Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Are you shopping around for health insurance for your small company? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) just unveiled a computerized search engine for health insurance policies, so you can search plans in much the same way the Medicare Part D program enables elderly folks to search prescription drug plans (or the way many […]
Hurricane Sandy’s path of destruction has left many homeowners, municipalities and businesses in need of reconstruction and repairs — and when such weather-related disasters require massive reconstruction efforts, many landscapers and builders hire subcontractors to help. Increased joint employer liability, particularly in those industries that frequently use subcontractors, often goes hand-in-hand with worker misclassification. Employers […]
Reporting by Kyle Emshwiller and Jessica Webb-Ayer The wait is over: The U.S. Supreme Court has decided that the massive healthcare reform law (also known as the Affordable Care Act, or ACA) enacted in March 2010 is constitutional. So what happened, and what does this mean for employers? The wait is over: The U.S. Supreme […]
In the first of three cases the U.S. Supreme Court is considering this term that involve the Americans with Disabilities Act, the high court has issued a ruling that will make it harder for workers to prove they are entitled to reasonable accommodation under federal disabilities law. However, as we’ll explain, the new decision, which […]
The Internal Revenue Service has issued a ruling that allows employees to carry over, tax free, money provided by their employers for out-of-pocket health costs. Here’s what you should know about the new rule.
In just a few days, the East Coast was struck by an earthquake and Hurricane Irene. As one colleague put it: What’s next, a swarm of locusts? Hopefully, all that is next for businesses adversely impacted by these events is cleaning-up and recovering so that normal operations can resume as quickly as possible. Companies should […]
Supervisors don’t just need to understand the challenges faced by minorities and the legal ramifications, they must also experience what it’s like to be a minority within the organization, says Rene Petrin, who, as president of Boston-based Management Mentors, sets up corporate mentoring programs for clients. “One of the most effective ways to translate theory […]
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, as of the end of May 2006, it already received enough H-1B visa petitions to meet and exceed the H-1B visa cap of 64,300 for the 2007 fiscal year (which begins on October 1, 2006). The final date to submit a petition for consideration […]
Evelyn Coke, a domestic worker who provided companionship services in New York, sued her employer, Long Island Care at Home, Ltd. She alleged that the company didn’t pay her overtime wages, in violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The employer asked the court to dismiss the suit because Coke and workers like […]
Rigid administrative requirements make many employers hesitate to participate in so-called 401(k) safe-harbor plans. But these programs can prove valuable because they permit you to avoid costly discrimination testing requirements by following a specific formula for contributions. Now the IRS has issued new rules that add some flexibility. Significant changes include revising the way matching […]