On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that questions whether a California city violated a public employee’s rights by reading sexually explicit text messages on an electronic device owned by the Police Department. A decision has not been made.

Although the case involved a police officer, some legal experts said the ruling could have broad implications on how public and private employees can be monitored.

In the digital era, employees often are expected to be in constant contact with their managers. The use of cell phones and mobile internet service has skyrocketed over the last decade, and some of the growth can be attributed to companies giving cell phones and smartphones to their employees

Employees should protect themselves by keeping their personal lifes out of work communications.  If your employer has anything to do with giving you your phone – whether it is paying for it or not, its sale to assume that your text are not private so you should have no reasonable expectation of privacy towards them.

These days, one’s ip address is the equivalent of one’s home address or finger print.  As each home is appointed to a unique ip address.  Once they have your ip address, they can subpoena your Internet Provider for the account associated to your ip address.

With this information, they can now connect you to the comments being made on the Internet.  They then amend their complaint to add you as a Doe.  Serve you and the lawsuit begins.

1.  Increases employee withholdings, supplemental wage withholding, and wage stock options and bonuses. As part of California’s new state budget adopted in the summer of 2009, state income taxes withheld from paychecks will increase 10 percent. Employees’ individual annual income tax bills will not increase; the amount owed in taxes in April 2010 will be adjusted to reflect the withholding increase.

2.  The new Form I-9 for employment eligibility verification contains an updated list of acceptable documents employees must present upon hiring. The purpose of this form is to document that new employees – both citizen and noncitizen – are eligible to work in the United States. Within three days of hire, all employees must complete the form and provide documents that establish identity and employment authorization.

3. Federal legislation changed the definition of who is covered for “qualifying exigency” leave related to servicemembers. Part of the National Defense Authorization Act, this new definition also expands FMLA provisions pertaining to military caregiver leave. Both qualifying exigency and military caregiver leave now include time off to care for veterans under certain circumstances.

4. Code. All licensed hospitals are required to annually conduct a safety and security assessment. Under the new law, hospitals must review and update their security regulations to ensure that patients and workers do not become victims of violence.

The days don’t have to be consecutive, but have to accumulate to total each individual’s amount.  Now, while the university has to encourage them to take off those days, the staff can still work those days while being unpaid.  What this amounts to is being forced to take unpaid vacation days.

There have been numerous protest over the efforts of the universities to slash their budgets but given that current fiscal state of California it doesn’t look like the school have much of a choice in the matter.

Everyone gets hungry at around 3pm at work and the vending machines
are their only source for nutrition.  The only problem is that these
vending machines are usually full of high calorie food that contribute
to the obsity of the work force.

Some are now arguing that the employer must do more and seek to find
healthier snakes for the vending machines.  This has created a new
industry as vendors are how seeking to provide healthier options for
companies’ employees.

However, introducing healthier food as has its own political backlash.
Some employees may not like a wholesale switch to all healthier food.
Like a animal who is addicted to cigarettes, you might have to either
gradually make the switch or cut them off cool.  Some companies have
found better sucess giving people incentives to eat healthier.

For example, you can give your employee special discounts for buying
healthier foods or giving them a free fruit drink after order buying
5 apple juice.

Its also a good idea to allow your workers to be a part of the ordering
process.  Take votes or polls on what your employees want.  Penuts vs.
Almonds.  This encourage and help you supply what people want and demand.

It might also take away some of your rights like vacation benefits.  Its true that you
might have to do or put up with the same shit you did before but your new boss might
also have some new tricks up his sleeves.

So make sure you read your updated employee handbook carefully and figure out the new
rules of the game.