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IRS Fleshes Out Plans for Applying ‘Cadillac Tax,’ Seeks Input

New IRS guidance spells out more issues the agency plans to address in imposing the excise tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health coverage (commonly known as the Cadillac tax). These include: (1) identifying taxpayers who may be liable for the excise tax; (2) aggregating several employers under one plan sponsor’s payment; (3) allocating the tax among […]

Healthcare reform and independent contractors

by Gesina M. Seiler The implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) tax credit for employers with fewer than 25 employees and the looming requirement that large employers (those with 50 or more full-time-equivalent (FTE) employees) provide affordable health insurance to their full-time employees or pay a penalty have resulted in some employers trying to […]

The 7 Paycheck Failures that DOL Targets Most

DOL recently settled a case against a major construction company, whose list of legal failures provides a good checklist of infractions every company should strive to avoid. (You’ll also avoid the almost $1 Million fine the company will pay to settle the case.) DOL’s action against Lettire Construction Corp., which was punctuated by the substantial […]

Labor Arbitrators Have More Scope than Courts, Supreme Court Says

By Brian P. Smeenk Canadian labor arbitrators are not legally bound to court-made legal rules. Rules of evidence, for example, are more relaxed. Rules of contract interpretation may also vary. But just how far arbitrators can deviate from general rules of law has been an open question. A recent decision by the Supreme Court of […]

Boss to Workers—If You Vote for Obama, You Will Lose Your job

Maybe David Siegel, billionaire president of Westgate Resorts, needed to read BLR’s special report on political activity in the workplace, 2012 Election Issues for Employers. If he had, he probably wouldn’t have written the e-mail letter where he tells employees they will lose their jobs if Obama is reelected. No, the letter is not fake; Siegel […]

Wells Fargo Shells Out For Alleged Overtime Violations

Wells Fargo & Co. has agreed to pay $12.8 million to settle a class action lawsuit charging that the bank improperly classified certain business-systems employees in California and other states as exempt from overtime, in violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The suit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, alleged that Wells […]

Shifting Demographics: Majority to Minority?

Individuals who have long been in the majority classes for race and ethnicity may now find themselves in the unfamiliar territory of a “minority” in some states. The changes in population present an interesting—if not complicated—problem for contractors with affirmative action responsibilities. Recent census data reveal that there are four states where “minority” populations are […]

The Cardinal Way

I’m a St. Louis Cardinal lifer so, for most Major League baseball fans out there, you probably assume I’m insufferable. (You may be right.) Still, don’t look for me to apologize that we’re in first place, have been for pretty much the entire season, and boast the best record in baseball. The postseason is upon […]

In Praise of Checklists

This week, instead of posting on his own blog, Dan wrote a book review of The Checklist Manifesto for the Resources for Humans blog.  Here’s an excerpt. “I had been thinking recently about the importance of a good “to do” list, so when I stumbled upon the Atul Gawande’s book The Checklist Manifesto: How to […]