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Minnesota 12th state to recognize same-sex marriage

by Michael G. McNally The Minnesota Marriage Equality Bill, HF 1054, was signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton on May 14, 2013. Effective August 1, 2013, Minnesota will allow individuals of the same sex to marry. Employers need to review their policies relating to employee health and retirement benefits to reflect this change. What […]

Lumber Company Settles DOL Allegations of ACA, ERISA Violations

Fiduciaries of a major Western lumber producer’s group health plan have agreed to settle the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) allegations that the plan violated claims procedure and other requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Survey: Majority of Employers Support Minimum Wage Hike

Momentum is building behind raising the minimum wage, coming at a time when workers at all pay levels are struggling with keeping their heads above water. According to a new CareerBuilder survey, 64% of employers believe the minimum wage should be increased in their state, up from 62% last year.

Court Staves Off Challenge to Reform’s Contraception Mandate

A Christian liberal arts college lost a bid to secure a court ruling that would both characterize the health reform’s contraceptive mandate as improper and enjoin the government from enforcing it. It’s one of 26 challenges to the mandate that health plans cover contraceptives without patient cost-sharing. On Aug. 24, the U.S. District Court for […]

Out of Sight, Out of Court? Don’t Bet On It

Telecommuting is attractive to many workers, and it’s no surprise. What is a surprise is how many of them are suing their employers. That’s right, suing. Over wage and hour issues. Over reimbursement of travel costs on days they do have to come in. Even over safety matters. The lawsuits are neither small nor cheap. […]

Jail Administrator Sued for Pursuing Female Employees

Ten US Airways employees are flyin’ high this holiday season—and no, it’s not from imbibing at the company party. These employees went “above and beyond” delivering outstanding service to not only the airline’s customers, but to fellow colleagues—and some took home $10,000! What happened. The two women, “Dudley” and “Wilson,” were correctional officers at the […]

OSHA injury, illness summary to be posted by February 1

February 1 marks the deadline for covered employers to post a new summary of work-related injuries and illnesses. The summary—the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Form 300A—is required to be posted in the workplace every year from February 1 to April 30. The summary form must be completed and posted even if no […]

News Notes: IBM Agrees To Partly Settle Pension Lawsuit

IBM will pay $320 million to current and former employees in partial settlement of a long-running class action lawsuit charging that the company’s conversion of its traditional pension plan to a cash-balance plan illegally discriminated against older workers. Under the settlement terms, IBM’s additional liability, which is under consideration by a federal judge, will be […]