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Labor Day: September 6, 2010

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the first observance of Labor Day is believed to have been a parade of 10,000 workers on September 5, 1882, in New York City, organized by Peter J. McGuire, a Carpenters and Joiners Union secretary. By 1893, more than half the states were observing a “Labor Day” on one […]

Is work or pleasure taking you abroad?

by Elaine Young Here is a look at the various issues that may come up when you need to visit another country for work. Or for vacation! Passports How many times have we received a call from someone who is about to depart on a business trip and realizes that her U.S. passport has expired? […]

Wage & Hour: How Do We Handle Disaster Pay for Nonexempt and Exempt Workers?

We have both a construction staff and an office staff, and we’re trying to put together a policy for paying employees in the event of an emergency. What happens if the construction staff needs to be sent home during inclement weather or the office staff and upper management can’t work because their computers are down? […]

Impact on Life Duration & Quality Drives Drug Value

A prescription drug’s ability to prolong life is a top factor health plans are using when fixing benchmark prices for drug reimbursement, followed by the drug’s ability to improve the patient’s quality of life, health care stakeholders said at an April 15 briefing hosted by the Alliance for Health Reform. Steven Pearson, MD, MSc, president […]

NLRB’s McDonald’s franchise determination called ‘aggressive play’

A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling that the McDonald’s corporation is a joint employer with its franchisees is a departure from longtime precedent that’s drawing fire from the fast-food giant and other business interests. The NLRB’s Office of the General Counsel released a statement on July 29 saying the Oak Brook, Illinois-based corporation could […]

7th Circuit: Pharmacy Reps Exempt from FLSA as “Administrative Employees”

Although the Supreme Court will soon decide whether pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSRs) may qualify for the Fair Labor Standards Act’s “outside sales” exemption from overtime pay, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in early May that PSRs could be exempt from the FLSA under the law’s “administrative exemption” (Schaefer La-Rose v. Eli Lilly […]

Supreme Court to Decide Timing of Actuarial Assumptions in Withdrawal Liability Calculations 

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to review Trustees of the IAM National Pension Fund v. M&K Employee Solutions, LLC, a case that could significantly reshape how multiemployer pension plans calculate withdrawal liability under the Multiemployer Pension Plan Amendments Act (MPPAA). The central question is whether ERISA requires plans to use actuarial assumptions in effect […]

Employer-friendly changes on the way for Missouri’s antidiscrimination law

by Daniel K. O’Toole Changes seen as making the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA) more “employer-friendly” are set to take effect on August 28. One of the changes will eliminate individual liability for supervisors and specify that only employers may be held liable for discrimination. The previous law allowed employees alleging discrimination to sue both […]

Caught Red-Handed and Breastfed

Last night’s episode, Jury Duty, involved scandalous improprieties, shrewd cover-ups, relentless investigations, and dramatic public confessions. Agatha Christie would have been proud, although Scranton’s twist on these themes might have left her a little confused. It took Dwight only a few minutes to dismantle Jim’s lie about having been on jury duty for a full […]

A deal or not? Lack of release not necessarily trouble for employer

By Karen Sargeant You’ve terminated an employee’s employment without cause and offered a reasonable package. You’ve negotiated a settlement, prepared the settlement documentation, and paid out the severance. You thought you dotted all your i’s and crossed all your t’s, but you forgot one crucial part – the former employee never signed the release you […]