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How to improve your reference checking

Reference checking an applicant’s past can make today’s hiring decision easier … but only if you do it right! It’s been said that “the answers to all questions of the present reside in the past.” While not true for everything, there’s a lot of validity in this statement when hiring new employees. It’s likely your […]

Pending Legislation: Bill Would Impose Big Penalties for Misclassifying Employees as Independent Contractors

A bill pending in the state legislature would crack down on employers that intentionally misclassify employees as independent contractors in order to avoid unemployment insurance responsibilities. The measure, A.B. 2186, authorizes the Employment Development Department to assess a penalty of $25,000 against any employer who willfully, purposefully, or intentionally misclassifies an employee as an independent […]

Retirement Benefits: Auto 401(k) Enrollment Good for Employees, New Survey Shows

Employers that offer automatic enrollment for their 401(k) plans significantly increase employee participation, according to an annual study conducted by Hewitt Associates. The study, which examined the savings and investing habits of over 2.6 million employees, found that the overall participation rate of employees in companies offering automatic enrollment was 14 percent higher than the […]

No Requirement to Hold Position Open Indefinitely for Disabled Worker

According to a new California appeals court decision, holding a job open for a disabled employee who needs time to recuperate is a form of reasonable accommodation—where it appears likely the employee will be able to return to work at some time in the foreseeable future. But reasonable accommodation doesn’t require an employer to wait […]

More Employees Declining Health Benefits

A new study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reveals that the percentage of workers who accepted their employer’s offer of healthcare insurance dropped from 85.3 percent in 1998 to 80.3 percent in 2003. The drop means that 3 million fewer workers who are eligible for employer-sponsored health coverage elected to enroll in it over […]

Update Your Job Descriptions for New Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Overtime Rules

Executive Summary New Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime rules raise the salary threshold for exemption almost threefold, to $455 per week FLSA rules say job title is insufficient to establish exemption Detailed, accurate job descriptions are required to support overtime pay exemption under FLSA guidelines, says Department of Labor (DOL) The U.S. Department of […]

Retirement Benefits: Many More Employers Offering 401(k) Plans Exclusively

According to an analysis by benefits consulting firm Watson Wyatt, the number of large employers that offer only defined contribution/401(k) plans—and not traditional pension plans—is way up. In 2005, 36 percent of Fortune 100 companies offered 401(k) plans only (not in combination with a traditional pension plan), up from 25 percent in 2004 and 17 […]