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HR Compliance Made Easy in 2011

Week in Review—December 24, 2010 Note to Readers: This newsletter appears daily, but we know some of you don’t always have the time to read it everyday. For your convenience, here’s a re-publication of what we covered this past week. Daily, weekly, or anything in between, we’re pleased to keep you informed with the latest […]

Give Yourself Time

A bystander watched as a young commuter put on a last minute spurt but still missed the train. “If you’d run just a bit faster, you’d have caught it,” the observer sympathized. “No,” the young man gasped. “It wasn’t a case of running faster, but starting sooner!” People who don’t allow themselves extra time to […]

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 […]

Washington Could Be Seventh State to Allow Same-sex Marriage

Legislation is wending its way through both chambers of the Washington State legislature that if enacted would make Washington the seventh state where same-sex marriage is legal. It could happen: a sufficient number of Senators for passage in that chamber have said they would vote for it if it reaches the Senate floor, and Gov. […]

News Notes: New Retirement Plan Information Available For Employees

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has published a new guide to assist workers in understanding how defined benefit pension plans operate and the rights and options of plan participants. “A Predictable, Secure Pension for Life: Defined Benefit Pensions” is available by calling (888) 878-3256 or on the Internet at www.pbgc.gov. Also, a new Department of Labor […]

News Flash: Workers’ Compensation Insurers Face Mounting Losses; Employers May Be Hit With Higher Premiums

Some California workers’ comp insurers have been placed on a financial watch list by the California Department of Insurance because rating agencies have raised questions about the insurers’ financial stability. According to the California Workers’ Compensation Institute, for each $1 in premiums taken in during 1999, workers’ comp insurers paid out about $1.51 for claims […]

News Notes: High Court Strikes Down NLRB Standard For Employers Suing Unions

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the National Labor Relations Board erred when it found BE&K Construction Co. guilty of unfair labor practices for suing several unions to stop their campaign against the company. BE&K sued after the unions picketed and distributed leaflets to force the company to build a power plant using only […]

News Flash: Details Of Tax-Free Transportation Plans Debated

At a hearing in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, the Internal Revenue Service heard opposing arguments on permitting employers to provide tax-free public transit benefits through cash reimbursement rather than vouchers or passes. As we’ve reported, proposed IRS rules would make it easier for employers to set up transportation spending accounts, which let you pay […]