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IRS Voluntary Classification Settlement Program: Proceed With Caution

In a recent move to encourage employers to correct past misclassification of workers, the IRS has established a voluntary compliance program, called the Voluntary Classification Settlement Program, or VCSP. The program permits employers to voluntarily reclassify their workers as employees for future tax periods with minimal tax liability for past non-employee treatment. To participate, an […]

New Simplified Process for More Foreign Workers Entering Quebec

By Gilda Villaran On February 24, 2012, a new simplified process for certain foreign workers seeking entry to the Province of Quebec was announced. Instead of applying to only seven information technology occupations, as before, the simplified process will apply to 44 occupations in a variety of fields. This is an important development not only […]

Juggling Act: When Work and Special-Needs Parenting Collide

By Tammy Binford It’s often easy for employers to be understanding when workers occasionally need to duck out of work early for a meeting at school or a trip to a child’s doctor. It happens to nearly every working parent once in a while. But what about an employee whose child has some kind of […]

Employers, Beware of Looming “Pattern-or-Practice” Charges

By Diane Pietraszewski The vast majority of all equal employment opportunity lawsuits are filed by individual employees or job applicants. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) may file cases on behalf of individuals, but it rarely does so because of limited resources. To get more “bang” for its litigation bucks, the EEOC is increasingly turning […]

This Decision May Not Make the Grade

By Jeanine Poole It may seem that requiring a high-school diploma for a job is a correct answer. However, a recent “informal discussion letter” from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) indicates that you may need to do more studying before making that choice. Background In October 2011, the state of Tennessee wrote the EEOC, […]

Calculating Damages from Misappropriation of Confidential Information

By Thora Sigurdson We all know that, where applicable, it’s important to take care in drafting confidentiality, noncompetition, and nonsolicitation terms in employment, contractor, and other agreements. A recent case in British Columbia, Cruise Connections Canada v. Cancellieri, reminds us of the value of having a “duty of good faith” clause. It also illustrates how […]

March: Women’s History Month

On March 8, 1857, women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. In 1981, 124 years after that historic protest, Congress established National Women’s History Week to be commemorated the second week of March. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month. Here are some facts about American women from […]

Providing References: Are You Immune from Liability?

The last thing you need—an ex-employee suing over a bad reference. Fortunately, most states offer a qualified privilege to employers that provides immunity for employers who give employment references; however, the privilege is easily lost if employers aren’t careful. For detailed information about the states and their laws, we turned to “The 50×50,” BLR/HRhero’s 50 […]

Site-specific Approaches Help Drive Wellness Improvement

Employee incentives can bring about improved wellness outcomes — if the goals are adequately tailored to the organization and the individual. Depending on the company culture, you could take the “little league” approach of “everybody wins,” or decide to “raise the bar,” said Brendan Kerrigan, senior vice president of PayFlex. But setting the bar too […]