Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) figures reveal the number of workers who belong to labor unions has continued its steady 20-year decline. In 2003, just 12.9 percent of U.S. workers belonged to a labor union, down from 13.3 percent a year earlier. For private sector workers, union membership fell from 8.6 percent to […]
If you and your employees are looking for valuable ways to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, a new program launched by the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service may help you out. In particular, the agencies have announced a program for employees to donate leave in exchange for employer cash […]
This week (Oct. 5-9) is Customer Service Week, a time to thank those with an often-thankless job.
Governor Wilson recently approved two laws, one of which will make it easier for smaller employers to offer health benefits to part-time workers, and the other which changes the unemployment insurance rules to allow benefits to employees who are victims of domestic violence. Both measures take effect on January 1, 1999. Here are the key […]
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)—the federal agency that insures pension benefits for millions of Americans—has published a final rule requiring sponsors of defined benefit pension plans to electronically file their annual premium declarations. Effective July 1, large plan sponsors (those with 500 or more participants) must file premiums electronically for plan years beginning on […]
According to a new IRS notice, leave donated by an employee to a qualified employer-sponsored leave bank following a major disaster is not considered income to the donating employee, as long as the leave received by an affected employee is treated as wages for purposes of FICA, FUTA, and income tax withholding. Our HR Management […]
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently sent a strong warning to employers: You cannot just terminate employees who run out of leave without first exploring whether or not a reasonable accommodation can be provided.
Plan sponsors and participants both want to ensure better retirement savings but they often wonder which factor in the process matters most. A study from Putnam Institute suggests sticking with the obvious: The higher the deferral rate during an employee’s working life, the greater the long-term returns. Despite intense focus on fund performance in the […]
Employers wishing to make their views known on a proposed rule aimed at making nearly five million more workers exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and therefore eligible for overtime pay have through September 4 to submit comments. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a proposed rule on July 6 that would […]
Yesterday’s Advisor offered advice for HR managers on what to do when there’s a hint of trouble, like harassment or racial teasing. Today, a look at the bigger question—why the problems weren’t reported. Situations such as those mentioned in yesterday’s Advisor — a boss hitting on a subordinate or racial teasing— should have been formally reported […]