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The ‘D Word’

By Linda F. Willing Just My E-pinion Today’s guest columnist says that diversity training is not the same as harassment training, and it shouldn’t focus on the dire outcome of lawsuits. I recently did a presentation entitled “Leading Diverse Teams” as part of a large national conference. Following the session, one of the nearly 200 […]

Cars, Trucks and Vans: Deduction Limits Out for 2012

Employers will now be able to calculate the depreciation of vehicles — passenger cars, trucks and vans that they provide to employee as a fringe benefit — that they first put into service in calendar year 2012, since the IRS has released the new depreciation deduction limits. Revenue Procedure (Rev. Proc.) 2012-23, released March 4, […]

Employment Law Tip: Addressing Domestic Violence in the Workplace

Domestic violence affects more than 32 million Americans each year, with more than 2 million injuries and approximately 1,300 deaths. As the scope of the problem underscores, domestic violence isn’t just a personal issue, but one that spills over into the workplace as well, affecting both men and women. What can employers do to help […]

EBSA Loosens Health Reform Rules for SBC Delivery, Stays Enforcement

A set of safe harbors related to the enforcement of summaries of benefits and coverage (SBCs), which insurers and plan sponsors must distribute as part of health care reform, was issued May 11 by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Employee Benefits Security Administration. The DOL/EBSA guidance creates regulatory exceptions for situations where insurers […]

Albuquerque minimum wage increase garners overwhelming approval

by Robert P. Tinnin, Jr. By an almost 2-1 margin, Albuquerque voters overwhelmingly approved a measure on the city ballot Tuesday that will raise the minimum wage from $7.50 per hour to $8.50 per hour effective January 1. The unofficial vote was 138,000 to 70,699. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25. The measure also […]

retail

Lord & Taylor Settles Racial Profiling Case

Retail theft is a major cost for businesses worldwide. Companies spend a lot of time and money fighting shoplifting. According to Loss Prevention Media, retail theft accounted for nearly $18 billion in U.S. losses in 2016. Only about 7.8% of those losses result in a recovery. These numbers are significant.

Fast-food worker strikes, ‘alt-labor’ movement spreading

A wave of strikes by fast-food and other low-wage workers continues to spread in major cities around the country as employees take action to increase their pay and gain other workplace rights and benefits. Strikes have taken place in New York City, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, and Milwaukee as the movement appears to be gaining […]

Protect Your Data: Identity Thieves Hit from Where You Least Expect

A 39-month prison sentence was handed down Feb. 1 for an Alabama woman who had pleaded guilty to stealing more than 4,000 patient records from a Birmingham hospital. A federal district court sentenced Chelsea Catherine Stewart to 15 months for wrongfully obtaining individual health information in violation of HIPAA, along with an unrelated bank fraud attempt […]

Conflict Is Normal—The Way You Handle It Makes the Difference

“Frontline supervisors are terrified by the idea of conflict,” says Dennis A. Davis, Ph.D., “but [it] is a normal part of the work environment.” Fortunately, he says, careful management of conflict can be successful in reducing or eliminating it. When conflict festers, productivity suffers and the negativity spreads, Davis says. Unfortunately, without training, supervisors just […]