Looking Ahead to 2012 for HR
Get ready now for an aggressive NLRB; meanwhile, get your ADA house in order, say panelists at BLR’s Advanced Employment Issues Symposium (AEIS). Good news? It’s not too late to act.
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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 […]
Employee Benefits: Supreme Court Puts the Brakes on Employee Lawsuits Against HMOs in State Courts
The nation’s high court has unanimously ruled that workers with employer-sponsored health insurance can’t sue their health maintenance organization (HMO) in state courts when their HMO won’t cover a recommended treatment. The decision is generally being hailed as good news for employers who provide health benefits.
Employment Law Tip: Maintaining an At-Will Relationship
If you’re like many California employers, your employee handbook contains a statement that employment is at-will, meaning that employees can be fired for any reason or no reason at all, providing the termination does not violate state or federal law. But have you checked your handbook to be sure it doesn’t contain provisions that undermine […]
Can Metrics Really Measure HR?
It may take bit of a leap to embrace metrics, but once you do, the benefits are almost immediate, says HRMetrics.org. And if you don’t provide management with metrics, watch out for your job. HRMetrics.org, an organization that helps organizations measure HR, offers two very pragmatic reasons that metrics make sense: 1. Measuring—just the act […]
Tips for Engaged Older Workers
Recently we began to explore ways to keep older workers engaged so they are more likely to stay at your company. Today we’ll explore a few more tips for keeping them engaged, including reduced schedules, additional training, and reducing age discrimination.
Sexual Harassment: Court Says Employers Are Automatically Liable For Supervisor Harassment In California; Preventive Measures More Important Than Ever
Although the California Fair Employment and Housing Act is modeled on federal anti-discrimination laws, the state law is often more protective of employee rights. A California Court of Appeal has now ruled that when it comes to employer liability for sexual harassment by a supervisor, the state statute is stronger—and you can’t take advantage of […]
Stimulus Bill Brings COBRA, Other Issues for Employers
Update Dec. 16: House Passes COBRA Subsidy Extension and Expansion Even as President Barack Obama prepares for a trip to Denver Tuesday to sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the stimulus package, many are still trying to sort out the bill, which Congress passed last Friday in dizzyingly rapid […]
DOL Cleanup Regs Enact Technical Changes While Rejecting More Substantive Concerns
On April 5, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a set of final “cleanup” regulations, bringing the existing Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations up to date with the technical changes and statutory enactments that have passed over the past few years. For example, the regulations, which took effect today, update figures and computations […]
Race Bias: When a Single Ethnic Slur Can Spark an Expensive Lawsuit; How You Can Avoid Trouble
A single offensive comment by a co-worker typically isn’t enough to leave you paying out a costly judgment for a hostile work environment suit. But as a recent case demonstrates, when a supervisor who has been abusive makes the remark, the result may be different.