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Privacy: Identity Theft on the Rise; How You Can Prevent It in Your Workplace

Last year, a computer hacker broke into the Rancho Cordova-based Stephen P. Teale Data Center, a California personnel database. The hacker gained access to the names, Social Security numbers, and payroll information of over 200,000 state government employees. Unfortunately, this wasn’t an isolated occurrence—identity theft incidents are making the headlines almost daily.

Workplace Wellness: Proposed Tax Credit for Wellness Programs

Legislation has been proposed in the U.S. Senate that would create a tax credit for employers that offer comprehensive wellness programs. The Healthy Workforce Act (S.B. 1753), authored by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR), would provide a tax credit of up to $200 per employee for the first 200 employees, and up […]

Labor Department Changing Farm Worker Rules

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has published new rules for the H-2A Guest Worker Program that have sparked protest from agricultural employers. The new rules, to go into effect March 15, were published in the February 12 edition of the Federal Register. The final rules govern the labor certification process and enforcement mechanisms for […]

Blogged Out of a Job!

Can employees diss your company on the Internet and get away with it? In a growing number of cases, the answer is No. Last December, Time Magazine named as its Person of the Year—a title usually reserved for world leaders and Nobel Prize winners—“You.” They even attached a mirror to the magazine so that “You” […]

Homerun on customer service

Homerun on customer service

It can be hard to describe good customer service, but you sure know it when you see it. Last week, I was at — of all things — a baseball tournament in the greater Atlanta-metro area. The tournament wasn’t a small volunteer undertaking. The organization that sponsored the tournament is national in scope and has […]

Sample Internet Policy

Here’s a sample Internet policy you can modify and/or expand to meet your organization’s specific needs. Have your employees sign the policy, acknowledging they understand it and agree to be bound by its terms. [Company] Internet Policy   Business use only. [Company] provides Internet access (including e-mail) to its employees to assist and facilitate business […]

CMS Finalizes ACA Rule Detailing Medicaid Rebate and Reimbursement Reforms

In order to effectively implement provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized, on January 21, a rule detailing reforms to the rebate and reimbursement systems for Medicaid prescription drugs. The reforms will save federal and state governments an estimated $2.7 billion over 5 years.

L.A. Restaurant to Pay Over $300,000 for Off-the-Clock Work

888 Seafood Restaurant, a Chinese eatery in the San Gabriel Valley, has agreed to pay $306,500 in overtime back wages following a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) investigation that revealed pay improprieties. The funds will be shared by 57 employees who routinely put in additional work time after they clocked out, according to the DOL. […]

Super HR Websites: ‘Everything in HR at the Click of a Mouse!’

What if there was a place where all the HR information you need was instantly available? Thanks to the power of the Internet, there is. The recent Daily Advisor article on how the Internet is changing salary negotiations showed just how powerful this amazing technology has become in HR. Gone is the day when companies […]

Bill Would Lower Burden of Proof for Employees Bringing ADA, ADEA Claims

Lawmakers have introduced a bill that would lower the burden of proof for employees bringing disability and age discrimination claims. If passed, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (S. 2189) would change the laws’ “but for” standard to one allowing “mixed motives.” Both the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act […]