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Pay less for FLSA liability coverage by updating policies and monitoring workers

A relatively new form of insurance, employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) became popular in the 1990s after the 1991 Civil Rights Act amendments increased the frequency of discrimination claims in the workplace. EPLI typically covers defense costs, judgments and settlements of employment issues ranging from sexual harassment to wrongful termination. While many employers do not […]

News Notes: Court Says Restaurant Can Deduct Credit Card Service Fees From Tips

California law forbids employers from taking any part of an employee’s tips. But a trial court has decided this rule didn’t prevent The Castaway restaurant in Burbank from withholding a portion of waiters’ tips that were paid with credit cards to help defray charge card transaction fees the restaurant had to pay. The state Labor […]

Employees Can’t Sue for Unpaid Vacation Before It’s Earned

By now, most employers have at least heard that California prohibits “use it or lose it” vacation policies—meaning that once an employee earns vacation time, that time can’t be forfeited for any reason. But can an employer decide not to award vacation time right away to new employees? The answer is yes—according to a recent […]

Health Insurance 2013—What’s Really Happening?

It’s going to be a crazy year for health insurance—that’s for sure. How are your competitors going to handle it? How do you match up? Let’s find out. Participate in this brief survey and see how your health benefits stack up against those of other successful companies. The survey takes only a few minutes to […]

NLRB resurrects proposal on speeding up union elections

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is reprising its 2011 effort to change the rules related to union representation—an effort that sparked opposition from employers then and will surely do so again. A statement from the NLRB says that in substance, the proposed amendments are identical to the representation procedure changes first put forth in […]

The #1 Most-Easily-Prevented Lawsuit

Retaliation claims are on the rise, and it’s no surprise, says attorney Joseph L. Beachboard. They’re relatively easy to establish and they often pay off even when the underlying charge is not sustained—but they’re also easy to prevent. What makes retaliation suits so easy to bring? asks Beachboard, who is a shareholder in the Los […]

Learn How New IRS Guidance on Windsor Affects Cafeteria Plans, FSAs, HSAs

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 […]