Press Room

CalBizCentral Offers Businesses 10 Free Ways to Tap Into HR Resources

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:39:24 +0000

Offers Include One Free Call to Labor Law Helpline, Webinars, Newsletters, and More; Plus a Choice of Discounted Membership or Employee Handbook Software

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 18, 2010—CalBizCentral, the employment law products & services division of CalChamber which serves to help California businesses stay compliant and free from lawsuits, has now unveiled two extraordinary sets of free trial offers and new-member bonuses for California businesses.

“This is one of the boldest, most exciting outreach initiatives we’ve launched to date,” enthuses Jan Bell, CalBizCentral Executive Vice President. “Just as so many longstanding members have told me, ‘Once you experience the value that CalChamber’s CalBizCentral provides first-hand, you cannot imagine ever not being a member.’”

The 10 free CalBizCentral resources allow businesses to experience many of the benefits offered daily to HR managers and business owners. These include:

One free call to experts on the Labor Law Helpline
Fifteen days of free access to HRCalifornia.com, an online resource for Federal and California employment law compliance guidelines, forms, and more
Free enrollment in up to five live webinars, covering current topics affecting California businesses
Free subscription to HRCalifornia Extra, an e-newsletter for HR managers
A copy of the insightful California Litigation Trends whitepaper, which highlights the potential risks of employment law litigation for California employers

In addition, CalBizCentral is offering a choice of generous bonuses with the purchase of a membership:

Businesses can choose a $100 discount off the first year of membership (which starts at just $399 a year for online access to HRCalifornia)
Or, businesses can opt for CalBizCentral’s invaluable Employee Handbook Software at no extra charge when they join. This software alone can save many weeks of legal research, allowing businesses to easily build a company-customized employee handbook that is compliant with California and federal employment laws, simply by answering a series of questions.

ABOUT CALBIZCENTRAL:
CalBizCentral, a division of CalChamber, is the source for California business and employment law compliance products and services. For over half a century, CalBizCentral has delivered high-quality affordable products and services that help both small and large businesses stay in compliance and out of court. CalBizCentral offers a wide range of products and services to meet the everyday needs of people who manage HR compliance issues, from the number-one employment law resource book, the California Labor Law Digest, leading online resource HRCalifornia.com, to basic required-by-law notices like the bestselling California and Federal Employment Notices Poster. CalBizCentral also offers employment law, harassment, and health and safety training for both supervisors and employees. For product information, please visit www.CalBizCentral.com, or for up-to-date press materials including photos, videos and press releases, visit www.CalBizCentralPressRoom.com.

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RELATED LINKS & PRODUCT INFORMATION:

HRCalifornia Web site

CalBizCentral Web site

CalChamber Web site

CalBizCentral Press Room

Free 15-day Trial for HRCalifornia

CalBizCentral on Twitter

HRWatchdog on Twitter

CalBizCentral on LinkedIn

Gain Expert Advice on What Health Care Reform Means for Businesses

admin — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:41:07 +0000

Health Care & CalChamber Expert, Darren Willcox, Offers Counsel

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Apr. 28, 2010—With health care reform legislation signed into law, employers need to know how the reforms will affect them and their employees. Powered by the California Chamber of Commerce, CalBizCentral is offering media access to legal expert Darren Willcox who spent 10 years on Capitol Hill, playing a leadership role in every health care bill considered by Congress. Willcox is currently the Director of the Health Care Practice at Dutko Worldwide.

Media is invited to interview Darren Willcox on the key items that large and small employers should be aware of when the reform goes into effect including:

How the reforms affect part-time workers
Insurance reforms and grandfathered group health plans
The legislation’s likely impact on costs/coverage
A 2010 legislative and regulatory forecast
The federal timeline of putting the reforms into practice
Modifications to the Medicare Part D drug subsidy, Medicare Advantage reductions and other fees and taxes
Premium subsidies

Please contact Julie Fraga or Allison Barrett to arrange an interview with Darren Willcox at 916.285.9835 or via email: julie@merlotmarketing.com and allison@merlotmarketing.com.

ABOUT CALBIZCENTRAL:
CalBizCentral, a division of CalChamber, is the source for California business and employment law compliance products and services. For over half a century, CalBizCentral has delivered high-quality affordable products and services that help both small and large businesses stay in compliance and out of court. CalBizCentral offers a wide range of products and services to meet the everyday needs of people who manage HR compliance issues, from the number-one employment law resource book, the California Labor Law Digest, leading online resource HRCalifornia.com, to basic required-by-law notices like the bestselling California and Federal Employment Notices Poster. CalBizCentral also offers employment law, harassment, and health and safety training for both supervisors and employees. For product information, please visit www.CalBizCentral.com, or for up-to-date press materials including photos, videos and press releases, visit www.CalBizCentralPressRoom.com.

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CalBizCentral Provides California Businesses More Resources & Opportunity For Increasing Revenue With New Channel Program

admin — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:21:22 +0000

New CalBizCentral Program Offers Businesses Opportunity to Provide HR Products & Services and Generate Revenue

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Apr. 13, 2010—Professional-service businesses—everything from insurance agencies to law firms, associations and local chambers of commerce—are regarded by their clients as sources of valuable information and expertise. Now, with the new Channel Program from CalBizCentral, the products division of the California Chamber of Commerce, these organizations can provide California-specific human resources and compliance products and services to their clients or members. The Channel Program also offers businesses significant discounts and enables companies to generate additional revenue.

“We’re always looking for innovative ways to support businesses throughout California,” notes Jan Bell, CalChamber/CalBizCentral Executive Vice President. “With the launch of the Channel Program, we’ve now created a flexible way for companies to offer California’s premier human resource tools at an affordable price, while generating additional revenue, and co-branding their company alongside CalChamber and CalBizCentral.”

Businesses may participate in the program in two ways: via the Product Sales Program and the Subscription Reseller Program. Each program, in turn, offers its own à la carte menu of options.

The Product Sales Program allows affiliated businesses to act as the following:

Web Resellers (in which they offer popular items such as required-by-law posters, pamphlets, and training courses online at a discount)

Product Resellers (allowing them to buy products in bulk and then resell and distribute them)Co-Branded Resellers (whereby they can have their own logo imprinted on required-by-law posters)

With the Subscription Reseller Program, affiliated businesses can provide their customers the popular CalBizCentral subscriptions at a discount based on the total number of subscribers.

The HRCalifornia Express Subscription offers fast access to essential employment law related questions, checklists and forms for small business owners.

The HRCalifornia Subscription provides HR Managers with expert information on employment law trends and HR best practices.

For those businesses interested in the CalBizCentral Product Sales Program or the Subscription Reseller Program, they should visit www.calbizcentral.com or contact a sales representative at (800) 649-4921 to learn more.

ABOUT CALBIZCENTRAL:

CalBizCentral, a division of CalChamber, is the source for California business and employment law compliance products and services. For over half a century, CalBizCentral has delivered high-quality affordable products and services that help both small and large businesses stay in compliance and out of court. CalBizCentral offers a wide range of products and services to meet the everyday needs of people who manage HR compliance issues, from the number-one employment law resource book, the California Labor Law Digest, leading online resource HRCalifornia.com, to basic required-by-law notices like the bestselling California and Federal Employment Notices Poster. CalBizCentral also offers employment law, harassment, and health and safety training for both supervisors and employees. For product information, please visit www.CalBizCentral.com, or for up-to-date press materials including photos, videos and press releases, visit www.CalBizCentralPressRoom.com.

CalBizCentral Launches ADA/Accessibility Online Resource To Help Businesses

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:47:04 +0000

ADA/Accessibility Resource is also Available to Non-members with Free 15-day Membership Trial

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Mar. 16, 2010—Many California businesses remain confused and uncertain about complying with California’s disability access laws. Without being fully compliant, businesses face the threat of costly lawsuits. In just the past few years, tens of thousands of defendants have been sued in ADA/accessibility lawsuits in California with settlements ranging from a few hundred dollars, to hundreds of thousands of dollars. One study found that over 42% of ADA/accessibility lawsuits in the United States are filed in California. To help educate businesses throughout the state on the higher accessibility standards in California, CalBizCentral recently expanded an entire section of its HRCalifornia.com website to the topic of ADA compliance. CalBizCentral is also offering a free 15-day trial for non-members so they can access this helpful information. To activate a free trial, please visit http://www.calbizcentral.com/pages/freetrial.aspx.

At HRCalifornia.com, the ADA/Accessibility resource page includes useful information such as: an Accessibility Overview, the Top 10 Causes of ADA/Accessibility Lawsuits, Accessibility Compliance Recommendations, and tools on “What to do If You Are Sued After a Certified Access Specialist (CASp) Inspection.”

Additionally, the media is invited to interview ADA expert Attorney David Warren Peters. A litigation attorney who has been consulted in over 600 ADA/accessibility lawsuits, Peters is General Counsel of The Ascervus Group of Companies and the developer of numerous websites including AccessIssues.com.

Please contact Julie Fraga or Allison Barrett to arrange an interview with David Warren Peters at 916.285.9835 or via email: julie@merlotmarketing.com and allison@merlotmarketing.com.

ABOUT CALBIZCENTRAL:

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Gain Expert Advice on New 2010 Laws that Affect California Businesses

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:02:08 +0000

CalChamber Employment Law Expert, Susan Kemp, Offers Counsel

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 25, 2010—It’s not only the 2010 business plan and operating budget that California businesses should have established by now. Businesses that have not reviewed and implemented the new 2010 changes in California and federal employment laws may be liable. CalChamber, the largest broad-based business advocate to government in California, offers CalBizCentral contributor and employment law expert, Susan Kemp, to provide insight on the following new laws that are in effect for California businesses in 2010:

E-Verify Required for Federal Contractors: Federal contractors and subcontractors must use the E-Verify system when hiring employees. Other employers may use the verification system if they wish to do so. E-Verify compares Form I-9 document information against federal government databases to verify employment eligibility.
Increase in State Withholding: State withholding increased on November 1, 2009. There is a 10 percent mandatory increase on employee withholdings, a 0.6 percent increase in supplemental wage withholding and a 1.2 percent increase on wage stock options and bonus payments.
Alternative Workweek Schedules: The law regarding alternative workweek schedules was amended to permit an eight-hour day as a valid alternative schedule. Additionally, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) issued an opinion letter stating that under some circumstances, an alternative workweek schedule may be in place for less than a full year — for example, during the summer months only.
FMLA Amendments: Federal legislation changed the definition of which service members are covered for leave under the “qualifying exigency” category. For regular Armed Forces members, “covered active duty” means duty during the deployment with the Armed Forces to a foreign country. Reservists are covered when they are on duty during deployment with the Armed Forces to a foreign country or notified of an impending call to active duty.
Civil Air Patrol Leave: Employers with more than 15 employees are subject to a new leave for employees who are volunteer members of the Civil Air Patrol.
Minimum Wage for Exempt Computer Professionals and Licensed Physicians: Rates for exempt computer professionals and licensed physicians normally change every year. However, there will not be a change in the minimum wage for exempt computer professionals and licensed physicians in 2010. The current rate for computer professionals is $37.94/hour or $6,587.50/month, totaling $79,050/year. The rate for licensed physicians is $69.13/hour.
Safety: AB 1083 (Perez; D-Los Angeles) adds requirements to the Health and Safety Code requiring all licensed hospitals to annually conduct a safety and security assessment.
Safety: SB 188 (Runner; R-Lancaster) amends the Code of Civil Procedure to permit post-secondary educational institutions to seek temporary restraining orders and an injunction on behalf of a student or students. This requires written consent of the student(s).
Out-of-State Marriages: California recognizes out-of-state marriages as legal in California if they are legal in the state where the marriage occurred. SB 54 (Leno; D-San Francisco) provides a same-sex couple’s marriage, valid in the state in which it was contracted, will receive the same rights in California as spouses, with the exception of the designation of “marriage.
Workers’ Compensation Cannot Be Denied: Workers’ Compensation cannot be denied because an employee was killed by a third party in the course of the employee’s work, no personal relationship existed between them and the injury/death was because of third party’s personal belief relating to the employee’s race, religion, color, national origin, age, gender, disability, sex or sexual orientation.

Please contact Julie Fraga or Allison Barrett to arrange an interview with Susan Kemp at 916.285.9835 or via email: julie@merlotmarketing.com and allison@merlotmarketing.com.

ABOUT CALBIZCENTRAL:

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New 2010 Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Protects Businesses

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:10:38 +0000

Newly Updated CalBizCentral Online Training Course Addresses 2010 Harassment Prevention Challenges

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 9, 2010—Recent studies show that about 15,000 sexual harassment cases, or almost two cases an hour nationwide, are brought to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) every year. To help protect businesses, CalBizCentral, a division of CalChamber, is now offering a newly updated 2010 online sexual harassment prevention training course designed to address today’s tough harassment prevention challenges.

The course also enables businesses to meet the California State Assembly mandate AB 1825, passed in 2005, which states that companies with 50 or more employees must provide interactive sexual harassment prevention training to supervisors within six months of hire or promotion, and every two years thereafter.

The two-hour, CalBizCentral online training course is available on-demand and can be accessed at the convenience of supervisors, making it that much easier for executives and HR professionals to ensure their company is up to California standards. Additionally, courses can be accessed for one year from the date of purchase to be used whenever training or retraining is required as supervisors are promoted or new hires are made.

Businesses that currently use a trainer to educate employees about harassment prevention, might want to consider replacing in-person training with online training entirely. A recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education indicates that online training is much more effective and flexible than face-to-face training.

CalBizCentral’s online training provides administration features that allow companies to: maintain all training records in one place to meet legal requirements, easily add and update participant information, track active users, remind participants to complete training and quickly produce reports of course completions.

Pricing for the Supervisor Version of harassment prevention online training starts at just $42 each for up to 19 attendees (Executive and Preferred CalChamber members receive an additional discount). The course is available in English or Spanish. To learn more about any of the products or training courses offered through CalBizCentral, visit CalBizCentral.com/training.

ABOUT CALBIZCENTRAL:

CalBizCentral, a division of CalChamber, is the source for California business and employment law compliance products and services. For over half a century, CalBizCentral has delivered high-quality affordable products and services that help both small and large businesses stay in compliance and out of court. CalBizCentral offers a wide range of products and services to meet the everyday needs of people who manage HR compliance issues, from the number-one employment law resource book, the California Labor Law Digest, leading online resource HRCalifornia.com, to basic required-by-law notices like the bestselling California and Federal Employment Notices Poster. CalBizCentral.com also offers employment law, harassment, and health and safety training for both supervisors and employees. Please visit www.CalBizCentral.com.

CalBizCentral Provides Businesses with Free Insight on Employment Law Changes in 2010

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:15:03 +0000

Free “Preview for 2010” Webinar Recording Offered Through CalBizCentral.com to Help Companies Prepare for the New Year

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 9, 2009— It’s not just the business plan and operating budget that should be reviewed in preparation for the New Year. As we approach 2010, California companies should also prepare for changes in California state employment law.

CalBizCentral, the online-products site presented by the California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber), is the only organization to offer free access to a recorded webinar on upcoming employment law changes and issues for 2010. The 30-minute webinar titled “Preview for 2010” is available now (http://www.calbizcentral.com/store/products/pages/fws11.aspx) for all businesses seeking information on the expected changes in California state employment law in 2010.

“Last month, we received such an overwhelming response to the free, live ‘Preview for 2010’ webinar that we had to cap the event at 1,000 attendees,” says Jan Bell, CalBizCentral executive vice president. “In order to continue exceeding client expectations, CalBizCentral has made this webinar available for download, allowing more businesses to benefit from the valuable insight of our knowledgeable employment law specialists.”

During the webinar, CalBizCentral employment law specialists Susan Kemp and Erika Frank offer businesses advice on several employment law topics including: updating employee handbooks with social media and technology polices, changes in tax withholding status, potential changes in Cal/OSHA definitions for heat illness prevention, genetic information nondiscrimination notice updates as well as a forecast of the employment law issues facing legislation in 2010.

Gain Expert Advice on How Businesses Should Prepare for Swine Flu

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:20:46 +0000

CalChamber Employment Law Expert, Susan Kemp, Offers Counsel

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 1, 2009—As California awaits the availability of a Swine Flu vaccination later this fall, California employers look for ways to minimize the virus’s impact on their businesses, employees and customers. Without taking necessary preventative measures to help lessen the spread of H1N1, California businesses may leave themselves vulnerable. CalChamber, the largest broad-based business advocate to government in California, offers CalBizCentral contributor and employment law expert, Susan Kemp, to provide the following insight on how companies should prepare for possible H1N1 exposure in the workplace:

Sick leave policy
Business hygienic protocol
Advice on procedures for employee travel
Quarantined employees
How to deal with an infected employee’s healthcare provider
Communicating with insurance and risk management providers

Please contact Julie Fraga or Jana Sanders Perry to arrange an interview with Susan Kemp at 916.285.9835 or via email: julie@merlotmarketing.com and jana@merlotmarketing.com.

ABOUT CALBIZCENTRAL
CalBizCentral, a division of CalChamber, is the source for California business and employment law compliance products and services. For over half a century, CalBizCentral has delivered high-quality affordable products and services that help both small and large businesses stay in compliance and out of court. CalBizCentral offers a wide range of products and services to meet the everyday needs of people who manage HR compliance issues, from the number-one employment law resource book, the California Labor Law Digest, leading online resource HRCalifornia.com, to basic required-by-law notices like the bestselling California and Federal Employment Notices Poster. CalBizCentral.com also offers employment law, harassment, and health and safety training for both supervisors and employees. Please visit www.CalBizCentral.com.

ABOUT EMPLOYMENT LAW EXPERT
Susan Kemp, Helpline Manager and Employment Law Consultant for CalChamber, has written and edited several CalBizCentral publications on topics such as employee handbooks, sexual harassment investigations, family and medical leave and exempt/nonexempt employees. Kemp joined CalChamber in 1992 and received her Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law.

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Zero Tolerance: Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Deadline Approaches

admin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:00:36 +0000

CalBizCentral Online Training Course Helps California Businesses Remain Compliant

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 29, 2009—In 2004, the California State Assembly passed AB 1825 mandating that starting in 2005, companies with 50 or more employees must provide two hours of interactive sexual harassment prevention training to supervisors within six months of hire or promotion, and every two years thereafter, known as a training year. For most California businesses, 2009 is considered a training year. To aid businesses in meeting this requirement, CalBizCentral offers a comprehensive training course written by employment law experts, developed to reduce a company’s risk of facing a harassment lawsuit.

The two-hour, online training course from CalBizCentral U is available on-demand and can be accessed at the convenience of supervisors, making it that much easier for executives and HR professionals to ensure their company is up to California standards. Additionally, the program can be accessed for one year from the date of purchase to be used whenever training or retraining is required as supervisors are promoted or new hires are made.

As part of CalBizCentral’s newly expanded on-demand training program, CalBizCentral U courses are offered for a fraction of the usual price tag businesses might find elsewhere. Pricing for the Supervisor Version of harassment prevention training starts at just $42 each for up to 19 attendees (Executive and Preferred CalChamber members receive an additional discount). The course is available in English or Spanish.

In addition to the training to maintain AB 1825 compliance, CalBizCentral U offers courses geared toward non-management employees, and a version for companies that operate primarily in California, but want to provide harassment prevention training to supervisors in other states (excluding Connecticut and Maine, which have other specific training requirements). To further reduce a company’s risk, informative reference mini-books and harassment prevention posters are also available for purchase through CalBizCentral.

CalBizCentral U online training provides administration features that allow companies to: maintain all training records in one place to meet legal requirements, easily add and update participant information, track active users, remind participants to complete training and quickly produce reports of course completions. To learn more about any of the products or training courses offered through CalBizCentral U, visit CalBizCentral.com/training.

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CalBizCentral U Offers Businesses Ways to Save Money on HR Training During Difficult Economy

admin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:22:40 +0000

SACRAMENTO, Calif., August 11, 2009— Companies typically have to pay thousands of dollars to access HR training administration tools and course content online. Newly expanded on-demand training provider, CalBizCentral U, now offers businesses these tools for a fraction of the usual five figure price tag.

CalBizCentral U’s on-demand model provides inexpensive per seat pricing in a pay-as-you-go model and allows businesses to purchase and begin training employees immediately, without any help from IT.

“CalBizCentral U helps businesses train their employees cost effectively and efficiently. In this difficult economy, companies are looking for ways to save money and as a not-for-profit with the mission to help California companies do business, we are committed to helping them in any way we can. We are also offering free monthly Web seminars and will continue doing so through the fall,” says Jan Bell, CalChamber executive vice president.

CalBizCentral U offers high-quality courses developed by CalChamber experts on a wide range of topics such as health and safety, management, harassment prevention, employee vacation and paid time off. CalBizCentral U also provides traditional in-person seminars and Web seminars.

Participants in CalBizCentral U HR training gain benefits including:
• Protecting their company and employees: CalBizCentral U courses ensure that managers know how to hire, evaluate and terminate employees in accordance with California law.

• Fulfilling mandatory training requirements: California companies are required to train employees in specific areas. For example, Cal/OSHA standards require heat illness prevention training for outdoor workers and California State Assembly Bill 1825 requires harassment prevention training for California supervisors in companies that have 50 or more employees. This is a harassment prevention training year for many companies and CalBizCentral U provides an economical and convenient solution.

* Training new or seasonal staff: CalBizCentral U HR Training is a great way to quickly and effectively get new or part-time employees up-to-speed on policies and procedures.

“As a small business, I’ve had uncertainties about recruiting, classifying, and paying
employees, especially with regard to exempt/nonexempt status laws,” said Becki deKoning-
Tyner, owner of The Chocolate Architect. “The CalBizCentral U management training has answered those questions and given me more confidence as a business owner.”

CalBizCentral U’s online training provides administration features that allow companies to: maintain all training records in one place to meet legal requirements, easily add and update learner information, track active users, remind learners to complete training and quickly produce reports of course completions. To learn more about CalBizCentral U HR Training, visit www.CalBizCentral.com/training.

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