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News Notes: Few Employers Comply With Little-Known Parking Cash-Out Law

Under an obscure law, certain employers that provide free parking must give cash to workers who don’t drive to work. The law applies to employers with 50 or more employees who are located in an area that violates air quality standards and who subsidize employee parking spaces the employer doesn’t own. But a new study […]

News Flash: New Wage Orders Are Here

The Industrial Welfare Commission has posted its revised wage orders. However, the IWC is waiting for further developments on the pending increase inthe state minimum wage before printing the new wage orders and distributing them to employers.

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 […]

Bulletin Item: New Guidance Issued On HSAs

The Treasury Department and the IRS have issued additional guidance on Health Savings Accounts, or HSAs, the recently authorized tax-exempt savings accounts employees can set up to pay medical expenses. For more information, go to the Treasury Department website.

Pension Plans: Many County Employees May Be Entitled To Higher Benefits

Several counties, and possibly other public employers as well, may soon be paying out a lot more in retirement benefits. The reason is a new decision by the state Supreme Court that said a Southern California county improperly excluded certain cash payments when calculating pensions under the County Employees’ Retirement Law. Retirees File Suit In […]

News Notes: Court Says Employer Can’t Charge Independent Contractors For Workers’ Comp Coverag

  Although the workers’ compensation system is designed to provide protection for injured employees, employers can obtain workers’ comp coverage for independent contractors under certain circumstances. Now a California appeal court has ruled that providing them with coverage will subject both the employer and the contractor to other workers’ comp law provisions—including the prohibition on […]

HRAs with Incentives Are Popular Wellness Offering

Yesterday’s Advisor presented findings from The Alliance for Wellness ROI, Inc.’s (Alliance) 4th Annual Survey of Corporate Wellness Programs. Today’s Advisor covers more survey data and introduces a unique program to help you with your wellness program. The Alliance for Wellness ROI, Inc. (Alliance), the organization that conducted the survey, is a nonprofit intercompany cooperative […]

How Much Should You Pay For Employee ‘Happiness?’

A recent Gallup study shows the higher the compensation, the happier the employee. Happy employees build business success. But where’s the limit? A classic resource may help you find it. Everyone wants happy employees, right? Happy employees are productive, inventive, and supportive of all you do. Yesterday, we gave you one tool to make them […]

No Kidding: Labor to Revise Its Proposal Restricting Child Labor on Farms

The Labor Department, in response to strong opposition from farm families, is revising its proposed rule restricting child labor on farms. As part of a package of child labor reforms unveiled Sept. 2, 2011, Labor proposed narrowing the so-called parental exemption that allows children of any age who are employed by their parent, or a […]