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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.

Lessons Learned from Amazon HQ2: Don’t Overlook America’s Heartland

In a surprising change of events, Amazon is no longer contemplating bringing its $2.5 billion campus to Long Island City, New York, after receiving public and political backlash. Just because a city has a long history as a hub for new and expanding companies doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for everyone. You don’t have […]

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 August 24. 1. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. How and why certain products and ideas become fads. 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen […]

Federal Contractors: Government Drops EO Survey

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has finalized a rule eliminating the requirement that non-construction federal contractors periodically file an equal employment survey known as the “EO Survey.” The Clinton administration introduced the survey in 2000, but it was widely criticized for being burdensome to contractors and not providing the OFCCP with the […]

Could Layoffs Equal a Class Action?

This should come as no shock, but people don’t like to get fired. And when they do get fired, they look for someone else to blame. Guess who? “You fired me because I’m X (fill in the blank with the name of a protected class).”

Leave: IRS Issues Guidance on Tax Treatment of Donated Leave

According to a new IRS notice, leave donated by an employee to a qualified employer-sponsored leave bank following a major disaster is not considered income to the donating employee, as long as the leave received by an affected employee is treated as wages for purposes of FICA, FUTA, and income tax withholding. Our HR Management […]

Now Your Worst Moments Are on YouTube

What once was acceptable workplace behavior and humor no longer is. And if some in your company don’t know it, there’s a world of Internet onlookers ready to tell them so. After a trying morning, Jack, usually a calm and restrained manager, lost it at the office. He screamed at his workers, and threw a […]

IRS Notice Provides Relief Regarding Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plans

The IRS recently issued Notice 2007-100, which gives employers an opportunity to correct unintentional operational mistakes concerning nonqualified deferred compensation plans. Internal Revenue Code Section 409A, which covers these plans, specifies the manner in which they must be reported to avoid premature taxation. The notice gives employers the opportunity to self-correct unintentional operational errors—the failure […]

Ringing in 2014: It’s time to take a look at your policies and employee handbook

by Jeanine Poole The turn of the year is often a good time to review company policies. We’re weighing in with some favorite perennial professional resolutions and perhaps a few new suggestions that might make for a happy 2014.  What’s in a policy? In the employment world, issues involving e-mail, the Internet, and social media […]

At-Will Employment Language: HR Form of the Week

In an earlier blog article we discussed a recent appeals court decision which upheld a vague employment agreement clause. Although the employer prevailed in that case despite the unclear at-will language, it’s important to make an at-will employment arrangement clear to employees to avoid lawsuits. This week we provide you with sample policy language that […]