Taxes: Changes in Law Affect the Workplace
President Bush has signed the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 and the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, both of which make important tax changes employers need to keep in mind.
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Sexual Harassment: Employer’s Deviation from Usual Transfer Procedures Fuels Suit; Review Is Key
When an employee has filed a complaint alleging harassment or other workplace misconduct, you can wind up in a heap of trouble if supervisors ignore company policies in ways that may harm the employee. But you can put some simple procedures in place to help avoid this problem.
Taxes: New IRS Ruling Could Affect Your Holiday Gift Plan; What You Need to Know
What’ll it be this year, a holiday ham for your employees or a holiday gift coupon for a comparable amount? It would seem reasonable to view these presents as more or less the same, at least for tax purposes. But, as we’ll explain, the IRS said otherwise in a recent decision.
Absenteeism: Unscheduled Absences on the Rise; Practical Strategies for Boosting Attendance
Last-minute absences have always been a problem for employers. But according to the annual CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey, they’re now at a five-year high.
Workplace Bias: Court Strips Employee of $1 Million Award; No Evidence Reorganization Was Biased Against Older Workers and Women
In the most familiar type of workplace bias lawsuit, the employee charges that the employer had a discriminatory motive. Butin disparate impact cases, the employee claims that an apparently neutral policy or practice of the employer disproportionately hurt employees in a protected class, even though there was no intent to discriminate. A new California appeal […]
Religion in the Workplace: Employer’s Refusal to Permit Employee to Attend Jehovah’s Witness Convention Leads to Liability
In a new California appeals court decision, an employer learned the hard way about the obligation to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs and practices—even if they conflict with work obligations. Request to Attend Religious Convention Lester Young, a Jehovah’s Witness, worked for Gemini Aluminum Corp. in Pomona. Young had attended a church convention almost every […]
Health and Safety: Cell-Phone-Related Car Accident Costs Employee $2 Million; Employer Tips for Avoiding Liability
Back in September 2001, we reported on a California employer that was hit with a $30 million lawsuit after one of its employees struck and killed a teenager while driving and using a cell phone. Now the employee, a former attorney, has been ordered to pay $2 million to the family of the teenager, Naeun […]
Health Insurance: Employee to Collect More Than $300,000 After Not Getting Proper COBRA Notice
A new case underscores just how costly a mistake it can be to not provide departing employees with timely notice of their rights under COBRA to continue their group health coverage.
Sexual Harassment: New Law Makes Sexual Harassment Training Mandatory; What to Do
Many California employers will have to provide sexual harassment training every two years to supervisory employees, thanks to a new law Gov. Schwarzenegger recently signed. Those who are covered will have until January 2006 to comply, but preparations should begin now.
Military Leave: DOL’s Draft Rules Clarify Reemployment Protections for Veterans and Reservists
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that it has received complaints from thousands of returning military personnel about their reemployment rights under the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). To better educate employees and employers about their rights and obligations under this law, the DOL has released draft regulations designed to […]