Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Concerns are mounting in the United States about the increase in retirement plan “leakage” — hardship early withdrawals and loans being taken against such plans during tough economic times. As more Americans deplete their retirement savings to meet emergency expenses resulting from long-term unemployment, tightened credit or high medical expenses, policy makers are seeking ways […]
Presumably put to final rest due to the Affordable Care Act, a program has been revived that establishes a health coverage tax credit for certain individuals — including COBRA qualified beneficiaries — who lose their jobs because of trade-related reasons. The new HCTC program, which will be effective through Dec. 31, 2019, includes provisions on […]
Why do employers fail to investigate? asks Denise Kay, Esq. “The number one reason is that they don’t know what to do. Employers are especially fearful when agencies are involved.” Typical reasons that managers fail to even start an investigation, says Kay, are: They think it’s cut and dried, so there’s no need for an […]
By David Slaughter, JD, Senior Legal Editor Maximum penalties for violating many employment and benefits laws were increased, some of them substantially, by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in a departmentwide rule published July 1 (81 Fed. Reg. 43429).
It’s long been a perception in some circles that the corporate fat cats don’t have the best interests of the working man (or woman) in mind. But, what if that group of fat cats included those workers? That is, in essence, what Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has been proposing.
By Gwen Cofield The 2017 contribution limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), recently announced by the Internal revenue Service (IRS), include a slight adjustment for self-only coverage.
by Molly DiBianca In a memo issued on October 4, 2017, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions formally declared that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not prohibit discrimination based on transgender status. The memo directly conflicts with the position of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which has long argued that […]
Fairness—not legality—is the most basic issue in avoiding lawsuits. Why? Because fairness is what matters to juries. As you act, ask yourself, what would a jury think? Many of the most costly cases in employment law are decided by juries. Although judges carefully instruct jury members in the finer points of law involved in their […]
An Orange County jury has ordered Vons Cos. to pay $5.2million in punitive and compensatory damages to a female manager for sex discrimination. Lynne Rayburn, a 25-year employee, was demoted from her district manager position and replaced with a male worker. Vons asserted the demotion was due to poor performance. But Rayburn claims she was […]
Even the most well-intentioned employers cannot anticipate every potential workplace scenario and provide advance training on how to react in each situation. That’s why it is important to be aware of training-related issues that crop up at other workplaces and take proactive steps in response.Two recent complaints in New Jersey provide such a learning opportunity. […]