Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Some common misconceptions keep small employers from offering health benefits to their employees, according to a recent study by the UCLA/UC Berkeley Health Insurance Policy Program. The study revealed that 38 percent of California employers with 10 to 50 employees don’t offer coverage. The reasons why include these erroneous perceptions: it’s too expensive; it doesn’t […]
Two new bills extending the rights and benefits provided to spouses to domestic partners were recently signed into law. We’ll take a look at the new laws. State Contractors Can’t Discriminate Under AB 17, certain state contractors have to provide employee benefits for registered domestic partners on the same basis as they do for spouses. […]
Meal/rest break claims are down significantly, while misclassifications and overtime cases remain strong, says the 7th Annual Litigation Trends Report from international law firm Fulbright & Jaworski LLP. Fulbright surveyed senior corporate counsel on their experiences and opinions regarding litigation. The survey had 403 participants, 275 whom were from the U.S. Of the U.S. companies […]
By Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR Managing Editor, HR Daily Advisor Just My E-pinion Big surprise—health care costs are going up. In our recent survey, 56% reported annual costs per employee in the $5,000-10,000 range (compared to 47% in last year’s survey), and 18% reported costs of over $10,000 per year (compared to 12 % in […]
Pension and welfare benefit plans are generally required to file a yearly return report, which can usually be completed by using the 5500 form that is updated each year. This is an important compliance and research tool for the DOL, and part of ERISA reporting and disclosure rules. For the 2004 form and more information, […]
We employ a number of workers in outdoor jobs during the summer. With summer heat coming on, are there Cal/OSHA requirements we need to comply with in this regard? —Sarah G., HR Manager in Marina del Rey
President Bush has signed the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4986), which, among other things, expands the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to permit leave for family members of injured military personnel and military reservists called to active duty.
A group of truckers sought back overtime pay from their employer, Overnite Transportation Co. The truck drivers argued that when the state Legislature passed A.B. 60 in 1999, reinstating daily overtime—following its repeal in 1997—it abolished a previous “motor carrier” exemption from overtime for workers whose hours of service are regulated by the Department of […]
The White House recently instructed federal agencies to put the brakes on rulemakings related to employment. That same day, the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would prohibit significant rulemakings until the nation’s unemployment rate improves. The White House’s March 20 order came out of its Office of Management and Budget and was sent […]