Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
For the first time in over 25 years, the U.S. Department of Labor has issued proposed rules overhauling the system for determining which employees are exempt from overtime under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The proposed rules change the types of job duties workers must perform to qualify for exemption from overtime as well […]
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 […]
The first year of employer disclosures made under the new U.S. Securities Exchange Commission disclosure rules for executive compensation reveals an approximate threefold increase in the value of executive perks. Under the new rules, employers must disclose perks totaling $10,000 or more; previously, the disclosure threshold was $50,000. This causes concern for executives as many […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review two recent rulings from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal regarding mandatory arbitration agreements used by Circuit City Stores Inc. And here in California yet another new arbitration ruling has recently been issued.
The Treasury Department and the IRS have issued additional guidance on Health Savings Accounts, or HSAs, the recently authorized tax-exempt savings accounts employees can set up to pay medical expenses. For more information, go to the Treasury Department website.