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May: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad, […]

IRS Mileage Deduction Increase Finally Here … But Employers Working to Cut Commuting Costs, Too

The IRS is helping businesses cut their transportation costs but, even better, businesses are helping employees cut their costs as well. Shout hallelujah! It’s finally here. The annual IRS business mileage cost adjustment, which takes effect every January 1. This year, it’s an unusually large change. Your company can now deduct 4 cents a mile […]

SIIA Chief Testifies on Pro-reform Threats to Self-funding

On Feb. 26, SIIA’s CEO and president Mike Ferguson testified before a House panel to make it clear that skirting the ACA is not the reason companies and institutions self-insure, contrary to what pro-reform elements in the federal government may believe. The decision whether to self-fund is based on risk tolerance, understanding of legal liability, […]

A Harassment Investigation That Worked: What The Employer Did Right

To defend yourself against a lawsuit by an employee terminated for sexual harassment or other misconduct, it’s essential to thoroughly investigate the accuser’s complaint, as the accompanying story illustrates. Here are the key steps Lucky Stores took which led the court to find it had acted properly before discharging the employee accused of harassment:

Tip Eight: Transfer the Employee

–Transfer the employee to a position where absences are less disruptive. The law permits this, as long as pay and benefits remain equivalent to the previous job. Go to Tip Nine

Employer Liability: New Case Examines When You Can Be on the Hook for Accidents Occurring During an Employee’s Commute; Prevention Steps

Minimed Inc., based in Northridge, hired a pest control company to spray pesticide overnight to eliminate fleas at the office. When clerical employee Irma Hernandez arrived at work the next morning, she noticed a Raid-like smell—and within a few hours she had a headache, nausea, and tightness in her chest. Hernandez told her supervisors she […]

PCORI Fees–Your Turn to Fund health Care Research

Get ready for one more requirement of the Affordable Care Act—the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Fee. It’s a fee your plan pays to fund government research into the effectiveness of certain treatments. What Is the Amount of the Fee? The fee is: $1 times the average covered lives for policy years ending on or […]

Legal Cannabis Spurs Demand for Certain Skill Sets

Just a few years ago, it would have been almost unheard of for someone to list the ability to grow, identify, or recommend different strains of cannabis as a job qualification, but the times are a changin’!

Stimulus Bill Brings COBRA, Other Issues for Employers

Update Dec. 16: House Passes COBRA Subsidy Extension and Expansion Even as President Barack Obama prepares for a trip to Denver Tuesday to sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the stimulus package, many are still trying to sort out the bill, which Congress passed last Friday in dizzyingly rapid […]