Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The full Senate will soon consider a bill that would raise contribution limits for individual retirement accounts and 401(k) plans. The maximum annual contribution for 401(k) plans would increase from $10,500 to $15,000. IRA limits would rise from $2,000 per year to $5,000, and “catch-up” provisions would allow workers aged 50 and older to put […]
The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed big changes to the child labor regulations under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The DOL’s proposed rules would expand the list of jobs considered to be “particularly hazardous”—and off-limits—for 16- and 17-year-olds (and younger workers) to include working at poultry slaughtering plants, riding as passengers on forklifts, […]
It’s not unusual for employers to have a policy prohibiting workers from disclosing their salary to colleagues. And many a star employee has gotten a big bonus but been warned in hushed tones not to tell co-workers about it. What many employers don’t know is that both these practices are against the law. And, as […]
Last week, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s ruling that granted class-action status to a lawsuit—the largest civil rights suit in history—accusing Wal-Mart of sex discrimination in pay and promotions. The class is estimated to consist of up to 1.6 million current and former female employees of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart unsuccessfully […]
Could sexual orientation protections be required in your workplace? The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down a state law prohibiting sodomy, could have sweeping implications for employers. Although many protections are already available to California employees, the court’s broad language suggests that gay employees may now enjoy more protections under […]
The U.S. Department of Labor, which enforces the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), has announced that it will soon publish—by June 2006—a new rule conforming the department’s regulations to recent court decisions concerning the FMLA.
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that National Guard and reserve service members can now file military leave complaints–under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)–using a new electronic filing service. This new service is the latest in a series of compliance tools developed by the DOL to help educate employers and employees […]
This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate provision. The individual mandate provision requires most Americans to obtain health insurance by 2014 or pay a penalty.
The Treasury Department and the IRS have issued final rules regarding section 409A nonqualified deferred compensation plans and arrangements. The new regulations provide extensive information on how employers can identify nonqualified deferred compensation plans and arrangements subject to section 409A, along with rules to help employers and employees comply. Plans and arrangements affected by the […]