Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Legislation has been proposed in the U.S. Senate that would create a tax credit for employers that offer comprehensive wellness programs. The Healthy Workforce Act (S.B. 1753), authored by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR), would provide a tax credit of up to $200 per employee for the first 200 employees, and up […]
The IRS recently issued Notice 2007-100, which gives employers an opportunity to correct unintentional operational mistakes concerning nonqualified deferred compensation plans. Internal Revenue Code Section 409A, which covers these plans, specifies the manner in which they must be reported to avoid premature taxation. The notice gives employers the opportunity to self-correct unintentional operational errors—the failure […]
Our recent survey on paid time off reveals that more and more organizations are going the PTO route for offering time off. For holidays, over 90% of respondents are offering New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving, and 81% will offer the Monday after Christmas. Fifty-eight percent of responding companies have […]
Lie detector or polygraph tests can provide employers with a tool to test the honesty of a prospective or current employee. But watch out, because the tests can do you more harm than good and invite lawsuits. Under California law, it’s illegal for private-sector employers to demand or require employees or applicants to submit to […]
Siebel Systems Inc. has agreed to shell out up to $27.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit charging that the company violated the California Labor Code and Wage Orders by classifying software engineers as exempt from overtime and failing to pay for overtime hours worked. The suit also alleged that the company illegally prohibited […]
Amazon keeps a continual tab of what it deems the best books of the year so far in several categories. Here are the online giant’s best business and investing books so far in 2011. 1. Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul by Howard Schultz. The president and chairman of Starbucks […]
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced two sizable overtime settlements with Southern California employers. VCI Telecom Inc., an Upland telecommunications company, has agreed to pay $1,074,375 to settle charges levied by the DOL for not paying overtime to 227 employees. And flooring and tile company Lambard Inc., based in Ontario, will fork over $228,156 […]
by Tammy Binford Continuing his use of Executive Orders in what’s being called a “year of action,” President Barack Obama plans to sign an order to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, according to news reports. On June 16, news reports quoted a White House official as […]
Despite the passage of Proposition 8 earlier this month, the issue of same-sex marriage is still very much alive in California. The California Supreme Court announced yesterday that it will address the issues raised by the initiative at the request of advocates on both sides: (1) Was Proposition 8 legally valid, or must it be […]
A group of Republican senators has proposed a replacement bill for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that would allow states to choose whether to keep Obamacare’s provisions in place. Because employers’ requirements would depend on where employees work, compliance could be a real challenge for companies with operations in multiple states, according to the Society […]