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Comment Period Extended for OFCCP’s Disability Hiring Rule

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has extended the comment period on its proposed rule aimed at increasing employment of people with disabilities. The new deadline for comments is February 21. The OFCCP published a notice of proposed rulemaking on December 9, 2011, that outlined the proposal to revise […]

DOL Audits Health Reform Compliance of Employer Plans

It may seem paradoxical that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) should begin auditing health plans for compliance with the health reform law’s mandates, given that the U.S. Supreme Court could very well strike down the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for being unconstitutional in early summer. But it’s better that plans be ready to demonstrate […]

Free Report Friday: Top 8 Ways to Improve Workforce Productivity

Tackling the issue of workforce productivity can be intimidating, especially when one considers its critical importance to succeeding in today’s marketplace. Improving workforce productivity is near the top of every organization’s "To-Do List", but a surprisingly low percentage of companies feel confident that they are performing well in their workforce optimization efforts.

Higher PBGC Premiums Make DB Plans More Apt to Borrow

Defined benefit plan sponsors have gained a new incentive to fully fund their pension plans – even if that requires borrowing, according to a recent research report. The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act enacted in mid-2012 raised U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. premiums for plan sponsors maintaining an underfunded DB plan, […]

Military spouses and their employment challenges: What employers can do

What employer doesn’t crave a pool of applicants with a strong work ethic, a reputation for being skilled, diverse, motivated, tech-savvy, mobile, and well-educated? Those qualities typically top the list of desired characteristics, but when candidates with those assets are military spouses, employers often pass them up.  Department of Defense statistics claim that 85 percent […]

Scooter Store Failed to Accommodate Employee With Disability, Must Pay Him $99K

The Scooter Store will pay $99,000 to an employee whose disability it failed to accommodate, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The company, a national retailer, refused to give an employee with psoriatic arthritis time off work and fired him. EEOC sued on his behalf alleging that the employer failed to accommodate his […]

Employer’s Obligation to Make Inquiries in the Duty to Accommodate Confirmed

By Mark Colavecchia The duty to accommodate is one of the most difficult issues Canadian employers regularly face. While courts across the country have attempted to define the scope of an employer’s legal obligations with a workable degree of certainty, the practical application of the duty to accommodate remains complex and problematic. The issue is […]

Lax Record-Keeping Costs Employer $179K

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets the minimum wage and overtime pay requirements for employers. Within the FLSA, there are record-keeping requirements, including a list of 15 types of information employers must keep for up to three years. Compliance is not only required by law, but it can also be very helpful in the […]

Is wrongful dismissal litigation reform coming to Canada?

by Karen Sargeant Can fired employees afford to take their prior employers to court? Are trials too expensive? Are there better ways to secure justice for employees? These are some of the questions a group of lawyers in Ontario, Canada, have been considering. Earlier this year, the Chief Justice of Ontario expressed concerns that employees […]