Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Elaine Young Employers wanting to hire foreign workers through the H-1B visa program need to be ready to file petitions with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on April 1. U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields. The first […]
The Colorado Civil Union Act, which takes effect May 1, requires changes in employer-provided insurance plans and makes changes to the state’s workers’ compensation law. Effective for plans issued, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2014, a party to a civil union may cover his or her partner as a dependent. Employers providing […]
By Jennifer M. Shepherd and Hannah Roskey It’s well established that discrimination against an employee on the basis of a physical or mental disability is prohibited in Canada. Drug or alcohol addictions constitute a “disability” under most human rights legislation such that employers are prohibited from discriminating against employees on the basis of their addictions. […]
Litigation Value: Nothing for Pam, but I’m sure the Philly real estate employees have plenty of gripes. Last night’s episode of “The Office” was a repeat of “Move On: Part I,” which we covered in our post “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.” There were plenty of shenanigans in Scranton during that episode, so we […]
by Michael Bindner The IRS has issued Notice 2012-58, which describes safe-harbor methods employers may use to determine which employees are “full-time” workers for purposes of the “shared responsibility” penalty of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is often referred to as Obamacare. Notice 2012-59, issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the […]
by Tammy Binford “Team building” is a term that gets a lot of buzz among those interested in fostering collaboration and camaraderie in the workplace. Executives are eager to sponsor activities to nurture creativity and productivity, and they sometimes focus their efforts on helping employees have fun at work. With March Madness in full swing, […]
Over the veto of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City will soon have what’s being called the nation’s toughest law against discrimination based on a job applicant’s employment status. The city council passed the law on March 13 despite Bloomberg’s veto. It will take effect in mid-June. Currently, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington, D.C., have […]
When I was 12 years old, my family moved from Milwaukee to a small town in Iowa. How small? Well, we didn’t have a McDonald’s or even a single traffic light. On our first day in town, my brother, who was and continues to be a year younger than I, walked four blocks with me […]
President Barack Obama’s choice of Thomas E. Perez for secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor is likely to face tough questions during the process of confirmation by the Senate. If confirmed, Perez will replace Hilda L. Solis, who stepped down as labor secretary in January after serving in the post four years. Foes of […]
In last week’s episode, this blog’s all-time favorite character returned with gifts. And when I say “gifts,” I mean gifts for the writers of this blog; not so much for the Scranton branch. That’s right, Dunder Mifflin’s all-time leader in litigation liability for the company, Todd Packer, returned to the show for (what just has […]