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Age Bias: Bank Manager’s Careless Remarks Lead To $430,000 Judgment For Laid-Off Worker

Bank of America recently learned the perils of terminating workers over age 40. One of its managers offhandedly suggested that a laid-off older employee retire, then later promised to help her get an interview for another bank job. However, he never followed through. Unfortunately for the bank, a jury believed that these incidents, along with […]

IRS Announces Special Per Diems, High-Cost Locales for FY 2017

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) updated its special per diem rates for the transportation industry, incidental expenses, and the “high-low” substantiation method. These rates, announced September 26 in Notice 2016-58, apply to allowances paid to employees on or after October 1 for travel on or after that date.

Court Reversal Allows Participants to Sue Fifth Third for Company Stock Drop

Plan sponsors that offer company stock in their retirement plan should watch carefully the results of a recent appellate court reversal that will allow participants in .’s defined contribution retirement plan to pursue an ERISA class action against the bank. They claim it endangered their savings by including company stock in their retirement plan shortly […]

Social Security Administration No-Match Letters Back On Again

The Social Security Administration (SSA) resumed sending “no-match” letters to employers this month, three years after discontinuing the practice in response to litigation. The SSA posted a notice on its Program Operations Manual System website saying letters are to go to employers for data received for tax year 2010. The SSA won’t send letters it held […]

ROI–Key to Management Blessing for Your Wellness Program

You promised great results from your wellness program; now management wants to see those results—in dollars. Here’s how to talk about wellness in their language: Return on Investment (ROI). When management reviews the success of your wellness program, it’s likely that the first number they’ll ask to see is the program’s ROI. Fortunately, most wellness […]

Small Business Confidence Encourages Hiring

While large businesses’ profits have steadily increased since mid-2009, smaller companies have faced a tougher road. However, there may be signs that small businesses plan to ramp up hiring in 2011. The optimism index of the National Federation of Independent Business measures small business confidence, and is often an indicator of the sales growth, market […]

NLRB nominees face opposition during Senate committee hearing

On May 16, President Barack Obama’s nominees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) went before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and the two nominees who were selected as recess appointees in 2012 failed to impress the committee’s ranking member, Senator Lamar Alexander. Alexander (R-Tennessee) said he would oppose the nominations of […]

Election Reflections from Dozens of Employment Law Attorneys

Tuesday’s election brought tremendous change to Congress and many state legislatures and swept in a number of new governors. Many of the promises made by these newly elected government officials will affect employers. Following the election, various members of the Employers Counsel Network took the time to provide their insight on the local and national […]

Reasonable Accommodations: New Case Says You May Have To Allow Telecommuting; Tips For Managing Accommodations

Suppose an accommodation you’ve provided for a disabled employee isn’t working out. How far must you go to find a new accommodation? And do you have to consider telecommuting as an alternative? A recent Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision zeroes in on these questions. And we’ll suggest ways to manage the accommodation process to […]