June 2007

Featured Products
Recent Changes Require Action

Featured Services
Recruitment Solutions to Match your Needs…

FAQ's
Missed Meals and Rest Periods

Research
Are your Compensation Practices Motivating your Hourly Employees?

Feature Article
Employers Group Receives NEW
State-Funded Training Contract

Special Announcements
Richard Simmons! - June 20th - Orange County - Meal & Rest Period Program

Member Appreciation Breakfasts
June 2007

SSA Form 5500 series Filing by July 31

Summer dress code policies to employees

To see what's happening in your area, please visit the web page for your region:

Los Angeles
San Diego
Orange County
Inland Empire
Northern California  

Contact Employers Group:
800.748.8484 - for the Member Service Center select option 3 and for the Customer Advocate select option 5. Or email us at msc@employersgroup.com and customeradvocate@
employersgroup.com.

Let us know how we can improve our website. Give us your feedback at webmaster@
employersgroup.com.
Special Announcement

Richard Simmons! June 20th - Orange County - Meal & Rest Period Program
A Breakfast with Richard Simmons
In the most important Employment Law case of the year, Murphy v. Kenneth Cole Productions, April 16, 2007, the California Supreme Court held that the “additional hour of pay” for employees missing meal and rest periods is a wage and not a penalty, thus falling under the three-year statute of limitations instead...{Read More}

Member Appreciation Breakfasts
In 2007, Employers Group is hosting member appreciation breakfasts throughout the state. These sessions give members the opportunity to network, meet Employers Group staff and receive information on a current or emerging HR issue. The sessions are free of charge and early registration is recommended...{Read More}

Featured Services

Employers Group Receives NEW State-Funded Training Contract
On behalf of our members, Employers Group has just received $1.2M in state funds to train up to 1,320 employees – which includes YOUR employees if your company is eligible! This year’s state-funded training program has been expanded...{Read More}
Featured Services

Are your Compensation Practices Motivating your Hourly Employees?
The 2007 Regional Wage (Nonexempt) Survey is now available for pre-order. The results of the survey provide the latest compensation data to help you position your hourly employees in today’s competitive...{Read More}
training news

Missed Meals and Rest Periods
Q: How does the recent California Supreme Court decision regarding meals and rest periods affect employers?
A: The Court’s decision in Murphy v. Kenneth Cole Productions affects every employer in California who has nonexempt employees (employees who are legally eligible for overtime). Under California law, employers must pay employees who miss a required meal period, or who miss one or more required rest periods...{Read More}
training news

Recruitment Solutions to Match your Needs…
for less than 7% of Salary!
Decision Toolbox, Employers Group’s preferred partner for recruitment solutions, is your answer to executive search recruiting at a fraction of the cost. Decision Toolbox (DT) fills in the blanks by:...{Read More}
Lunch 'n Learn

Recent Changes Require Action
As I’m sure you know by now, on Friday, May 25, 2007, President Bush signed into law HR2206, which increases the Federal Minimum Wage for the first time in just over a decade...{Read More}

 

Special Announcement

You Still Have Time to Register!

Richard Simmons! June 20th - Orange County -
Meal & Rest Period Program
A Breakfast with Richard Simmons

Richard Simmons

In the most important Employment Law case of the year, Murphy v. Kenneth Cole Productions, April 16, 2007, the California Supreme Court held that the “additional hour of pay” for employees missing meal and rest periods is a wage and not a penalty, thus falling under the three-year statute of limitations instead of the one-year statute.

Please join us and guest speaker Richard J. Simmons, Partner with Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP - Los Angeles, for an insightful look at the landmark ruling and its wide ranging punitive effects on payroll administration and other practices. The Court’s ruling is unfavorable for businesses and could be quite costly for uninformed California employers.

Orange County Event
Date:

 Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Time:

8:00am – 9:30am
Registration begins at 7:30am
Location:

Century Club - Garden Level
650 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Cost:
$65.00 Members
$75.00 Non-Members
(Includes continental breakfast and parking)

Click here to register

During this presentation you will:

  • Hear how mistakes made in exemption status classification now increase employers potential liability for millions of dollars in back pay and meal and rest period sanctions.

  • Learn why The California Supreme Court’s ruling opens up a longer period for employee redress from one year to three or four years. Expect more class action litigation and Labor Commissioner audits.

  • Understand how specific, strategic planning and decision making can protect you, going forward, from meal and rest period liabilities. You will learn these strategies directly from the recognized authority on the subject, Richard J. Simmons, Esq.
Richard Simmons Books

You can now purchase the latest edition of Richard Simmons' two related books, both updated for this important court decision:

  • California's Meal and Rest Period Rules: Practical Strategies for Compliance 2nd Edition.

  • Wage and Hour Manual for California Employers 12th Edition.

 

Member Appreciation Breakfasts

In 2007, Employers Group is hosting member appreciation breakfasts throughout the state. These sessions give members the opportunity to network, meet Employers Group staff and receive information on a current or emerging HR issue. The sessions are free of charge and early registration is recommended.

Save the Date!

San Diego July 26
Inland Empire August 9
Los Angeles August 23

For more information, please click here.
Special Announcement

 

Featured Article


Employers Group Receives NEW
State-Funded Training Contract

On behalf of our members, Employers Group has just received $1.2M in state funds to train up to 1,320 employees – which includes YOUR employees if your company is eligible! This year’s state-funded training program has been expanded to include better eligibility for employers, and has more flexibility built in than in any previous state-funded training program.

Is your company eligible?
In the new program, there are two ways a company can become eligible to receive state-funded training:

  • Face direct out-of-state competition, derive over 25% of revenue from outside California, or manufacture a product; or
  • Any other company who wants to train non-managers and who pay individual trainees at least $22.51 per hour (this amount can include employer-provided health benefits).

Requirements for a 100% state training subsidy
Once approved, depending on whether the employer is considered a large or small employer, Employers Group can deliver a range of hours of training specifically geared to each group that is identified. For the state to pay 100% of the training delivery, minimum group size requirements must be met:

  • Large Employer (over 100 FT Employees) group size can be between 15-20 employees and anywhere from 24 to 120 hours of training can be delivered to each individual group that is selected.
  • Small Employer (less than 100 FT Employees) group size can be between 10-20 employees and anywhere from 24 to 80 hours of training can be delivered to each individual group that is selected.

Requirements for an 80% state training subsidy
Companies that cannot train enough employees to meet the minimum group size are still able to use state funds to subsidize a portion of a training program. The state will pay the representative portion of the training based upon the number of eligible trainees participating (12 eligible trainees out of a minimum group size of 15 equals 80% state subsidy).

How it works
Employers Group staff and trainers will meet with you and your staff to discuss your training objectives, goals and then structure a training program that will meet organizational and trainee needs. A variety of non-compliance topics can be delivered, including leadership, communications, motivating, coaching, problem solving, decision making, team building, conflict and many others.

If you are interested in determining your company’s eligibility for the program, or would like more information, please click here and complete an eligibility determination form.

Feature Article



Research


Are your Compensation Practices
Motivating your Hourly Employees?

Find out today by pre-ordering the
2007 Regional Wage (Nonexempt) Survey!

The 2007 Regional Wage (Nonexempt) Survey is now available for pre-order. The results of the survey provide the latest compensation data to help you position your hourly employees in today’s competitive market!

PLUS! Save up to 5% off the complete price! You'll receive the full report (Book and CD-ROM) for $118 (Original Price, $125)!
MN Book

About the 2007 Regional Wage (Nonexempt) Survey
Our most popular report – the 2007 Regional Wage (Nonexempt) Survey encompasses nonexempt office, clerical, and technical employees as well as hourly maintenance, warehouse, and production personnel. This survey presents compensation data for 200 classifications, from production & nonexempt office jobs in Finance, Customer Service, Human Resources, Administrative, Computer Operations, Maintenance, Shipping, and Production.

Includes:

  • Office and Clerical
  • Payroll, Credit & Customer Service
  • Service Representative
  • General Office
  • Human Resources
  • Departmental Staff
  • Admin/Secretarial Services
  • Sales & Marketing
  • Production
  • Computer Operations
  • Insurance Industry
  • General
  • Maintenance
  • Stocking & Inventory
  • Shipping/Receiving
  • Driver
  • Warehouse

Organization and Display of Compensation Data:

  • Data Breaks by Industry, Employment Size, and Geographic Location; San Francisco, Metro Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Orange, Inland Empire, and San Diego
  • Publicly Traded & Privately Held Firms
  • Base Compensation, Plus Formal Salary Ranges Plus Incentive Compensation
  • Geographic Differentials
  • Aging/Maturing Factors

ORDER TODAY!

Employers Group has the experience and resources to provide custom survey services for member organizations. Whether you need to market price one or many jobs, we offer a wide range of services geared towards one goal - getting you the information you need to properly align your compensation strategy with current market levels.

For more information or questions, please email surveys@employersgroup.com.

 

FAQ


Missed Meals and Rest Periods

Q: How does the recent California Supreme Court decision regarding meals and rest periods affect employers?

A: The Court’s decision in Murphy v. Kenneth Cole Productions affects every employer in California who has nonexempt employees (employees who are legally eligible for overtime). Under California law, employers must pay employees who miss a required meal period, or who miss one or more required rest periods; i.e., one payment per category.

Q: What’s different about the payments?

A: The “regular rate” of pay is the hourly rate upon which overtime is legally based, which has been mandated for some time now. Here’s what’s different: previously these meal & rest period payments were deemed to be a penalty. Now, the California Supreme Court has declared them to be wages, and therein lies the problem.

First of all, unpaid penalties have an owner year statute of limitations attached to them. Wages have a 3 to 4 year statute of limitations. Therefore, there is a much longer period for employers to worry about non-compliance.

In addition, these “wages,” if not paid at regular paydays, can lead to additional fines of $200 per employee, per payroll period, for each infraction. Moreover, such wages have to be included in calculating overtime, which means increased labor costs for employers.

Editor’s note: On June 20, 2007, in Costa Mesa, Employers Group is sponsoring a breakfast briefing on this issue with renowned attorney Richard Simmons to discuss the pitfalls of these payments as “wages” and how employers can strategize to guard against them. For more details about this informative event please click here.
FAQ

 

Research


Recruitment Solutions to Match your Needs…
for less than 7% of Salary!

Decision Toolbox, Employers Group’s preferred partner for recruitment solutions, is your answer to executive search recruiting at a fraction of the cost. Decision Toolbox (DT) fills in the blanks by:

  • Filling your positions – By pinpointing precisely the “fit” you’re looking for at the onset of each project, DT helps you find and hire well qualified candidates who truly match your requirements.
  • Fitting your budget – At an average cost below 7% of salary, DT fills your positions without emptying your budget, and there are no fixed costs or monthly volume commitments.
  • Meeting your time requirements – Stop wasting valuable time and resources – in just 11 days on average, DT finds the candidates you’ll want to hire.
  • Adapting to your needs – DT can become your recruiting department or extend your existing function, and the DT team scales up or down as your needs change.

Looking for industry experience?
Decision Toolbox has helped hundreds of companies in a broad range of industries, most likely, including yours!

Go to www.decisiontoolbox.com/eg today to get started, or contact Katherin Scott at Employers Group at (213) 765-3949 or kscott@employersgroup.com for more information.
Email



FAQ

Recent Changes Require Action

Minimum Wage Increase
As you may know, on Friday, May 25, 2007, President Bush signed into law HR2206, which increases the Federal Minimum Wage for the first time in just over a decade.

The increase is a three-tiered process beginning on July 24, 2007 where the minimum wage will increase to $5.85. That will be followed by another increase a year later (effective July 24, 2008) to $6.55 and one the following year (effective July 24, 2009) to $7.25.

With the signing of this law the MANDATORY TO POST Federal Minimum Wage posting will be revised effective the date of the first change (July 24, 2007). Obviously, for future years your updated posters will be accurate, but for your 2007 posters you either need to buy a new poster or change the information on you existing one.

Anticipating this change, Employers Group, in cooperation with our business partner, is offering a Peel-N-Post Update Overlay so you can use your All-In-One poster for the remainder of 2007 but still be in compliance with the new Federal regulations.

Member $8.95
Non-Member $9.95

Of course if you haven’t updated your posters yet for 2007, then this is the perfect opportunity to do so.

Meal and Rest Period Ruling
With the April 16, 2007 California Supreme Court decision, which held that the payments for missed meal and rest periods are now deemed “wages” and not “penalties” the need to be on-the-spot with meal and rest periods rules is ever more apparent.

Richard Simmons, one of the preeminent labor relations attorneys in California, has a publication available that addresses all your questions on this surprise decision and much more – California Meal and Rest Period Rules: Proactive Strategies for Compliance.

In anticipation of this decision, Mr. Simmons just released the second edition that addresses the host of new employer potential liabilities and penalties this ruling makes possible. Included subjects are:

  • Increased overtime wages
  • Failure to pay all wages on paydays and at terminations
  • An increased statute of limitations that can run 3-4 years

Unquestionably, this second edition is an invaluable compliance resource for HR professionals and a “must have” for any HR library.

Member $67.50
Non-Member $75.00

The Peel-N-Post Update overlay, Mr. Simmon's new book and many others, are available online through the EG Store at discounted member rates. Please visit our website or call our Member Service Center at 800.748.8484 for more information.