Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By Gulu Punia and Jennifer Shepherd Deciding to retain a contractor rather than an employee can be the right decision depending on the needs of a business. But there are risks. If a court determines that the relationship is in fact an employment relationship, the employer can be liable. Such was the case in M.A.P. […]
Administering qualified transportation fringe benefits (QTFBs) will be more complicated in 2012. Congress has allowed the parity between mass transit and parking thresholds — which gave transit and vanpool users the same tax advantage as drivers — to expire. Starting Jan. 1, 2012, the excludible amount for those who purchase bus, rail and other mass […]
On March 9, a signature by Governor Scott Walker made Wisconsin the 25th state to pass right-to-work legislation. The new law means private-sector workers who don’t join a union won’t have to pay what is known as “fair share” payments assessed on workers who are deemed to benefit from union contracts despite their nonunion status. […]
Employers are reminded that come Jan. 1, 2008, employers must include only the last four digits of an employee’s Social Security number or other personal identification number on an itemized wage statement. Take the time now to make sure your payroll processes are updated to ensure compliance with this law by the start of the […]
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 […]
Yes, the new Apple® wonder will do everything but stand on its head. But will it answer any of these tech-based workplace challenges? If not, what is the solution? Earlier this summer, after a massive publicity buildup, Apple (no longer Apple Computer, if you please) introduced the iPhone. This handy new device brought new talents […]
By Mark I. Schickman The legal status of gay marriage in California has been a rollercoaster ride. First, the California Supreme Court held that a ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional. Then California passed Proposition 8, writing a ban on gay marriage into the California Constitution — and the California Supreme Court bowed to that […]
Never base a worker classification decision on uncertainty, according to attorney Christine Walters. Walters, a Maryland HR consultant presenting at the Society for Human Resource Management’s legislative conference in Washington, D.C., March 5, ticked off the many reasons employers might be inclined to classify a worker as an independent contractor. Among them: to avoid paying […]
Individuals with serious disabilities encounter many difficulties when attempting to enter the workforce. They may have physical or mental deficiencies that make it difficult, if not impossible, to become competitively employed. There are, however, incentives and exceptions to normal workplace rules that “even the playing field” for employees and employers alike. Undoubtedly, many employers think […]
The IRS has issued final/temporary and proposed rules, and a raft of guidance and draft forms related to reporting requirements for employers and individuals under health care reform. The rules and guidance are designed to help individuals and businesses calculate both their penalties if they don’t have health coverage, and subsidies, if they are eligible, […]