Weekly HR news wrap: Rogue bobsled injures Sochi temp; Baseball bats for minimum wage

Plus, get the brief on a proposed FMLA change and what's new in Obamacare

Players batting for minimum wage
Three minor league baseball players have filed a lawsuit to fight for minimum wage, saying their pay hovered between $3,000 and $7,500 for an entire season. The players are suing the Miami Marlins, Kansas City Royals, and the San Francisco Giants for making them work more than 50 hours per week without regard to legal compliance for wages.

Health care employer mandate delayed, again
On Monday, the Obama administration announced that enforcement of the employer mandate would be further delayed to 2016. The requirement of medium-sized employers to provide health insurance was originally intended to take effect last month, before it was pushed back to 2015. For large employers, coverage needs to be offered to 70% of full-time employees by 2015 and 95% the following year.

FMLA definition of “spouse” could change
Next month, the Department of Labor will issue a proposal to change the FMLA definition of “spouse”. Currently, whether a married same-sex partner counts as a spouse is dependent on the state of residence. The DOL is expected to change the definition so that it becomes dependent on the state in which the couple was married. The proposal is hoped to make things simpler for employers in the face of rapidly changing state laws. You can read more about FMLA leave is in our guide.

Teacher fired for reporting child abuse
A Florida teacher is suing for wrongful termination after he reported child sexual abuse, a task that is mandatory according to state law. When substitute teacher Christopher Harmon overheard a student talk about her family situation, he notified her that he had no choice but to tell police. She pleaded him not to, and went to the school principal, who allegedly tried to intimidate Harmon into staying silent. Harmon reported the abuse anyway, and his employment was terminated the following day. He is seeking reinstatement, damages, lost wages and legal costs for retaliation and Whistleblower Law violations.

Rogue bobsled slams, injures Sochi temp worker
An Olympic bobsled track maintenance employee was helicoptered to the emergency room after being battered by an unbridled bobsled. The man was working on the ice near the end of the track when the so-called “forerunner” sled was sent down to assess the track’s condition. Apparent poor communication meant that he and two other workers were not aware of the impending danger. While his colleagues jumped the fence to escape, the man suffered two broken legs.

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