Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The IRS announced July 19 that it intends to eliminate a set of alternative per diem rates called the “high-low” rates, which the federal government — and at their discretion, private employers — use to reimburse employees for meals and incidental expenses they incur while on business travel. In Announcement 2011-42, the IRS said it had […]
A California court of appeals has ruled that an employee cannot recover punitive damages for the employer’s violations of state Labor Code provisions governing meal and rest breaks, pay stubs, and minimum wages.1 That’s because those Labor Code provisions include specific remedies, including penalties that are punitive in nature—and those are the only remedies available. […]
According to the most recent Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, state and regional unemployment rates continued their upward climb throughout the month of March. Forty-six states reported unemployment rate increases in March, and all 50 states and the District of Columbia have higher rates than they did […]
A new case underscores just how costly a mistake it can be to not provide departing employees with timely notice of their rights under COBRA to continue their group health coverage.
by Tammy Binford The ballot question making changes to New Jersey’s minimum wage was presented to voters in the November 5 election and passed easily, but many business leaders are uneasy about the change. By a 60-40 percent vote, voters passed Public Question 2, which will raise the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.25 […]
In Tuesday’s election, four states — Arizona, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah — approved ballot measures that would guarantee employees the right to secret-ballot voting in union elections. We decided to ask employment law attorneys in each of the four states — all members of the Employers Counsel Network — about the outcome of […]
Help, no kidding. New supervisors are in for a great ride, but if you don’t train them well—and fast—they’re going to crash and burn. Here are tips and news about a new audio conference especially for new supervisors. Last issue we posed 9 problem areas for new supervisors and promised that today, we’d offer some […]
I’m concerned about conflicting information we’ve received from the IRS and our legal counsel regarding how the USERRA (Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act) pay differential (pay difference between military pay and the employer’s pay) should be treated from a tax perspective. Do we report these payments on a 1099-MISC or on a W-2?
Just in time for Mother’s Day comes news that workplace discrimination based on parental status may be increasing. If your mom hasn’t already reminded you of it (subtly, of course), this Sunday is Mother’s Day. It’s a time when society traditionally extols the values of motherhood. But in the workplace, according to growing numbers of […]
Three-quarters of Americans (75%) are living paycheck-to-paycheck to make ends meet, according to a survey from CareerBuilder. Thirty-eight percent of employees said they sometimes live paycheck-to-paycheck, 15% said they usually do and 23% said they always do.