Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
In August, U.S. combat troops left Iraq, and President Barack Obama has said the military will start pulling troops from Afghanistan in July 2011. With this steady stream of military veterans coming back, inevitably some will end up in your application pools. Previously, we have discussed why hiring veterans makes sense. Now, the U.S. Department […]
On Jan. 1, 2008, the controversial San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance went into effect, extending health coverage to uninsured residents and requiring medium- and large-sized employers to either provide employees with health benefits or pay a fee to the city to help fund the insurance program.
Stories abound in the media of disgruntled employees who, after being terminated, lash out at their employers and coworkers in violent ways. That’s why it is important to follow a plan of action during a termination meeting. Here are some tips on how to minimize violence during these difficult situations: Remove any dangerous objects in […]
The latest increase in the minimum wage happens soon, and a big change in FMLA is in effect now, so you’d better have posters reflecting the changes (which include a new FMLA “poster insert”) in a prominent place. Here’s a low cost, worry-free way to take care of it all at once. Why think about […]
Nearly 75% of employers nationwide—more than double the number from 1997—actively monitor employees’ phone calls, voice mail, e-mail, Internet use and computer files, according to a new survey by the American Management Association. The financial services industry had the highest incidence of electronic monitoring, with over 90% of employers engaging in such activities. The survey […]
In August, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a new rule describing the steps an employer must take to verify an employee’s Social Security number (SSN) when it receives a “no-match” letter from the DHS or the Social Security Administration. Under the rule, employers would be required to fire employees—or face government legal action—if […]
It’s no secret that the private pension system in the United States is in crisis. Last week, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), which insures pensions for about 44 million Americans, announced that it has a startling deficit of $23 billion, fueled largely by having to take over pension plan liabilities of bankrupt airlines. But […]
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 […]
If your employees take home tips, you should be aware that a new U.S. Supreme Court decision approves the way the Internal Revenue Service figures your tax liability on those tips. And if you should want to dispute the amount owed, you’ll now need to keep more detailed records of each employee’s tips.
Documentation is critical to warding off trouble when dealing with Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests, according to employment law attorney Stacie L. Caraway, who led a session on FMLA at the October Advanced Employment Issues Symposium (AEIS) in Nashville, Tennessee. Caraway names two critical points. First, don’t let doctors leave blanks or write […]