Archives
Retirement Plans: Major Changes to the 403(b) Rules; How to Prepare
Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code is undergoing its most significant changes in decades. The IRS has issued final regulations for retirement plans governed by Section 403(b) and maintained by nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations and public schools for their employees’ benefit. The plans may be funded through annuity contracts issued by an insurance company, […]
Enforcement: HIPAA in 2007; What Health Care Employers Need to Know
Compensatory Benefit Plans: California Amends Compensatory Stock Plan Rules
Work Arrangements: Telecommuting as a Benefit
Deferred Compensation Plans: Take Time Now to Ensure Compliance with Section 409A
Internal Revenue Code Section 409A regulates deferred compensation plans and other arrangements, including severance plans, annual bonus payments, long-term incentive arrangements, stay bonuses, and settlement agreements upon termination. Section 409A rules govern compensation that was deferred or became vested after Jan. 1, 2005. Because employers have faced many difficulties trying to comply with these rules, […]
You’re the Expert: How Can I Stop the Tradition of Teasing and Pranks in Our Workplace?
Our workplace has a tradition of teasing and pranks. “All in good fun,” say the workers, but I think there are harassment suits building up in some employees’ minds as this continues. How can I get the message across to stop this behavior?
Bulletin: Government revises Form I-9
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a new Form I-9, which you can access at www.uscis.gov. Five documents, which employees previously could have submitted for proof of identity and employment eligibility, were removed from List A because they lack sufficient features to help deter counterfeiting, tampering, and fraud. Employers can no longer accept […]
Bulletin: New state minimum wage goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2008
As of the first of the year, California’s minimum wage will be $8.00 per hour, up from the 2007 rate of $7.50. Keep in mind that this rate increase affects not only hourly, nonexempt workers but also salaried, white-collar exempt employees. As of January 1, the minimum monthly salary for these exempt employees will rise […]
Discipline: What Do You Recommend to Improve Our Discipline Process and Remedy Employee Misconduct?
We are trying to make better sense of our discipline system. After people get a verbal and then a written warning, we suspend and ultimately fire them if the misconduct continues. But the suspension seems more like a gift than a punishment to many of our workers. What do you recommend for the “serious” steps […]