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Okla. AG Seeks Change to Employer Mandate in Health Law
Oklahoma’s Attorney General has revived his state’s challenge to the federal health reform law, this time targeting the law’s employer mandate. The state’s amended complaint at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma seeks to overturn an IRS regulation allowing some consumers to get federal subsidies to buy insurance on health insurance […]
Minimum Wage: Governor and Lawmakers Reach Deal to Boost California’s Minimum Wage to Highest in the Nation
Employment Law Tip: 10 Strategies to Limit Turnover
If employee turnover rates at your organization are high, it’s probably time to focus on what you can do to increase employee retention. Why? Frequent turnover can have a host of negative consequences for your company, including lost productivity, costs associated with hiring a new employee, the cost of temporary employees or overtime to cover […]
News Notes: Phone Company To Fork Over Millions To Settle Overtime Claims
In a development that highlights the expensive consequences of misclassifying employees as exempt from overtime, San Francisco-based Pacific Bell has reportedly promised to pay out huge damages-$27.8 million-to settle a class action lawsuit involving claims for unpaid overtime. The case involved 600 current and former sales support managers who were classified as exempt from overtime. […]
Full 9th Circuit Refuses to Review California’s Same-sex Marriage Ban
Employers can expect continued uncertainty regarding whether they will need to adjust their plans, documents and policies to accommodate same-sex spouses. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on June 5 refused a petition that the full bench of the court rehear Perry v. Brown, Nos. 10-16696, 11-16577. That lets stand the ruling by a […]
Pay Bias: New U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Limits Old Claims, But Caution Still Required
News Notes: Bank Agrees To Pay $26 Million For Poor 401(K) Investments
First Union Corp. has agreed to pay a whopping $26 million to current and former employees to settle two lawsuits accusing the bank of forcing workers to invest their 401(k) retirement savings in poorly performing mutual funds. The employees charged that First Union included second-rate investment funds in its in-house 401(k) plan and then used […]
Class Actions: State Supreme Court Limits Enforceability of Class Action Waivers for Arbitration of Overtime Claims; Practical Impact
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 […]