Contents

Articles at a Glance

Breaking News

Upcoming Events in Your State

Upcoming Annual Industry Events

Employment Law Update

Subscribe to Council's Employment Law Newsletters

HR Tips From the Trenches

Council's Web Tip of the Month

Articles at a Glance

Welcome to Council’s HR Watch for March 2005. In this issue you will find valuable information on:

• The continuing decline in job satisfaction
• The record amount recovered by the EEOC for FY 2004
• How your sick leave policy may violate the ADA
• Whether a teacher has a constitutional right to “intimate association” with a student
• The impact California’s new domestic partner laws have on employers
• Successfully managing unemployment benefits claims
• Common handbook issues that can be affected by state law

Breaking News top

Job Satisfaction Continues to Decline

The results of a survey released by The Conference Board on February 28 show that the number of American workers satisfied with their jobs has been on a steady decline over the past 10 years. Only one-half of American workers now report that they are satisfied with their jobs, down from nearly 60 percent in 1995. Read More

EEOC Recovers Record $420 Million for Victims of Employment Discrimination

The EEOC has released its fiscal year 2004 enforcement statistics showing that the agency recovered a record $420 million in relief last year for thousands of people filing charges of employment discrimination. Read More

Plan Ahead for Your 2005 Training! top

Council has the answers to your 2005 HR, employment law and workers' comp training needs.

Click here to download Council's New 2005 Comprehensive Training Catalog.

Upcoming Events in Your State top

Below are some of the seminars being held in your area! To find out more about upcoming seminars (including 2005 seminars) in your area and for full agenda information go to www.counciloned.com.

Upcoming Annual Industry Events top

As you make your plans for 2005 training and learning, be sure to put these events on your calendar!

Focus Healthcare Benefits Forum
April 6-8, 2005
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
Chicago, IL

Are you struggling to find new ways to contain
health care spending?

Focus will provide you with the tools you need to create and implement a long-term cost-reduction plan. You will discover an array of proven tactics, presented by benefits executives who are using them successfully. Discover how organizations across the country are coping with rising costs and which innovative strategies have produced results. Find out more; click here.

Read an interview with Bradley Strunk, researcher with the Center for Studying Health System Change and Keynote Speaker for Focus.

Texas Workers’ Comp Update
September 21-23, 2005
The Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion
Dallas, TX

Join us at the Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion on September 21-23, 2005 for the 2nd Annual Texas Workers' Comp Forum! This year's program will provide you with updates on key workers' comp legislation, critical cost containment strategies, innovative return-to-work programs, practical claims management tactics, proactive fraud prevention and legal compliance tips and much more!

• Legislative updates on Texas workers' comp reforms: Analyzing the impact on your organization
• New, better strategies for reducing workers' comp costs
  Over 25 sessions presented by leading experts on Texas workers' comp issues
• Case studies of successful accomplishments of Texas organizations that have conquered the same issues you are confronting
• Your best networking opportunity in 2005 - exchange ideas and best practices with your workers' comp colleagues

If your priorities for 2005 include controlling the cost of workers' comp for your organization in the troubled Texas workers' comp system, click here to find out how you can arm yourself with practical advice, innovative solutions and proactive cost containment strategies.

California Workers’ Comp Forum 2005
November 2-4, 2005
The Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach
Palm Beach, CA

Impartial updates and proven solutions from attorneys, employers, and government agencies. The information you need to navigate the tumultuous CA workers’ comp system.

In 2004 over 400 of your colleagues in California heard from Senator Chuck Poochigian, Administrative Director of Workers’ Comp Andrea Lynn Hoch, plus over 30 sessions presented by leading employers and workers’ comp attorneys. If reducing workers’ comp costs is on your list of priorities in 2005, this is the can’t-miss event of the year. Find out more; click here.

Employment Law Update top

Broadly Applied Sick Leave Policy That Requires Diagnosis Violates ADA

A federal trial court in New York recently held that an employer’s policy of making general inquiries about an employee’s health before approving a request for sick leave violates the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Read More

Denying Teacher Tenure for Relationship With Former Student Did Not Violate Right to Intimate Association

The Sixth Circuit recently held that a public school system did not violate a teacher’s constitutional rights by suspending her without pay and denying her application for tenure after becoming aware of her relationship with a former student. Read More

New Legislation Extends Rights of Married Couples to Domestic Partners in California

Effective January 1, 2005, two new California laws extended the same rights and responsibilities of married couples to registered domestic partners. The new legislation will impact existing employer personnel policies such as bereavement leave, and statutes such as the California Family Rights Act. Read More

Subscribe to Council's Employment Law Newsletters top

Wondering how to protect yourself from employer liability for customer-initiated sexual harassment or exposure to workplace smoke? Find out more about these cases and others by requesting a FREE 3-month subscription to one of Council’s newsletters. Each newsletter is specifically tailored to provide you with “best practices” in today's highly complex legal environment and help you avoid employment law problems in your workplace. Click here for your free trial.

HR Tips From the Trenches top

Successfully Managing Unemployment Benefits Claims

Successful processing of an unemployment claim may seem to be little more than filling out a form and returning it to the unemployment office. Unfortunately for many employers, treating a claim in this manner may be the first step in allowing unwarranted payment of benefits to occur. Read More

Council's Web Tip of the Week top

Employee Handbooks—Creatures of State Law

Too many employers distribute employee handbooks without a thought to state employment law issues. These employers feel comfortable that the handbook is compliant with federal laws. However, they often forget about nuances in state laws—especially when a handbook is used in more than one state. Here is a list of a few of the common handbook issues that could be affected by state employment law. Read More

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DISCLAIMER

The articles contained in this publication have been abridged from laws, court decisions and administrative rulings and should not be construed orrelied upon as legal advice. If you have questions concerning particular situations or specific legal issues, please contact your labor attorney.

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