Of course, you need to pay your employees while they’re clocked in and doing work, but it turns out you might have to compensate them for off-the-clock work as well. The California Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Starbucks was required to pay their workers for minutes they spend performing works tasks off-the-clock, even if only for a brief time, if that task is routine like locking up, setting alarms, and sending reports....
Don’t look now, but summer is upon us. With the temperature heating up in most parts of the country, those fortunate to have a pool may be enjoying some cool time lounging in the water. But while a swimming pool in the backyard may be a great escape, homeowners should be aware that pools can also be an attractive nuisance that can create serious swimming pool liability too. Generally, attractive nuisance is a legal term that means that you have a special duty to protect children on your property....
Personal injury law covers a wide range of situations, from simple slip-and-falls to complex product liability claims. With that many kinds of injuries and the millions of plaintiffs and defendants, personal injury law is bound to evolve over time. As the law changes, it can affect the liability of parties, the number of lawsuits, and the average amount plaintiffs can recover for certain injuries. Here’s a look at five recent trends in personal injury law, and how they might affect your claim....
CNN reported today on the story of Japanese-born Noriko Calderon, whose Filipino parents illegally immigrated to Japan, and who is now being left behind in Japan as her parents are deported. CNN gave the following background on the Calderon family’s situation: Japan thereafter allowed Noriko to stay under visa, but she faces the difficiult prospect of being separated from her parents perhaps until she turns 18. Activists claim that Japan’s “notoriously rigid immigration laws violate human rights”, but people might wonder if the same thing could happen here in the States....
Facing budget problems, many states have been forced cut alcohol and drug treatment in prison programs. As a result, studies have shown this will more likely increase offenders with substance abuse problems to return to prison and never receive treatment, the Associated Press reports. The budget crisis states are facing has forced many of its prison to cut treatment programs for drug users, drunken drivers and sex offenders. As previously discussed, over the next several months, California will be laying off prison workers and is expected to cut $250 million from rehabilitation spending in prisons....
Allowing customers to use credit cards at your store certainly boosts sales – it’s easy for customers to use, and they may be willing to pay more if they’re not counting each dollar out of their wallet. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it boosts revenue. Credit card companies charge retailers “swipe fees,” sometimes as high as 3 percent per transaction. While most retailers simply pass on this charge to consumers (in the form of higher prices), a New York law makes that illegal....
A Lexmark competitor can proceed in suing the printer company after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Tuesday in a false advertising appeal. Static Control Components Inc. sued Lexmark in federal court, alleging that Lexmark told customers that Static Controls’ products infringed on Lexmark’s intellectual property and that using Static Control’s products was illegal, reports Reuters. Static Control had been refilling and reselling Lexmark toner cartridges to those with Lexmark printers for more than a decade....
No one says you need to perform background checks on your potential employees, and there’s a movement to “ban the box,” or refrain from asking questions about an applicant’s criminal history. In fact, Target pulled criminal history questions from its applications in 2013, although it still gathered criminal background information later in the hiring process. What Target didn’t do, according to a lawsuit, was apply these criminal background checks to all prospective employees equally....
It’s pretty obvious that schools will want to monitor their students’ social media activity. From preventing online bullying or harassment to ensuring that students don’t tarnish a school’s image, administrators have an interest in keeping an eye on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram belonging to students. But when can that policing of posts go too far? Perhaps when you’re asking female volleyball players what male football players will think of their Instagram posts and kicking them off the team because of them....
Almost two dozen people were burned doing a firewalk at a Tony Robbins seminar in San Jose, but so far it looks like the motivational speaker won’t be held liable for the burns. During Robbins “Unleash the Power Within” seminar he invited participants to walk on hot coals as a metaphor for overcoming difficulties. This practice has gone on for three decades according to Robbins’ representatives. But at this seminar, at least 21 people suffered burns on their feet....
More and more small businesses are becoming more and more environmentally-friendly these days. And with all the advances in sustainable sourcing, energy efficiency, and reuse and recycling, going green is easier than ever. Not only is it easy, but it might also boost your bottom line. Between grants, tax breaks, and customer goodwill, a small investment in green business practices could mean bigger returns in the future. Before you get started eco-fitting your small business, you should know that local, state, and the federal government may help you shoulder the cost for energy efficient upgrades....
Between Obamacare and workers’ compensation, auto and home policies, and even whether you want coverage on that box you’re mailing, our lives are constantly surrounded by insurance policies. If something is valuable and its damage or loss would cause you harm, it can be insured. But despite the myriad policies and plans, most people are in the dark when it comes to the basics of insurance coverage and the law that applies to insurance claims....
As we posted earlier this month, a father in the U.S. has been jailed in Japan for attempting to see and regain custody of his children who were taken to Japan by his ex-wife, in violation of a U.S. custody order that granted him limited custody of the two children. At that time, the father– Christopher Savoie– picked up the children as they walked to school and then headed for the U....
A lawsuit filed by the family of Francesco Sanfilippo, the victim in last month’s Las Vegas cellmate killing, is raising questions about inmate safety and the housing of mentally-ill prisoners. Stabbed with a pencil by 18-year-old cellmate Carl Guilford, the family alleges that the prison was negligent and violated Sanfilippo’s 8th Amendment rights by placing him in a cell with an inmate known to hear voices and suffer from bipolar disorder....
There are a lot of rules out there for cell phone use, but what are the rules for using cell phones in court? Even though you can now cell phones (in “airplane” mode) when you fly, some courts have more stringent rules and may even prohibit cell phones altogether. In one notable case, a lady whose cell phone rang loudly during a trial was held in contempt of court – though that was later overturned on appeal....
Foreclosure worries cramping your style? Consider applying to President Obama’s Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), which is part of his larger initiative to make waves in home affordability. Though it’s off to slow start–which could mean long wait times–it could allow you to keep your home and live in it too. So, what is HAMP anyway? The government program makes available $75 billion in funding to help 3-4 million homeowners at risk for foreclosure stay in their homes....
According to a medical malpractice study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, most doctors will be sued at some point during their career, with those specializing in high-risk procedures boasting nearly a 100% chance. Despite the number of medical malpractice suits, the study concluded that only 22% result in some sort of payment, either via settlement or jury award. Why? And what do these numbers say about the state of the health care industry?...
The family of a man who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being punched in the head at a 2013 Kid Rock concert has filed a $150 million lawsuit. The lawsuit filed by 25-year-old Jason McNeil and his wife names concert promoter Live Nation, the security company responsible for crowd control at the concert, and the Darien Lakes Performing Arts Center near Buffalo, New York, as defendants in addition to the man who threw the punch, reports The Buffalo News....
Online dating leads to marriage more often now than ever before. More than one-third of recent U.S. marriages began with online dating, according to a new study. That finding is based on a survey of nearly 20,000 people who tied the knot between 2005 and 2012. The survey also found that married couples who met online are also slightly happier and less likely to end up in divorce compared to those who met offline, USA Today reports....
Resume lies are nothing new, but as market pressures squeeze job applicants to distinguish themselves from their peers, some real working whoppers have risen to the top. A recent CareerBuilder survey found that 58 percent of managers have caught applicants using lies on their resumes, and one-third of managers have seen this misbehavior increase since the recession, reports Business Insider. So what are the 10 most egregious lies applicants have told on their resumes, and what can employers do about it?...
