sales tax revenue and bonds, village officials said. The Lakemoor Village Board OK'd issuing up to $5.5 million in general obligation alternate revenue bonds, which will be paid back using sales tax revenue, Mesirow Financial Managing Director Todd Krzyskowski said.

http://ift.tt/ZUFyVk

State official: Hanover is a "manufacturing magnet"

Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Julia Hearthway talks after a tour of the Utz Quality Foods facilities on High Street in Hanover on Oct. 24. Hearthway was touring several Hanover area manufacturing businesses as part of Governor Tom Corbett's JOBS1stPA initiative. Hanover is a "manufacturing magnet," Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Julia Hearthway said during a recent visit to local businesses.

http://ift.tt/1u18NU2

LGBT Charges Are Rolling In, EEOC Commissioner Says

Chai Feldblum, a Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, recently presented an update on the EEOC's handling of charges alleging sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. At the meeting, reported this week in Bloomberg BNA , Commissioner Feldblum said that the EEOC is now tracking the intake and resolution of these charges, which I'll refer to collectively as "LGBT charges."

http://ift.tt/ZUFB3l

Obama Wants To Bring Back Domestic Manufacturing

President Barack Obama on Monday unveiled efforts to boost advanced, domestic manufacturing through an investment program worth over $300 million and involving several federal agencies. The White House claimed Monday that 700,000 manufacturing jobs have been added to the U.S. economy since 2010, a rate of growth rivaled only by the 1990s.

http://ift.tt/1DUulTv

Shareholder Alert: Brower Piven Encourages Investors Who Have Losses...

The securities litigation law firm of Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation, announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of purchasers of Tesco PLC securities during the period between February 2, 2014 and September 22, 2014, inclusive . Investors who wish to become proactively involved in the litigation have until December 22, 2014 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff.

http://ift.tt/1Dn0XmX

Feds Set to Destroy H-1B Records

American IRA Announces a New Blog, 'A 401k Account Affects A...

Retirees and those who help clients plan for retirement should also understand how assets in different kinds of retirement accounts affect one another. One of the most common areas is how a person's 401k account affects their Self-Directed IRA .

http://ift.tt/1wF7KcS

Trampled Ultra Security Guard Files $10 Million Lawsuit Against Fest, City of Miami

Erica Mack's injuries included two skull fractures, bleeding in her brain and from her ear, and a leg broken in three places Erica Mack , the security staffer trampled by gatecrashers earlier this year at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, filed suit Monday in Miami-Dade County against Ultra and its parent company, Event Entertainment Group, as well as the city of Miami, the management organization in charge of the park where the event was held, the security and concessions companies for the festival and the fencing company, Carlson Fence. Mack is seeking in excess of $10 million as well as legal fees.

http://ift.tt/1DmUOHs

UPDATE 3-U.S. sues NYC, Computer Sciences for alleged Medicaid fraud

The United States on Monday sued New York City and Computer Sciences Corp, accusing them of defrauding Medicaid into making millions of dollars of improper reimbursements by exploiting a computerized billing system that the company designed. According to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, the defendants took advantage of the system's automatic default settings, enabling the city to improperly boost the amount and speed of reimbursements for services provided to infants and toddlers with developmental delays.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/27/computersciences-newyorkcity-fraud-lawsu-idUSL1N0SM2CO20141027?feedType=RSS&feedName=marketsNews

Trampled Security Guard Sues Ultra for $10 Million

Last year a mob of gatecrashers stormed into Ultra Music Festival, trampling security guard Erica Mack. She ended up with two skull fractures, bleeding in her brain and ear, and three breaks in her leg.

http://ift.tt/1zBDrpG

Taco shop fined for not paying OT

Aldaberto's Mexican Restaurant on Market Street has been fined nearly $90,000 for allegedly not paying its employees overtime. The Department of Labor announced Monday that 12 Aldaberto's employees would collectively receive $44,226 in back wages, and $44,266 in damages, for not being paid time-and-a-half when they worked beyond 40 hours in a week.

http://ift.tt/1u0w5JT

Labor group suing Wisconsin Governor Walker to raise minimum wage

Honoree and politician Scott Walker arrives at the Time 100 gala celebrating the magazine's naming of the 100 most influential people in the world for the past year in New York Honoree and politician Scott Walker arrives at the Time 100 gala celebrating the magazine's naming of the 100 most influential people in the world for the past year in New York - A labor group in Wisconsin on Monday said it is suing Gov. Scott Walker to force him to raise the state's minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The group, Wisconsin Jobs Now, said the rate is too low, citing a state law requiring that workers be paid a "living wage," or an amount with which they can pay for basic needs.

http://ift.tt/1tdC1gv

U.S. Department of Justice reps to meet with Ocean Springs officials next week to discuss damages

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice will be in Ocean Springs next week to discuss with city officials the settlement of damages arising from the Psycamore mental health clinic case. Mayor Connie Moran confirmed Monday that USDOJ officials would be in Ocean Springs to meet with her, along with city attorneys and possibly some members of the board of aldermen, which voted 5-1 in November 2011 to deny a permit to allow Psycamore to operate on a commercially-zoned property abutting a residential neighborhood.

http://ift.tt/1pS0W4i

UPDATE 3-U.S. sues NYC, Computer Sciences for alleged Medicaid fraud

The United States on Monday joined a lawsuit accusing New York City and Computer Sciences Corp of defrauding Medicaid into making millions of dollars of improper reimbursements by exploiting a computerized billing system that the company designed. According to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, the defendants took advantage of the system's automatic default settings, enabling the city to boost the amount and speed of reimbursements for services provided to infants and toddlers with developmental delays.

http://ift.tt/1nKVswr

Milestone Software License

Cherokee Nation Entertainment, LLC, a tribal corporation of the Cherokee Nation is seeking bids for QTY- 117 each - XPCODL - Milestone Xprotect Corporate Device Channel License and QTY-117 each - YXPCODL - Milestone One Year PMA for Xprotect Corporate Base Channel License. Return bids are due no later than Thursday October 30th, 2014 at 5:00PM and can be returned via email to Hossam Azar @hossam.azar@cnent.com.

http://ift.tt/1taMCHu

EEOC Legal Counsel Says Blanket Policy Prohibiting Alcoholic...

Here is a common workplace scenario: An employee tests positive for use of alcohol following a random screening. As a condition of continuing employment, the employee consults with the company's EAP, which informs the employer that the employee is seeking treatment for alcoholism.

http://ift.tt/1nKVtk2

Compensation Planning for 2015

The midsummer projections for salary increases in 2015 have now been confirmed by sources compensation specialists respect most for reliable information. The median salary budget will move up 3.0% over 2014.

http://ift.tt/1xxpnIj

LGBT Charges Are Rolling In, EEOC Commissioner Says

REPORT: The FBI Has Raided The Home Of The 'Second Snowden' Leaking Stories To Journalists

For months, journalist Glenn Greenwald has suggested that Edward Snowden wasn't his only source of national security-related leaks. On July 4, Greenwald tweeted that it " seems clear " there were multiple leakers from inside the US intelligence apparatus, a statement that implied Snowden may have started a wave of disclosures from national security insiders that the US intelligence community would be powerless to stop.

http://ift.tt/1wExXIE

Trampled Ultra Security Guard Files $10 Million Lawsuit...

Erica Mack , the security staffer trampled by gatecrashers earlier this year at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, filed suit today in Miami-Dade County against Ultra and its parent company Event Entertainment Group, as well as the City of Miami, the management organization in charge of the park where the event was held, the security and concessions companies for the festival and the fencing company, Carlson Fence. Mack is seeking in excess of $10 million as well as legal fees.

http://ift.tt/1zBmKul

Chafee order aims to increase jobs for disabled

Gov. Lincoln Chafee has signed an executive order that aims to increase the number of people with intellectual disabilities employed in Rhode Island's state government. The order is part of an effort to comply with a court-ordered agreement reached with the U.S. Justice Department in April to give more Rhode Island residents with such disabilities the chance for a regular job that pays at least the minimum wage.

http://ift.tt/1DmfOhx

FBI reportedly raids home of 'Second Snowden'

Federal authorities in the United States have reportedly set their sights on a government contractor suspected of being the source responsible for leaking documents in the aftermath of the unauthorized disclosures attributed to Edward Snowden.

http://ift.tt/1tA16n9

Schumer wants to beef up policing of 'dark Web' and its drug sales

Sen. Charles Schumer on Monday called for a review of the federal response to the proliferation of online marketplaces for illegal drugs, citing a Newsday investigation that revealed sale listings had more than doubled to $4 billion in the past year. Schumer , calling the Newsday findings "troubling," asked the Department of Justice to examine its investigation methods to more effectively... Sen. Charles Schumer on Monday called for a review of the federal response to the proliferation of online marketplaces for illegal drugs, citing a Newsday investigation that revealed sale listings had more than doubled to $4 billion in the past year.

http://ift.tt/1xxgize

Ladder pays $62.6M for Lafayette Park office campus

All four buildings are fully leased to state agencies, including the Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Department of Labor & Industry.

http://ift.tt/1xxghvi

Shareholder Alert: Brower Piven Encourages Investors Who Have Losses...

The securities litigation law firm of Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation, announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on behalf of purchasers of 21Vianet Group, Inc. securities during the period between April 21, 2011 and September 10, 2014, inclusive and informs investors who wish to become proactively involved in the litigation that they have until November 11, 2014 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff.

http://ift.tt/1xxgiiC

Special day set for area veterans

The Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs is partnering with county offices for an event to highlight services available to veterans in the area. An event for veterans and their families from Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Polk and Rhea counties has been scheduled for Oct. 29, at the National Guard Armory on Dalton Pike.

http://ift.tt/1oRHee6

Dallas company to pay $499,000 for sexual harassment, retaliation firings

A six-person jury for the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, has awarded three former employees of a Dallas-based physician services provider nearly $500,000 in a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency said Monday. Gloria Stokes, a former executive assistant for EmCare Holdings Inc., was awarded $250,000 in punitive damages based on the claim that she was sexually harassed by her supervisor, division CEO Jim McKinney, according to a statement by the EEOC.

http://ift.tt/1xxggY4

Considering a Wellness Program for Employees? Make Sure You Do Not...

Rising health insurance costs have bedeviled employers for years. Wellness programs represent one tool designed to increase employee health and reduce health insurance costs.

http://ift.tt/1u0fDcH

UPDATE 1-U.S. sues NYC, Computer Sciences over Medicaid reimbursements

The United States on Monday joined a lawsuit accusing New York City and Computer Sciences Corp of defrauding Medicaid into making millions of dollars of improper reimbursements by exploiting a computerized billing system that the company designed. According to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, the defendants took advantage of the system's automatic defaulting capabilities, enabling the city to boost the amount and speed of reimbursements for services provided to infants and toddlers with developmental delays.

http://ift.tt/1u0fG8f

Shareholder Alert: Brower Piven Encourages Investors Who Have Losses...

The securities litigation law firm of Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation, announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on behalf of purchasers of Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. common stock during the period between November 25, 2013 and July 9, 2014, inclusive and informs investors who wish to become proactively involved in the litigation that they have until November 17, 2014 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff.

http://ift.tt/1u0cPMF

Young VA settles suit by its police officers for nearly $1 million

The Department of Veterans Affairs has formally settled a federal lawsuit filed by eight agency police officers who worked at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center for $960,000, according to court documents filed Monday. With recent settlements to three other VA police officers at the facility, the total payout by the VA is $1.3 million.

http://ift.tt/1DlYNUv

Pages

Web Statistics Provided By Google Analytics

Friday, October 31, 2014

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Tuesday, October 28, 2014