Tag: employer

IRS and Expense Reimbursements—Don’t Get Stuck with the Taxes

Automobile Reimbursements The IRS sets the rate it allows employers to deduct per mile for the reimbursement of employees who use their own cars (including vans and pickup or panel trucks) for company business. (The IRS decreased the rate for 2014 to 56 cents per mile, a .5-cent decrease over the 2013 rate.)

A blooper of historic proportions

Downton Abbey recently made headlines with what some are calling “the water bottle seen around the world.” In an uncropped version of a publicity photo, Lord Grantham and Lady Edith are seen standing in front of a stately mantel upon which a bottled water is perched looking hilariously out of place. Turning an amusing blooper into […]

‘I send pregnant employees home their last month’

[Go here for the first part of the discussion on pregnancy discrimination] Requiring Leave May an employer require a pregnant employee who is able to perform her job to take leave at any point in her pregnancy or after childbirth? No. An employer may not force an employee to take leave because she is or […]

EEOC Issues Extensive—and Helpful—Q&A on Pregnant Employees

On July 14 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued enforcement guidance on pregnancy discrimination accompanied by an extensive and practical Q&A. The new guidance, the first to address pregnancy discrimination since 1983, focuses on how the 2008 amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may apply to employees with pregnancy-related disabilities. Is EEOC […]

‘I am appalled’ by SHRM/HRCI Brouhaha (Talk-Back)

Two readers cleverly turned the sample question against SHRM. (See “Back at You” below.) Here are the responses: ****************************************************** I am appalled at these two are having such a dispute. They should find common ground for the benefit of Advancing the Profession. Grow Up! ****************************************************** I have been SPHR-certified for several years and the news […]

I Need to UNdesignate Some FMLA Leave; Is That OK?

What can you do if you discover that you’ve mistakenly designated leave as FMLA-qualifying? Several cases help point the way to the policy you should follow. Employer’s Promise (Designation) Must Be Kept Some courts have held that employees are entitled to FMLA protections based on representations made by the employer, even if the employer’s representation […]

Designating FMLA— First Place Employers Fail

When the employer has enough information to determine whether the leave is being taken for a FMLA-qualifying reason (e.g., after receiving a certification), the employer must notify the employee whether the leave will be designated and will be counted as FMLA leave within 5 business days, absent extenuating circumstances. The employer is always responsible for […]

7 Instances Where Exempt Employee Pay Can be Deducted for Absences

While the FLSA allows some very specific pay deductions for exempt employees, such as taxes and wage garnishments, it's typically quite strict about the fact that exempt employee pay shouldn't be reduced for exempt employee absences in most cases. It's important for employers to understand when certain payroll deductions may be perfectly legal, and when […]

Age discrimination or legitimate termination? Firing a 65-year-old can be tricky

What should an employer do when faced with a longtime manager with stellar performance reviews who doesn’t adhere to company policy, misses deadlines, has been written up for sexual harassment, and may be responsible for committing fraud? And does it complicate the situation if that manager is 65 years old?  Those were questions recently put […]