Tag: New York

DOMA is unconstitutional, but many questions left unanswered

Over the summer, the Supreme Court decided in the landmark case of United States vs. Windsor that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, which now paves the way for same-sex couples to potentially enjoy many federal benefits that they weren't entitled to before. Let's take a closer look at DOMA, what the ruling did, and what questions remain.

Mariano Rivera—Nothing but Class

Dan Oswald, CEO of BLR®, offered his thoughts on what leaders can learn from Mariano Rivera in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter . Here are his thoughts. Either you love the New York Yankees or you hate them. I’m a hater. I grew up hating them. They were the antithesis of my beloved […]

Payroll Taxes Went Up in Smoke

Smoking is a nasty habit, especially when it results in a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation and a $67,000 penalty from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)! The owner of a New York City construction company and several related companies recently pleaded guilty of willfully failing to pay payroll taxes. Prosecutors for the IRS and the […]

Ethical Dilemmas in the Workplace: Why Do Some Organizations Stumble?

Ethical dilemmas in the workplace are quite common, and they’re not always easy to answer. The concepts are straightforward, but the challenge is in the execution. Even when organizations have great policies and procedures and follow the laws and regulations, there’s still a high risk of unethical behavior. For example, some employees may not know […]

Ethics in the Workplace: Not Always Black and White

Ethics in the workplace aren’t always black and white. Sometimes the issues are obvious and we can easily see when a company is – or isn’t – acting ethically. Other times, actions we may not associate with ethics really can become ethical considerations. This is very important for companies to consider because ethical values set […]

PTO Policy OK? 11 Questions You Need to Answer

Unfortunately, to complicate matters, many state laws (and some city laws) cover sick time and/or vacation time, so proceed with caution, says Marques, an associate in the New York office of Holland & Knight LLP. She offered her tips at a recent webinar sponsored by BLR® and HR Hero®. PTO Policy Decisions Are Important Policy […]

Big Data Blasts Some Long-Held Beliefs

What myths are being exposed by big data? According to a recent article in The Economist, “number-crunching has uncovered some surprising correlations.” For example, Evolv, a company that works with big data, found that: Employees who, when filling out their online applications, used a browser that didn’t come standard on their computer (software they had […]

Set Boundaries to Make PTO Work

Marques, an associate in the New York office of Holland & Knight LLP, offered her PTO tips at a recent webinar sponsored by BLR® and HR Hero®. Make sure that all parts of the company are on the same page. Payroll, posted policies, and employment handbooks should all agree, says Marques. Make sure the payroll […]

6 Keys for Living with ISS and Glass Lewis

Lifshey, who is managing director at the New York office of Pearl Meyer & Partners, offered her executive pay tips at a recent webinar sponsored by BLR® and HR Hero®. Overview of New Glass Lewis Protocols Shareholder advisory group Glass Lewis has also made changes in its evaluation process. Effective Date Effective for annual meetings […]