Although it’s understandable why state governments and U.S. citizens may not want a federal ID card, the lack of such a system is causing security, economic and electoral security problems that are costing states, businesses throughout the U.S. and individuals large amounts of time and money.

What could be a simple solution is for the federal government to legislate certain standards for such a system, but allow the states to implement and administer it. Anyone with a driver’s license has already accepted a form of state-issued identification, so adapting a similar card and system for the purpose of general identification should be much more palatable by most citizens at the state level.

An individual’s state-implemented ID card would be scanned when voting or applying for a job and, instead of it being linked to a federal database, it would be verified by a state system.

According to experts, another benefit is that it would be easier to eliminate fraudulent voters and unauthorized workers with the use of a single card and system. Employers that used the system would not be subject to the various laws against employing illegal workers, reducing fraud, paperwork and other administrative costs.

It has been estimated that a states-based ID card system would only cost a few billion dollars and could be introduced in a year or less. For individual citizens, the greatest benefit could be more jobs available for legal workers and, when the economy was robust, wages would increase because of labor shortages.

No changes.

January 2010

Unemployment Insurance Law Rate Notice (Jan. 2010)

The UI rate schedule in effect for 2010 will continue to be Schedule F+. This is Schedule F plus a 15% emergency surcharge, rounded to the nearest tenth. Schedule F+ provides for UI contribution rates ranging from 1.5% to 6.2%. The taxable wage base for 2010 for UI purposes remains at $7,000. The new employer rate will be 3.4% and the Employment Training Tax rate remains at 0.1% for 2010. Note that the voluntary UI payment program is not in effect in 2010. The SDI taxable wage base for 2010 is $93,316 (CA ¶5-1700).

San Francisco Minimum Wage Poster Updated (Jan. 2010)

The San Francisco minimum wage poster has been updated (CA ¶5-9900).

Overtime Pay Law

The overtime exemption rate for computer software employees in California will remain unchanged for the period beginning January 1, 2010, the California Department of Industrial Relations has announced. In accordance with Labor Code Section 515.5 (a)(4), the Division of Labor Statistics and Research has maintained the same computer software employee’s minimum hourly rate of pay exemption of $37.94, the monthly salary exemption of $6587.50, and the minimum annual salary exemption of $79,050.00, effective January 1, 2010, reflecting the absence of an increase in the California Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (Source: State of California, Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Statistics and Research, Memorandum dated November 3, 2009, from Gregory Govan, DLSR Chief, to John C. Duncan, DIR Director, at CA ¶5-1100).

December 2009

Overtime Pay Law

Likewise, the overtime exemption rate for licensed physicians and surgeons in California will remain unchanged for the period beginning January 1, 2010. In accordance with Labor Code Section 515.6(a), the Division of Labor Statistics and Research has maintained the same licensed physicians and surgeons employee’s minimum hourly rate of pay exemption of $69.13, effective January 1, 2010, reflecting the absence of an increase in the California Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (Source: State of California, Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Statistics and Research, Memorandum dated November 3, 2009, from Gregory Govan, DLSR Chief, to John C. Duncan, DIR Director, at CA ¶5-1100).
Workers’ Compensation Law

The state has amended its workers’ compensation law with respect to employer penalties for failure to secure the payment of workers’ comp (Ch. 640 (S. 313), L. 2009, at CA ¶5-4300)

November 2009

Child Labor Law

The California Education Code has been amended with regard to pupil work permits to authorize the principal of a public or private school, subject to certain requirements and conditions, to issue, or designate another administrator in the school to issue, work permits for pupils who attend the school. A person would not be able to issue a work permit for his or her own child. In addition, hour limitations that apply to work permits are to be based on the school calendar of the school the pupil attends (Ch. 214 (A. 66), L. 2009, enacted October 11, 2009, effective January 1, 2010, at CA ¶5-1500).

Health Insurance Benefit Coverage Law

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a law amending the state’s health coverage mandate for reconstructive surgery. Effective July 1, 2010, coverage must include medically necessary dental or orthodontic services that are an integral part of reconstructive surgery for cleft palate procedures. The law applies to health care service plan contracts, as well as health insurance policies covering hospital, medical or surgical expenses (Ch. 604 (S. 630), L. 2009, effective July 1, 2010, at CA ¶5-4000).

California’s law prohibiting insurance policies from limiting coverage of prescription drugs that are prescribed for uses other than those approved for FDA marketing was amended to include revised compendiums (Ch. 479 (A. 830), L. 2009, effective January 1, 2010, at CA ¶5-4000).

Criminal Background Checks Law

The Attorney General is authorized to provide any foreign government criminal history information, if the information is requested by the individual who is the subject of the record requested and if that information is needed in conjunction with the individual’s application to adopt a minor child who is a citizen of that foreign nation. Also, the Department of Justice is required to disseminate the date and agency name associated with all retained peace officer or nonsworn law enforcement agency employee preemployment criminal offender record information search requests. The Department must retain an individual’s fingerprint images and related information submitted as part of a peace officer or nonsworn law enforcement agency employee preemployment criminal offender record information search request. Penal Code, Part 4, Title 1, Chapter 1, Article 3, Sections 11105 and 11105.06, as amended and enacted by Ch. 97 (A.B. 297), L. 2009 and Ch. 441 (A.B. 428) L. 2009, effective Jan. 1, 2010. Paras 5-23,604.01 and 5-23, 604.051.

Discrimination Against Military Personnel Law

Under the Civil Air Patrol Employment Protection Act, public and private employers, who employ more than 15 employees, are prohibited from discriminating and discharging from employment a member of the Civil Air Patrol because of such membership and will not hinder or prevent a member from performing service as part of the California Wing of the Civil Air Patrol during an emergency operational mission. Labor Code, Division 2, Part 5, Sections 1500 through 1507, as enacted by Ch. 242 (A.B. 485), L. 2009, effective Jan. 1, 2010. Paras 5-21,150.01 through 5-21,150.18.

Maximum Hours of Work Law

The California Education Code has been amended to provide that the hour limitations that apply to pupil work permits are to be based on the school calendar of the school the pupil attends ( Ch. 214 (A. 66), L. 2009, enacted October 11, 2009, effective January 1, 2010, at CA ¶5-1300).

Military and Emergency Services Leave Law

Private and public employers who employ more than 15 employees will be required, effective January 1, 2010, to provide not less than 10 days of leave per year for voluntary members of the California Wing of the Civil Air Patrol in order for such volunteers to respond to an emergency operational mission. Employee volunteers must be employed by the employer for at least 90 days immediately preceding the commencement of leave. Employees will be required to give the employer as much notice as is possible of the intended leave dates. Upon expiration of the leave, an employer is required to restore the employee to his or her position or to a position with equivalent seniority, benefits, pay and other terms and conditions of employment, unless the employee is not restored because of conditions unrelated to the exercise of these leave rights. The employer is not required to grant such leave to Civil Air Patrol employees who are required to respond as first responders or disaster service workers for a local, state, or federal agency to the same or a simultaneous emergency operational mission (Ch. 242 (A. 485), L. 2009, enacted October 11, 2009, and effective January 1, 2010, at CA ¶5-7200).

Sexual Orientation Discrimination Law

All registered nurses, certified nurse assistants, licensed vocational nurses, and physicians working in skilled nursing facilities or congregate living health facilities to participate in a training program that focuses on preventing and eliminating discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The program will be developed by the State Department of Public Health. Health and Safety Code, Division 2, Chapter 2, Article 1, Section 1257.5, as enacted by Ch. 550 (S.B. 1729), L. 2008, effective Jan. 1, 2009. Para 5-20,450.11.

Unruh Civil Rights Act

Any discount or other benefit offered to or conferred on a consumer or prospective consumer by a business because the consumer or prospective consumer has suffered the loss or reduction of employment or reduction of wages shall not be considered an arbitrary discrimination in violation of Section 51 of the Act. Civil Code, Division 1, Part 2, Section 51.13, as enacted by Ch. 641 (S.B. 367), L. 2009, effective Nov. 2, 2009. Para 5-20,026.105.

Wage Payment Law

The state has amended existing law that requires each state agency, at the time of each payment of salary or wages, to furnish an employee, at his or her discretion, an itemized statement in writing or electronically showing all deductions made from salary or wages. The new law will require that the statement be provided electronically to each employee who has authorized the direct deposit by electronic fund transfer of his or her salary or wages, unless the employee has asked to receive a paper version of the statement (Ch. 329 (S. 37), L. 2009, enacted October 11, 2009, at CA ¶5-1200).

Effective January 1, 2010, a farm labor contractor or garment manufacturer, in applying for a license or registration, or in applying for a license renewal or reinstatement, will be required to submit a statement as to whether the applicant has satisfied all requirements imposed by a final judgment issued by a court or by a final order issued by the Labor Commissioner or by an accord involving unpaid wages. Those who knowingly provide false information in the statement will be subject to a civil penalty of no less than $1,000 and no more than $25,000 (Ch. 256 (A. 854), L. 2009, enacted October 11, 2009, and effective January 1, 2010, at CA ¶5-1200).

Workers’ Compensation Law

Regardless of whether an employer has established a medical provider network or entered into a contract with a health care organization, an employer that authorizes medical treatment shall not rescind or modify that authorization after the medical treatment has been provided based on that authorization for any reason. If the authorized medical treatment consists of a series of treatments or services, the employer may rescind or modify the authorization only for the treatments or services that have not already been provided. These new provisions were added by Ch. 436 (A. 361), L. 2009, enacted October 11, 2009 (CA ¶5-4300).

October 2009

Living Wage Law
Living wage rate information for the following jurisdictions has been updated: Hayward, Pasadena, Petaluma, Port Hueneme, Santa Monica, Sebastopol and Ventura (CA ¶5-1000).

January 2007

Family, Medical and Parental Leaves Law

The San Francisco sick leave ordinance approved by voters as Measure F on November 7, 2006, takes effect February 5, 2007 (CA 5-7000).

Minimum Wage Law

The Cities of Petaluma (Ordinance No. 2256 N.C.S., at CA 5-1000) and Emeryville (Ordinance No. 06-019, at CA ¶5-1000) have enacted living wage ordinances.

Recordkeeping/Posters Law

The San Francisco sick leave poster has been added (CA 5-9900).

Unemployment Insurance Law

The UI rate schedule in effect for 2007 will continue to be Schedule F+. This is Schedule F plus a 15% emergency surcharge, rounded to the nearest tenth. Schedule F+ provides for UI contribution rates ranging from 1.5% to 6.2%. The taxable wage base for 2007 for UI purposes remains at $7,000. The new employer rate will be 3.4%, and the Employment Training Tax rate remains at 0.1% for 2007. The voluntary UI payment program is not in effect in 2007.

For 2007, the state disability withholding rate is 0.6% (CA 5-1700).

When employees are distracted from their work to answer calls or to “tweet” a friend, they are not only reducing productivity, but also putting themselves in danger. The loss of focus on the task at hand to use a cell phone can cause a truck driver to swerve into the next lane of traffic or a machine operator to injure him or others.

Various experts in support of the study’s findings say that the simplest and most effective solution to the personal use of cell phones and other technology devices during work hours is to be sure a company’s employee handbook states a clear policy that is fairly, but firmly, applied.

High-risk employees are those that must be leave the premises as soon as possible because of the severity of the infraction that led to termination. Before he or she is escorted through the door, the small-business owner or manager must create a termination notification that briefly describes why the employee is being terminated.

Business policies that are explained to all employees, even verbally, can protect most businesses from a termination “battle”; however, business owners must prove that their employees know those policies and the consequences.

A medium-risk employee is treated a bit differently, since he or she may have been disciplined previously and is being dismissed for continuing to violate that policy or rule. The employee must understand why he or she is being terminated, and it’s best to speak with him or her directly and not through a supervisor. Documenting the termination—when it occurs—is the best way to reduce the risk of being sued.

Business owners should keep in mind that there are many federal statues relating to age discrimination, disabilities, family and medical leave, etc. that could affect employment claims and liabilities.

Everyone wished they had all the time in the world to complete a certain task or any task for that matter. On a daily basis, follow these easy time management activities that will assist you with controlling your time management so you are more productive.

Study the following time management activities:

* Keep track of how you spend your time each day so you can figure our what you should do to manage your time better.

* No one can complete everything that needs to be done. There will always be something that you just can’t do, but to help manage your time, you can have someone else assist you in completing some of your tasks.

* 80/20 principles is an important concept to practice. You should see that if you put in 20% of hard work, you will obtain 80% more results. Prioritize your time with getting important things done that will surely benefit you rather than wasting time.

* Get help. There are some things that just can’t wait until later to be done. If you have too much to do than what you can handle on your own, don’t be afraid to ask for help. This could come from family, friends, and roommates or even hired help if you really need it. But don’t try to be superman and do everything yourself.

* Think about what you normally do throughout the day and start thinking of things that you can limit or eliminate in your life. TV, being one big distraction, is something you can control such as choosing certain programs to watch that interest you, not just watching whatever is on to pass time.

Time management is helpful in many ways. It’s an important concept to practice so you can get more done. The more you get done, the higher your rankings will be and the higher your sales will become.

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#5: Injuries? What Injuries?

Come on, injuries? Do they really even happen? Frankly, I’m starting to think this whole “injuries” racket is just that — a bunch of BS! Do you know anyone who’s ever been injured? Come on, I bet you all probably said “no” right there. Wait, what’s that? You do? Oh. Well, moving on….

#4: Can’t we just heal ourselves?

This seems to work in comics and various superhero films, and I’m really starting to think that it works in real life, too. I mean we see it all the time when we cut ourselves or something — the body just heals itself right up! Who needs all this first aid crap, anyway?

#3: All that junk…

So pricey, all those bandages and things, right? You’ve got all that complicated gauze and these weird chemicals for “infections” and a bunch of other stuff, and I mean really who ever gets those? I’m starting to think these magical “first aid kits” are just some kinda big conspiracy or something!

#2: You can find simple and “safe” replacements for anything in a first aid kit!

Let’s say you have a little “mishap” at the office — why reach for that dusty, boring old first aid kit when you can use a little creativity (with a capital C, of course) to bandage up that open fracture with a bit of duct tape and printer toner? Try it out, and then let me know how it goes! Well, actually, don’t let me know.

#1: You’ll save more money by solving accident problems after they happen.

I mean yeah, using a first aid kit might save your business a ridiculous amount of money by treating an injury quickly before it gets out of control, avoiding lengthy hospital stays and other such joys, but who can really say, either way? Why not just risk it?

If you are convinced that insuring your workplace safety is a must – shop online for first aid kits, fire safety products and other medical supplies. You will find wide range of products for a very reasonable price, fantastic customer service and fast delivery on ProntoSafety.com.au

Plan your meetings around a couple topics, know the points you want to establish during that meeting, and leave it at that. Don’t set your meeting up with an itinerary, don’t think that you can predict exactly who’s going to say what during the meeting, just have a loose idea of what’s going to happen, what’s going to be discussed. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before the next meeting planning.

Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

Are you really going to solve every single problem your company has in a single meeting? Of course not. Keep a meeting focused on ONE subject, not several. MAYBE two subjects, but only move on to the second after you’ve resolved the first. You need to make major decisions at these meetings, and the fewer the better, since you want the best decisions, not rush jobs. Know what you’re going to do and say at the meeting, and do it, don’t go nuts with it or you’ll be in the conference room for the rest of the week.

One Objective At That Time

Set one goal, let your people know what that goal is, and achieve it during the meeting. Just one goal. If you give them a dozen things to do, they won’t know where to start, so give them just one goal and they’ll march right towards it over the course of the meeting. Again, it’s all about focus and simplicity. When we over-complicate everything, it tends to show a lack of confidence, as if more planning will make up for a lack of skill or competency. To a true master, everything is made simple.

Meet Around Noon

Or whenever the mid-day is for your organization. You don’t want to do it in the morning or else you have some grumpy people who really don’t want to be here. After lunch, everyone gets slow and sluggish having just had big meals. Around the mid-day is when your people have had their coffee, they’ve woken up, and they’re ready to actually provide their own tips while at the same time listening during the meeting, as opposed to just zoning out looking forward to their first cup of joe.

Before you start an event or corporate meeting, go to The Meeting Planner’s site to see if an experienced corporate meeting planner or any Professional event planning services. can help!

These are the employees who are willing to assume more responsibilities when some of their co-workers are released, who contribute new ideas to help their employers survive, and who remain positive during the crisis. Without de-humanizing these valuable employees, business owners must protect and nurture these human assets as they do with their financial assets.

There are six steps you can take to keep the employees that are more likely to help you the most to survive a bad economy and thrive when conditions improve.

1. Be Respectful: This attitude always works better than treating your employees with fear and intimidation. That proverbial ounce of kindness will do more to build loyalty and unity, to motivate employees to do more and reveal their leadership qualities. Only then can you expect to retain your valuable employees.
2. Create a Positive Work Environment: Employees who are given the opportunity to develop their skills through training programs, provide input about how to change a business to maintain its market position and recognize your efforts to remain positive and forward thinking are much more likely to want to continue to work for you.
3. Implement Continuous Training: As mentioned in #2 above, training programs provide high-impact employees the opportunity to grow professionally and personally. The benefit for you is that they will learn to do their jobs even more effectively and efficiently and be inspired to suggest how to improve your work processes. As essential component of employee training, especially during a bad economy, is cross-training them. Teach them how to do each other’s jobs. Not only do they expand their skills, but also cross-training fosters greater communication throughout your company and prepares your employees to assume virtually every role in the company if conditions require it.
4. Be a Coach: Take training one step further and develop one-on-one coaching relationships with your employees. You’ll quickly discover the leaders and innovators and can direct their talents to do the most good for your company.
5. Provide Feedback: Part of your coaching relationship is to provide employees with regular and continuous feedback. Annual and semi-annual reviews are not enough if you expect to anchor your high-impact employees to your business and its mission.
6. Offer Creative Compensation: Whether you can give employees minimal raises or must freeze wages during an economic downturn, you can offer them creative and alternative kinds of compensation, such as having input to your decision-making. When you include employees in determining the company’s future and improving its effectiveness, they perceive that experience as having value. Your willingness to treat them as virtual equals can cause your key employees to want to remain with you and create an even better company.

Making the effort to retain your high-impact employees during a bad economy will not only prepare your company to grab more market share as the economy turns, but also attract more of the people you want working for your company when it starts to expand.

Employees understand and accept that discipline is being applied fairly when employers explain that it is not a punishment (unless someone breaks a stated rule or policy). If employers create the right kind of workplace environment, then mistakes can be openly discussed and become important elements of any training program. Not only do employees learn how to improve their performance and eliminate the mistakes, but also those businesses can be more competitive and successful.