Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Jay Surdukowski Sulloway & Hollis, P.L.L.C. On Thursday, June 6, the New Hampshire Senate approved a bill to protect the privacy of employees’ social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. But Republicans tacked on an amendment that may doom the bill in the house. Introduced by three Democratic lawmakers, House Bill 414 […]
According to a new decision from a California Court of Appeals, the state antibias law doesn’t obligate an employer to make a temporary light-duty accommodation for a disabled employee into a permanent one. The case involved Burbank police officer Mark Raine, who injured his knee while on his normal patrol duty. The police department reassigned […]
by Jessica Webb-Ayer The Obama administration recently announced that new COBRA model notices are available. The notices alert employees about their ability to continue their healthcare coverage through COBRA following certain events that otherwise would result in termination of coverage. The administration updated the notices to make it clear that if employees are eligible for […]
In the past year, litigation filed under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) has exploded, and it’s quickly becoming an ever-present reality for employers. One of the most recent and fastest-growing areas of this litigation involves 401(k) fee cases. Because the lawsuits are very new and still not well publicized, they catch many employers […]
The U.S. Supreme Court’s March 1 ruling in a Vermont case relieves self-insured employers from the obligation to report claims data to state governments that have established databases reflecting healthcare use and costs for citizens. The reach of the ruling extends beyond Vermont to all self-insured plans. “It absolutely has national implications,” Linda J. Cohen, […]
In his 3-decade career with Bosch Rexroth, Mike Bryan has trained nearly 770 apprentices and continuously demonstrated his support for developing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills among the next generation of workers. His efforts were recently recognized by the German American Chambers of Commerce (GACC), which presented Bryan with its Trainer of the […]
An employer/plan administrator that tried to make good on a COBRA administrative error got more reinforcement that its efforts greatly minimized its legal liability. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the fact that the aggrieved qualified beneficiary received two years of free health coverage effectively cancelled out any need to impose penalties for […]
by Geoffrey D. Rieder Significant expansion of the antidiscrimination protections afforded to members of the LGBT community was accomplished in 2014 through executive action by President Barack Obama, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the attorney general (AG). The push for more protection of LGBT employees culminated in two lawsuits in which the Equal […]
Unemployment is high, and employment litigation is increasing. We’re seeing more wrongful discharge, discrimination, and wage cases than ever. What will you do if your business is served with a lawsuit or discrimination charge by a current or former employee? We have some suggestions that can help keep your legal bills reasonable and assist your […]
A federal judge blocked parts of Arizona’s new immigration law on Wednesday, the day before the rest of the measure went into effect. But legal challenges are already flying and many are waiting to see what happens next. Last year, a record number of immigration-related laws were considered and passed in the 50 states. Over […]