Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
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? […]
I just received a no-match letter for one of our employees. I seem to recall hearing about another HR manager who got in big trouble for mishandling one of these—can you fill me in? — Anonymous
Over the past several years, many employers have been blind-sided by big class action lawsuits claiming employees were misclassified as exempt from overtime and owed millions—sometimes tens of millions—in back pay. Employers who have been hit include Taco Bell, Farmers Insurance Exchange, Mervyn’s California, U-Haul International Inc., Ross Dress For Less and Rent-A-Center. But a […]
Health reform’s expansion of dependent health coverage may not have a profound effect on expenses in the Dept. of Defense (DoD)’s TRICARE program, according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) study. Background Employees’ dependents can be covered by their parents’ employer-provided insurance up to age 26 under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). […]
Employers cannot simply give employees extra money to buy individual health insurance — whether through health reimbursement arrangements, health flexible spending arrangements or just plain cash — and expect to avoid “shared responsibility” penalties, the IRS with the U.S. Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services said in new frequently asked questions about the […]
Flexible work schedules come in three basic varieties: flexible hours, compressed workweeks, and telecommuting. What are the differences and which one might be a good fit for your workplace?
During tax season, some people may be excited by the prospect of receiving refund checks from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or their state’s respective Department of Revenue. For some, those expected payouts may never materialize if there are orders allowing that money to be surrendered to repay things like back taxes or owed child […]
Everyone’s talking about BIG data and HR, and the implications are interesting—long-held “truths” are being challenged. But what will it mean for you? What myths are being exposed by big data? According to a recent article in The Economist, “number-crunching has uncovered some surprising correlations.” For example, Evolv, a company that works with big data, […]
The proliferation of new laws addressing the possession of firearms has brought about an issue that could directly impact many workplaces. Gun owners with handgun carry permits can now, in many states, bring their guns into parks, bars, schools, and the workplace. Laws passed in at least nine states prohibit employers from banning employees from […]
Employers in Maryland have 10 months to adjust their employee benefit policies, plan documents and plan language regarding dependents before a law legalizing same-sex marriage goes into effect. But that comes with a couple of caveats: (1) the law may be repealed before it even goes into effect; and (2) if it does go into […]