Tag: news

Changes to the Employers Forum on HRHero.com

The Employers Forum has always been a popular hangout on HRhero.com, but it was time to give it a facelift and incorporate the latest technology. We have upgraded the forum platform to vBulletin, which is used by many Fortune 500 companies. The new platform provides all you forumites with improved security, a better spam filter, […]

Investigation Accuses Wage and Hour Division of Blunders that Fail Workers

After a nine-month undercover investigation into the Department of Labor’s (DOL) ability to enforce and investigate violations of federal minimum wage, overtime, and child labor laws, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports serious failures. The report, which was released March 25, was prompted by a request from the House Education and Labor Committee. The investigation […]

Starbucks, Costco, and Whole Foods Propose Alternative to EFCA

After forming an ad hoc committee called the “Committee for a Level Playing Field for Union Elections,” three U.S. retailer giants announced an alternative to the controversial Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Starbucks Corp., Costco Wholesale Corp., and Whole Foods Market, Inc., outlined six principles they believe represent a compromise between business and labor interests. […]

New Index Measures Unretirement

The changing attitudes and expectations of American workers regarding retirement have been measured in Sun Life Financial Inc.’s first “Unretirement Index.” Unretirement is defined as working at least 20 hours per week after reaching the age when one is eligible to receive full social security benefits. The Unretirement Index measures consumer opinions toward five factors […]

The Time for Bold Action

In difficult times such as these, with the economy in disarray and unemployment at a 20-year high, the natural reaction for many is to pull back. We want to do the safe thing. Recessions are a time to make cuts, reduce risk and weather the storm. Whether you’re talking about individuals or organizations, this is […]

New I-9 form effective April 3; H-1B visa deadline

Two important deadlines are approaching for HR. On April 3, employers must start using the new I-9 form. Initially the change was set to happen in February, but the Obama administration delayed it and other unimplemented regulations to allow time for further agency review. April 1 marks the beginning of the annual race for the […]

DOL Issues COBRA Model Notices

Update Dec. 16: House Passes COBRA Subsidy Extension and Expansion Today, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued model COBRA continuation coverage notices that reflect the new nine-month, 65 percent subsidy on COBRA premiums. The notices are available online at www.dol.gov/ebsa/COBRAmodelnotice.html. There are four types of notices, each tailored to a particular employee, beneficiary, or […]

SEIU, Nurses Union Boost the Employee Free Choice Act

Two large and powerful health care labor unions have signed a pact that is expected to provide a shot in the arm for the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Under the pact announced on March 19, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CAN/NNOC) will work together to […]

Keeping Your Eye on the Ball

Sorry for the sports cliché, but it fits. There are a lot of distractions in life — now more than ever.  The recession (I’m surprised someone hasn’t come up with a four letter word for it) has everyone distracted. Admit it, you come to work and you’re distracted. You log on to the Internet to […]

Democrats Introduce the Employee Free Choice Act

The Democrats blazed ahead into battle today (March 10) by introducing the much-anticipated Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) in both houses of Congress. EFCA, which has been the subject of countless debates, is a controversial bill that would allow a majority of employees to form a union by signing card-check petitions. Under the Employee Free […]