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Employers may not feel much of an administrative burden from the new “starter” retirement savings accounts announced Jan. 28 in President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, but those opting to participate should be prepared for employees’ questions about the My Retirement Account or “myRA” program ahead of its launch late this year. While […]
President Obama announced a proposed rule to “modernize” and expand overtime protections for workers on March 13. The administration signaled that it would like to expand overtime protections through a U.S. Department of Labor rule change that would raise the salary threshold defining which workers are exempt from overtime and potentially evaluate some of the […]
By Kate McGovern Tornone, Editor An employer will pay $55,000 for failing to accommodate a pregnant employee’s lifting restrictions, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has announced.
by Lauren E.M. Russell April 7 marks the end of the comment period for proposed rules from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that would shorten the time needed to hold union representation elections. This latest effort is the second time the NLRB has broached the subject of what foes call “quickie elections.” The first […]
by Christine D. Mehfoud Turn on the news. Open the paper. Click on cnn.com. For months, if not years, immigration has been one of the top stories. Specifically, immigration reform: Will immigration reform happen? When will it happen? And what will it look like if it does happen? As the 2014 midterm elections draw closer, […]
Plans face new a new erosion of their powers to recover the full amount of benefits paid in third-party recovery cases. Attorneys with Epstein Becker and Green discussed these and other trends in a Sept. 13 audio conference on benefit claim denial litigation. Plans Face Diminishing Ability to Recover The growing ability of plaintiffs to […]
by Judith E. Kramer The controversial proposed “blacklisting” regulations implementing President Barack Obama’s Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order have been published in the May 28 edition of the Federal Register for notice and comment. The proposed regulations were issued by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council. The order, which the proposed regulations interpret, […]
Most employers would agree that STEM careers—jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—are on the upswing in both numbers and importance. Most also would agree that there are far more men than women in STEM jobs. A 2011 report from the U.S. Department of Commerce, “Women in STEM: A Gender Gap to Innovation,” signals a […]
Wal-Mart is poised to defend against a wage-related suit that could have as many as 1.5 million class members. Your suit won’t be as big, but do you think it’s a good reminder to review your exempt/nonexempt classifications? Here, from BLR’s experts, are explanations of many of the trickiest classification questions: Executive Secretary An executive […]
As an employer of choice, you take time and effort to help your employees face the challenges that inevitably come along. Even (or maybe especially) for those who have diligently saved for retirement and kept themselves healthy to minimize their healthcare costs, there is one more danger lurking in the shadows: The cost of long-term […]