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401(K) Cashouts a Popular Choice for Departing Workers

A new study by HR consulting firm Hewitt Associates shows that many workers cash out their 401(k) plans when they leave their jobs. The study, which looked at nearly 200,000 workers with 401(k) plans, found that 45 percent elected to take a cash distribution when departing, while the remainder either kept their savings in their […]

News Notes: New Retirement Plan Information Available For Employees

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has published a new guide to assist workers in understanding how defined benefit pension plans operate and the rights and options of plan participants. “A Predictable, Secure Pension for Life: Defined Benefit Pensions” is available by calling (888) 878-3256 or on the Internet at www.pbgc.gov. Also, a new Department of Labor […]

New Avian Flu Planning Guidance from OSHA

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released comprehensive new guidance for employers on how to prepare for an avian flu outbreak. The new guidance, which OSHA developed in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services, provides guidance for all types of workplaces, describes the differences between seasonal, avian, and pandemic […]

News Notes: Health Care Privacy Rules Strengthened

New rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act will limit access to medical records maintained by health care providers, health plan insurers and other health care clearing houses. Under the new rules, a patient’s written consent is required for routine disclosure or use of health information for any purpose other than treatment and […]

H-2B Visa Cap Reached for 2006

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the cap has been reached for H-2B work visas for the final six months of 2006. The H-2B visa program allows employers to request foreign workers to fill a one-time, peak-load, intermittent, or seasonal need for labor when no workers are available in the local […]

E-Alert Item: Ninth Circuit Says Biased Acts From Long Ago Can Support Lawsuit

Several African-American employees at the Naval Aviation Depot North Island in San Diego sued their employer, claiming that African-American employees at the NADNI were denied promotions over a several-year period. The Ninth Circuit said the employees couldn’t sue over many of the promotions because the employees had failed to file complaints about those promotions within […]

Disability Bias: New Fact Sheet on Hearing Impairments in the Workplace

In the latest in a series of facts sheets focusing on specific disabilities, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provides guidance on how the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to applicants and employees who are deaf or hearing impaired. This is an important focus for employers, given that there are between 28.6 and 31.5 million […]

News Flash: Wrongful Termination Case May Test California’s New Off-Duty Conduct Law

In what could be the first case under California’s new law barring discipline for off-duty conduct, a former employee of the Los Angeles Police Relief Association says she was fired after disclosing her plans to marry a prison inmate. Cipriana Ortiz claims that when she informed the association that she was engaged to a prisoner, […]