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High Court Extends Anti-Retaliation Protections

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Crawford v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County that Title VII’s anti-retaliation provision extends to an employee who speaks out about discrimination while answering questions during an employer’s internal investigation.

State Joins IRS in Tax Breaks for Hurricane Relief Donations

The California Franchise Tax Board has announced state tax benefits for businesses and employees who aid Hurricane Katrina relief efforts by donating the cash value of employee leave time. The program–which mirrors a similar federal IRS program announced last week–allows workers to donate unused sick, vacation, or other personal leave time in exchange for the […]

Negative Blogs: Your Story or Theirs?

No matter what you do, your company is going to be featured on blogs, says Alison Davis. “So you have a choice as a company—either you lay out the story from your perspective, or you let someone else write it.” Davis, a communications consultant, recommends a thorough and proactive approach to social media on the […]

Government Proposal Refines Reform Fees on Health Plans

A proposed rule put on public display Nov. 26 adjusts Transitional Reinsurance Program rules and tries to put out fires left burning by the ever-moving target of health care reform. For example, it proposes a lower contribution level insurers and self-funded plans would pay in 2015 to a transitional reinsurance fund, and gives employers the […]

News Notes: Government Issues Guidance On Whcra Annual Notice

The Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services have issued guidelines explaining how to comply with the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act’s annual notice requirement. The notice explains that mastectomy-related services must be covered under health plans. It can be sent alone or with the summary plan description, a newsletter, […]

EEOC to Update, Simplify Leave Guidance

To alleviate confusion among employers, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said it plans to clarify and update its guidance on leave as a workplace accommodation. In a June 8 meeting, commissioners offered their insight and took suggestions from stakeholders. “I’ve been told that many employers have difficulty with leave as an accommodation,” said Stuart […]

Another Boon for Wellness Benefits: Revealing Employees’ Unanticipated Disease Risks

Employers — and employees — may find wellness benefits an even more welcome offering, a recent study suggests. A Quest Diagnostics study found that more than 1 out of 3 employees who took employer-sponsored lab-based wellness tests were unaware they were at high risk for a serious medical condition. The study, Value of Laboratory Tests […]

DOL Gets Serious About Federal Contractor Compliance; Slaps Companies with $1M in Back Wages in November

Companies that violate the federal government contractor laws risk not just fines and citations from the U.S. Department of Labor, but also debarment that prevents them from bidding on any other federal contracts for a specified period. For a company that relies predominantly on federal contracts, or that was depending on a financial infusion from […]

New Website from DOL Offers Information on Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has launched a new website – Disability.gov – offering information for people with disabilities, their family members, veterans, caregivers, employers, and others. The new site replaces DisabilityInfo.gov and features information about disability-related programs and services as well as social media tools to serve the more than 50 million Americans […]