Don't work too hard! Bookmark these websites for easy access to primary, analytical and current awareness sources covering labor and employment law. These sites were selected from many for their quality, organization, comprehensive content, and currency.

GOVERNMENT SITES

California Department of Industrial Relations

http://www.dir.ca.gov/

This portal provides links to the Labor Code, CCR Title 8, Departmental Divisions -- Workers Compensation, OSH, Labor Standards, Industrial Wage -- and thereby to recent and archived decisions and reports. Also find forms and procedures for complaints.

California Department of Fair Employment and Housing

http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/

Notable feature is a link to explanations of the four laws enforced by this agency.

U.S. Department of Labor

www.dol.gov

Aggregated links to primary and secondary content. "Find it" sidebar includes Agency, Topic, Audience (employee, employer, women etc.), Form, or Location.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

http://www.eeoc.gov/

News, Laws, Compliance Manuals, "Discrimination by Type: Facts and Guidance". Content is also provided in Spanish and other languages.

ACADEMIC

Cornell University

http://www.law.cornell.edu

From this home page, go to Law About then Employment. You'll find an intelligent and very well-organized overview, with links to Title 29 U.S.C., Title 29 CFR, and core case law.

Cornell's School of Labor and Industrial Relations Catherwood Library

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/

Click Research, then Subject Guides, then Labor Unions and the Internet for links to associated governmental and vetted professional secondary sources.

Institute of Industrial Relations, U.C. Berkeley

http://iir.berkeley.edu/library/index.html

Use the left side bar links to labor news feeds, blogs and portals. A notable feature of this site is the Labor Contracts Database, a clearinghouse of digitized union contracts.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

California Bar Association

www.calbar.org

Click on Attorney Resources, then Sections, then Labor and Employment

ABA Labor and Employment Law Section

http://www.abanet.org/labor/home.html

ABA Basics of Employment Discrimination Law for Law Clerks

http://www.abanet.org/labor/lawclerkbasics.pdf

ABA Labor and Employment Law Newsletter

http://www.abanet.org/labor/newsltrtoc.html

California Employment Lawyers Association

http://www.celaweb.org/

National Employment Lawyers Association

http://www.nela.org/home.cfm

These two associations represent working men and women.

PROFESSIONAL/COMMERCIAL

California labor and employment law blogs

http://www.laboremploymentlawblog.com/

http://www.callaborlaw.com/

Recent cases arranged by topic, as analyzed by firms representing employers.

Nolo's Self-Help Law Center

www.nolo.com

At Nolo Press's home page, click on Rights and Disputes to get a link to the Employee Rights Resource Center.

Finally, since all work and no play make this a dull feature, let's end with some playful humor.

Worst Jobs in History

http://tinyurl.com/4tvg4

British, this is a Python-esque overview of the types of labor and employment available to our ancestors. You will laugh but maybe only to disguise the shock of the harsh reality of lives gone by.

Despair.com

http://www.despair.com/

If you are familiar with Successories, the workplace motivation product line ubiquitous in the 1990s, you will enjoy all the more the parody at Despair, Inc. and the posters and other office supplies it sells.

September/October 2006