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Lawsuit Challenges Milwaukee Paid Leave Ordinance

On Monday, Dec. 22, 2008, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce (MMAC) filed a lawsuit in Milwaukee County Circuit Court asking the court to find that the Milwaukee Sick Leave Ordinance, passed through referendum in November and set for enforcement beginning in February, is invalid and unenforceable. The MMAC is also requesting that the court […]

Senate Votes to Extend COBRA Subsidy

Update Dec. 21, 2009: President signs bill including COBRA subsidy extension In an unusual Saturday morning session on Dec. 19, the U.S. Senate voted 88-10 to pass legislation that would extend the original federal COBRA subsidy created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which President Barack Obama signed into law in […]

More IRS Guidance on ACA’s Health Coverage Reporting Rules

IRS on Aug. 29 issued two sets of questions and answers about reporting on health coverage for large employers under Section 6056 and for all employers under Section 6055 of the reform law. Section 6056 reporting is required by “applicable large employers” that provide health coverage to their full-time employees and is needed for the government to carry out […]

Stop Sticky-Fingered Employees

Economic turbulence has contributed to a rise in workplace theft by employees, according to a recent survey of 392 employers conducted by the Institute for Corporate Productivity. Twenty-four percent of all respondents and 31 percent of respondents at large companies (10,000 or more workers) reported an increase in theft of office supplies, products produced by […]

House Vote Could Soon Determine Fate of Transit Parity

Employers that offer qualified transportation benefits should be aware that they may soon need to adjust their plans. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are setting the stage for the possible passage of a two-year federal highway funding law that could include a transit parity provision — which would return the mass transit exclusion to parity with […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Hardcover Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the New York Times on March 9. 1. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. hy some people succeed — it has to do with luck and opportunities as well as talent — from the author of Blink: The Power […]

Courts, Agencies Take Mixed Actions Affecting Same-sex Partners

Branches of the federal government have taken divergent actions affecting same-sex partners. A federal district court upheld a state law defining marriage as occurring between a man and a woman; meanwhile, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management has issued final and proposed regulations to expand federal employees’ benefits coverage to their same-sex partners and those […]

Sick Leave: San Francisco Voters Approve Paid Sick Leave Measure; A Sign of the Times?

Neither California nor federal law requires employers to give employees paid sick leave–but now, as a result of last November’s election, the city of San Francisco does. Sixty-one percent of San Francisco voters approved Proposition F, which requires one hour of paid sick leave per 30 hours worked. The ordinance, which takes effect Feb. 5, […]

New Harassment Legislation: Governor Expands Law To Cover Independent Contractors; 3 Important Steps To Take

One advantage of using independent contractors has traditionally been that you could not be sued for many employment-related disputes. But because Governor Davis has just signed a new law expanding harassment protections to independent contractors, you will now have to be more cautious in how you deal with them. The measure takes effect January 1, […]

Equal Pay: New Case Looks At When Jobs Do—And Don’t—Require The Same Compensation

Equal pay for equal work is a hot issue. And disputes over whether a female employee is entitled to receive the same compensation as a male co-worker typically focus on whether they perform substantially similar work. Now a new case involving a human resources administrator provides a practical look at some factors courts weigh when […]