Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
With the DOMA ruling so recent in our minds, employers have more unanswered employee benefits questions than ever before. Is it now illegal to tax healthcare benefits for a same-sex spouse? How should multi-state employers react if the final ruling comes down that only same-sex couples who reside in a state that recognizes same-sex marriages […]
by Heather L. Devine New Hampshire House Bill 440, which made several changes and clarifications to new-hire reporting requirements, goes into effect August 3. Most important, the new law requires employers to complete a new-hire report to the Department of Employment Security when a former employee has been rehired (regardless of whether she was laid […]
by Christopher J. Pyles New Hampshire Employment Security (NHES) has recently become aware of an identity theft scam being directed at employers. NHES is warning that e-mails coming from an address ending in “@detma.org” and using a subject line referring to “time-sensitive material” are being sent to businesses in an effort to obtain employees’ wage […]
by Jay Surdukowski Sulloway & Hollis, P.L.L.C. On Thursday, June 6, the New Hampshire Senate approved a bill to protect the privacy of employees’ social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. But Republicans tacked on an amendment that may doom the bill in the house. Introduced by three Democratic lawmakers, House Bill 414 […]
by Jeanine Poole New Hampshire’s requirements for employer safety programs are changing. Passed in June, House Bill 1587 goes into effect on January 1, 2013. The new law provides: Employers with 15 or more employees (formerly 10 or more employees) must have a written safety program filed with the New Hampshire Department of Labor (NHDOL). […]
What Happened Gioioso Sons, Inc., constructs and installs water supply and sewer pipes. On July 10, 2009, while the company was performing trenching work to install water service lines at a Boston worksite, a compliance officer for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) arrived for an inspection. The compliance officer saw a Gioioso employee […]
What Happened In 1985, “Phyllis” was hired to work at a hotel in Dorchester, Massachusetts—initially known as a Howard Johnson Hotel, then as South Bay Hotel, and, starting in 1997, as a Holiday Inn Express operated by Jiten Hotel Management, Inc. As the executive housekeeper of the Holiday Inn Express, Phyllis oversaw the housekeeping staff […]
New York State will become the sixth state where same-sex marriage is legal on July 24. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on June 24 signed the Marriage Equality Act (MEA) into law. Same-sex marriage already is legal in Massachusetts, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and the District of Columbia. The measure goes into effect one month […]
by Jay Surdukowski, Sulloway & Hollis, P.L.L.C. In New Hampshire, Republicans claimed a 19-5 edge in the state senate, a huge house majority, and likely unanimous control of the Governor’s Council, though incumbent Democratic Governor John Lynch managed to keep his post. The Republican sweep is not a surprise, but the magnitude is. This third […]
by Douglas R. Chamberlain When facing financial difficulties, employees often look to their retirement plans as a possible source of needed funds. Many plans offer participant loans or permanent withdrawals, the latter generally on a hardship basis. However, plan loans and withdrawals can jeopardize the employee’s retirement benefits, and both are subject to complex rules […]