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Must Charter Cities Comply with California Prevailing Wage Law?

Eighty-one years ago, California passed a law requiring contractors on “public works” projects to pay the general prevailing rate of wages to all workers. One year later, the California Supreme Court determined that wage rates for workers on locally funded public works projects are a “municipal affair” and not subject to California’s prevailing wage law.

IRS Ups Mileage Deduction … and Why HRDA Looks Different Today

As the new business year begins, Daily Advisor Managing Editor Jay Schleifer takes a moment to thank you for your past support and to let you know about some significant improvements in our program. First and foremost, Happy New Year! As 2008 opens, there are developments to report. Today, for example, marks the start of […]

The Dangerous First Year for New Supervisors

New supervisors have a lot to learn about managing their people, and that’s to say nothing of the welter of compliance challenges they face. Compassionate but untrained supervisors can quickly create surprisingly expensive liabilities. Today’s Advisor concludes the five critical factors for supervisory success. The ideas are from Jonna Contacos-Sawyer and Polly Heeter Wright. Both […]

Retirement Plans: Government Announces New ERISA Enforcement Plan—And New Program To Correct Violations Without Penalties

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration (PWBA) has just released its new enforcement strategy to ensure that pension plans comply with ERISA. The main target: defined contribution programs, particularly 401(k) plans. This means you could be hit with hefty penalties for pension plan administration errors, such as delinquent employee contributions and […]

Parts of Alabama Immigration Law Blocked — At Least Temporarily

Alabama employers may see some relief in a federal judge’s opinion on the state’s tough new immigration law even though most of the law was allowed to stand. Chief U.S. District Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn ruled on September 28 that key parts of House Bill 56, which was signed into law June 9, can take […]

Benefits: What Do I Need to Know About the Proposed New Disclosure and Reporting Requirements for ERISA Plan Service Providers?

I know some big ERISA regulations are expected to be issued later this year. Where can I go for more information? — Anonymous in Bakersfield   The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) plans to release its final regulations on proposed amendments to Section 408(b)(2) of ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, later this summer. […]

Survey Looks at Workplace Stress

A  new survey reveals that even though 48 percent of U.S. employers acknowledge that employee stress caused by working long hours affects business performance, just 5 percent of them are taking steps to address the stress problem. The survey, conducted by global consulting firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide, also found that although 29 percent of employers […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Paperback Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on March 1. 1. The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The evolving business of football, viewed through the rise of the left tackle Michael Oher. 2. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden […]

You’re the Expert: Do You Allow Dogs in the Workplace?

In every issue, we take one reader’s question and ask our other readers to weigh in. Here’s what you had to say about a recent question: We’ve got a few employees who are really lobbying to bring their dogs to work. We see a lot of pros and a lot of cons—what do you think? […]