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Independent Contractors: New Case Highlights Tax Risks of Misclassification

A new decision from a California Court of Appeals underscores how erroneously classifying workers as independent contractors rather than employees can have serious tax consequences. The case involved a group of courier companies—collectively called Sonic—that classified delivery drivers as independent contractors and reported their pay on 1099 forms. The California Employment Development Department, however, decided […]

Accommodating Disabilities: When You Don’t Have To Accommodate A Worker Whose Medical Condition Poses A Safety Threat

Norman Hutton, a diabetic who worked for Portland, Ore. based chlorine manufacturer Elf Atochem North America Inc., sued for disability discrimination after he was terminated following a series of on-the-job hypoglycemic episodes. Elf claimed it didn’t have to keep Hutton in his job because his condition created a direct safety threat to the workplace—and now […]

Manufacturers Want to Hire, But Can’t Find Skilled Workers

Special from Atlanta–SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition Seventy-five percent of manufacturers are actively hiring, but 2/3rds of those are having trouble finding the types of workers they need, according to research released 6/24 by SHRM at its Annual Conference and Exhibition, in progress this week in Atlanta, Georgia. At a special session covering the hiring […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Hardcover Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the New York Times on March 9. 1. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. hy some people succeed — it has to do with luck and opportunities as well as talent — from the author of Blink: The Power […]

EEOC to Update, Simplify Leave Guidance

To alleviate confusion among employers, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said it plans to clarify and update its guidance on leave as a workplace accommodation. In a June 8 meeting, commissioners offered their insight and took suggestions from stakeholders. “I’ve been told that many employers have difficulty with leave as an accommodation,” said Stuart […]

Even Rulebreakers Must Be Reimbursed, Court Rules

You know that employees are entitled to reimbursement for work-related expenses. You’ve set up policies and procedures for employees to report expenses and request reimbursement. But what if employees don’t follow your rules? According to a recent federal District Court opinion, that doesn’t matter: They’re still entitled to be reimbursed. 400+ pages of state-specific, easy-read […]

Sharing The Wealth

The California Supreme Court recently ruled that employers may lawfully use net-profit-based incentive plans to compensate their employees.1 Employers may base profit-based bonus or incentive plans on the traditional measure of company profits, regardless of whether the employee is exempt. Before the ruling, an employer would have had to add workers’ comp and other business-related […]

Ideas Worth Thinking About: Would You Hire You?

What kind of employee do you think your employers planned on getting when they hired you? Someone who appreciates: The company’s need to make a profit and who feels a responsibility to help in every way possible? The need for keeping production up and costs down in order to compete successfully in the market? The […]