Hiring Summer Interns And Volunteers: It’s More Complicated Than You Might Think
Now that summer is nearly upon us, you may have students looking for hands-on work experience contacting you, offering to work as unpaid volunteers or interns.
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Will the abolishment of mandatory retirement result in longer notice periods?
By Ralph N. Nero and Nicole R. Singh You’re about to terminate an employee’s employment without cause. He’s been with you for 30 years, earns $100,000, has a middle management position, and is 69 years old. He could retire with a full pension. Surely you don’t have to provide him with a severance package? Absolutely, […]
Accident, Health Premiums Paid by Retirement Plans Become Taxable in 2015
Payments by qualified retirement plans for accident or health insurance will be taxable distributions to participants in most cases, starting with the 2015 tax year, according to new IRS final regulations. Retirees are excluded from having to pay tax on plan payments for medical benefits, however. IRS on May 6 approved amendments to 26 C.F.R. […]
Government Guidance on Paid and Unpaid Internships
“Every spring, as college students nationwide prepare for finals and pull all-nighters to wrap up their spring semesters, many simultaneously ramp up their search for the perfect internship,” says Laura Fortman, principal deputy administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) in a blog. “The WHD understands that these “foot-in-the-door” […]
Delaware governor signs ‘ban the box’ bill
by Molly DiBianca Delaware has joined the ranks of states adopting “ban the box” laws, measures that limit how employers can request criminal history information during the hiring process. Delaware’s law, signed into law by Governor Jack Markell on May 8, makes criminal histories and credit scores off limits on applications for public-sector jobs. Here […]
Is Vacation Time Required by Law?
Vacation time and paid holidays may be a relatively standard benefit to offer to full-time employees, but in the United States, it’s not actually legally mandated. While many employers are well aware of this, it’s important to make a note of, since employees often treat it as a right. In fact, vacation time is typically […]
Must Employers Pay for Commute Time When Telecommuters Have to Come in?
It’s prudent to pay close attention to travel pay regulations because travel-related issues pose a significant risk for wage and hour claims. This is, unfortunately, an often-overlooked area.
When to Retroactively Designate FMLA Leave
What happens if a manager forgets to inform HR that an employee has absences that could be FMLA-qualifying? Can those absences still be counted against the employee's 12-week FMLA allotment for the year? What about when an employee has an emergency and must take leave immediately but was unable to request it? Can that count […]
Survey Results: Telecommuting Policies and Dress Codes
[For the beginning of the survey report, go here.] Telecommuting Formal telecommuting guidelines are in place and employees are required to sign a formal agreement for 23.8%. An allowance to cover employee expenses for setting up telecommuting at their home is provided by 33.1%, 40.3% reimburse telecommuting employees for monthly Internet connections, and 54.2% reimburse […]
Performance Appraisals—What’s Really Happening?
Performance appraisals—everyone does them, but few think their approach is optimal. What’s happening with appraisals in the real world? What are your competitors up to? Help us find out! Please participate in our brief survey and see how what you are doing stacks up against what other successful companies are doing. We’ll get answers […]