Short Takes: Jury Duty
Do I have to pay employees who go on jury duty? What about court appearances?
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Immigration: H-1B Petition Cap Quickly Reached
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that by the afternoon of April 2, 2007, it had received enough H-1B work visa petitions—150,000—to meet the congressionally mandated cap for fiscal year 2008. April 2 was the first day employers could submit H-1B petitions for 2008. The H-1B visa program allows U.S. businesses to employ […]
News Notes: Mental Health Parity Rules Begin
A new federal law now in effect says that if you offer mental health benefits, they must have the same aggregate lifetime and annual limits as medical benefits. The law applies to employers with 50 or more employees. There’s an exemption for employerswho can show the parity requirements will increase their costsby more than 1%. […]
Tool of the Week: Independent Contractor Guide
The benefits of using nonemployee workers such as independent contractors are obvious: you don’t have to provide a contractor with expensive employee benefits, and you retain greater flexibility to quickly alter your workforce as needs change. But if you make a mistake and incorrectly classify an employee as an independent contractor, the consequences can be […]
News Notes: Few Employers Comply With Little-Known Parking Cash-Out Law
Under an obscure law, certain employers that provide free parking must give cash to workers who don’t drive to work. The law applies to employers with 50 or more employees who are located in an area that violates air quality standards and who subsidize employee parking spaces the employer doesn’t own. But a new study […]
OFCCP Finalizes “E-Cruiting” Rule
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which enforces antidiscrimination and affirmative action requirements for federal contractors, has issued a final rule defining who qualifies as an “Internet Applicant” for purposes of employer recordkeeping. The OFCCP’s new rule is designed to clear the confusion surrounding how to determine who’s an applicant, in light of […]
News Notes: New Health Benefit Brochures Available
The U.S. Department of Labor has released three free brochures to help educate workers covered by employer-sponsored health plans. The brochures address topics such as how marriage, pregnancy, childbirth and divorce affect health care choices; what to do when a child is no longer dependent; how retiring or changing jobs impact coverage options; and how […]
News Notes: New Case Explains When Public Sector Employees Can Be Disciplined For Political Activities
Most public and private employers know it’s illegal to take action against employees because of their political activities. But a recent case highlights an important exception to this rule for public employees who qualify as “policymakers.” A terminated deputy sued a newly elected sheriff, alleging she was forced out of her job because she had […]
Short Takes: Personal Use of Company Computers
I’d like to keep my employees from using their company computers for personal stuff like e-mail. Can I prohibit this? 400+ pages of state-specific, easy-read reference materials at your fingertips—fully updated! Check out the Guide to Employment Law for California Employers and get up to speed on everything you need to know. In general, while […]
Manufacturers Want to Hire, But Can’t Find Skilled Workers
Special from Atlanta–SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition Seventy-five percent of manufacturers are actively hiring, but 2/3rds of those are having trouble finding the types of workers they need, according to research released 6/24 by SHRM at its Annual Conference and Exhibition, in progress this week in Atlanta, Georgia. At a special session covering the hiring […]