Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The U.S. Department of Labor will finalize new Section 503 regulations Sept. 24, according to the Office of the Federal Register. The rules create several new responsibilities for federal contractors and subcontractors, including a mandate that they aim to have workers with disabilities make up 7 percent of their workforces. If the rules are published […]
Just in the past year, we’ve started doing almost all of our hiring through online sources. In some ways, it works very well, but I’m becoming increasingly concerned that we’re sort of losing control of what was a pretty solid commitment to diversity. Are we exposing ourselves to discrimination and affirmative action problems by recruiting […]
Storing employment records electronically involves a whole new set of rules and cautions, compared with doing it on paper. A special October 31 BLR audio conference will tell you what you need to know. As yesterday’s Daily Advisor article on noncompetes pointed out, there are documents that have to do with former employees that can […]
After reducing a huge backlog of cases, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed fewer charges last year but significantly increased the amount of money it won from employers. Settlements obtained before cases entered litigation totaled $145.2 million, just shy of the 1994 record of $146.3 million. Lawsuits generated another $51.2 million in awards last […]
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. will pay over $33 million in back wages to resolve errors in calculating overtime for 86,680 employees nationwide. According to the DOL, Wal-Mart brought the problem to the agency’s attention after an internal audit raised concerns regarding overtime computations, particularly with respect to incentives […]
On Dec. 16, the IRS issued clarifications on how the U.S. v. Windsor ruling on same-gender marriage affects the administration of cafeteria plans, flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts. IRS Notice 2014-1 is in the form of 10 questions and answers regarding midyear election changes, FSA reimbursements and contribution limits for HSAs and dependent […]
Employers wanting to get an early start on providing a required notice to employees of coverage options under health insurance exchanges just got some help from the federal government. On May 8, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a model notice for employers may use now — but must use beginning Oct. 1, 2013. The […]
In a new case that highlights the growing tension between Silicon Valley’s hip, young atmosphere and older, experienced workers, an ex-Google director whom younger employees called “old fuddy duddy” and “sluggish” has been given the green light by a California appeals court to sue for age discrimination.
The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act passed its last congressional hurdle February 28 when the House voted 286-138 in favor of the Senate-approved version of the bill. President Barack Obama has promised to sign the measure. The original Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed in 1994. The most recent version expired in October 2011, and […]
An employee with HIV who wrote on a disability benefits application that he was unable to perform his job can still sue for discrimination, according to a new court ruling. For several years, Wells Fargo Bank had accommodated Andrew Bell by allowing him to telecommute one day a week, but the bank later decided Bell […]