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Electronic Communications: Why Employer’s Unauthorized Monitoring Of An Employee’s Private Web Site Spelled Trouble

Current and former employees are increasingly bad-mouthing their companies by posting negative and possibly defamatory comments about their employers on the Internet. And some employers have gone to great lengths to find out who is responsible. With layoffs on the upswing, employer-bashing is likely to grow as the number of disgruntled workers increases. Now a […]

Retirement Benefits: Keeping it SIMPLE; Learn All About This IRA Plan for Small Employers

A SIMPLE IRA Plan Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees of Small Employers allows employees and employers to contribute to individual employee retirement accounts. As the name implies, it’s a simplified plan geared toward small employers, which means it’s relatively easy to set up and operate, with lower administrative costs than for more complicated types […]

Are Your Employees Stressed Out?

The first step in tackling any problem is to understand it. Henry Neils, who heads an organization known as the International Assessment Network, has identified 13 signs of work-related burnout: 1. Chronic fatigue (exhaustion, tiredness, a sense of being physically run-down) 2. Anger at those making demands 2. Self-criticism for putting up with the demands […]

GAO Study: IRS Too Tough in Adoption Tax Credit Enforcement

The IRS has been too vociferous in auditing individuals who have claimed the adoption tax credit, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) suggests in a report. In “Adoption Tax Credit: IRS Can Reduce Audits and Refund Delays,” the GAO reports that the IRS: (1) did not sufficiently train and communicate with its auditors who were examining […]

Novartis Agrees to Pay Drug Reps $99 Million to Settle Long-standing Overtime Dispute

The New Jersey drug manufacturer Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation has reached a $99 million settlement with its drug sales representatives. The agreement, announced jointly by management and plaintiff representatives Jan. 26, resolves overtime pay disputes pending since 2006. “We believe this settlement is in the best interest of our employees and the company,” said Novartis President […]

Professor’s Biased Rants Not Unlawful Harassment

Latino employees at an Arizona community college were understandably offended when a professor broadly distributed e-mail messages exalting the “superiority of Western Civilization” and deriding the contributions of nonwhite immigrants and Native Americans. But did the professor’s messages create a racially hostile work environment? The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers Alaska, Arizona, […]