Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The U.S. Department of Labor has eased the paperwork burden for administering employee pension plans. Under new regulations that recently went into effect, plan administrators no longer have to automatically file summary plan descriptions or summary material modifications with the department. However, you must still provide summary plan documents to employees.
Today’s workers are likely to celebrate their 65th birthdays with a cake and a short gathering of coworkers in the break room – not with a big retirement party complete with the awarding of a gold watch. Retirement has taken on a new look, and employers must be ready for that trend to continue. The […]
By Alix Herber and Michelle Johnston The Ontario government is leading the Canadian provinces in its push for accessibility for people with disabilities, a ratio that is estimated to rise to one in five people in Canada by 2025. In accordance with a new regulation under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Ontario […]
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has published a practical new guide to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The guide is geared toward small employers, but contains useful information regardless of employer size. Topics covered include: who is protected; avoiding mistakes during interviews; what questions you can ask about a medical condition; and more. For a […]
The U.S. Labor Department is seeking an additional $6.4 million in fiscal year 2013 for increased enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family Medical Leave Act, according to testimony by Labor Sec. Hilda Solis. “As we continue to recover from one of the worst economic crises in three generations, it is especially […]
The U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 26 accepted an appeal of health care reform’s contraception coverage mandate. The cases that will be heard are Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius. (Kathleen Sebelius is named as a litigant in her capacity as U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary.) The cases […]
Having a sexual harassment policy won’t do your company any good if the procedures are never implemented. Take the case of an employee who became the victim of severe steady sexual harassment from one of her managers. When she complained about the incidents to management, they simply shrugged it off. Since he made a lot […]
A bill that would give employees more time to file lawsuits challenging discriminatory pay practices has run into trouble in Congress. The federal Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007 (H.R. 2831) was introduced last year to circumvent a controversial U.S. Supreme Court decision holding that the deadline for workers to file pay bias complaints is […]
They are always saying be sure to check references, but a lot of companies are reluctant to give me anything but name and job title. What can I do to get references to open up a little?