Litigation can be costly—not only in terms of money, but also in terms of headache and lost time. Every employee, past or present, could be the potential plaintiff in an employment lawsuit. Jennifer King, an HR analyst at Software Advice, wrote a great article on the benefits of HR software. Below I’ve summed up three main points:
1) Protect Against Wage and Hour Claims – Oftentimes these lawsuits rely only on the employee’s records. It is much easier to defend a case when employer records are kept in a systematic and precise workforce management system. HRMS/HRIS software can better track employee scheduling and attendance, and helps show if employees are entitled to additional compensation or leave.
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After the California Court of Appeal recently upheld an order denying an employer’s motion to compel arbitration, Mayers v. Volt Management Corp. has established new arbitration agreement requirements. Although Volt Management Corp. had arbitration provisions in its employment application, employment agreement, and employee handbook, Stephen Mayers was still permitted to file a lawsuit alleging several discrimination claims under FEHA against his former employer.
The California Court of Appeal confirmed that the provision requiring employees to submit any employment-related claims to arbitration was unenforceable. The Court reached this conclusion on the basis of two key factors. First, the employee was not provided with a copy of the controlling American Arbitration Association rules to which the employee would be bound or where he could find them. Second, the arbitration provisions included the awarding of attorney fees and costs to the prevailing party. This requirement would have put Mayers at a greater financial risk than if he had pursued his claims in court.
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