Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
September 27, 2010 On and after March 30, 2010, both coverage under an employer-provided health plan and amounts paid or reimbursed under such a plan for medical care expenses of an employee’s child who has not attained age 27 as of the end of the employee’s taxable year are excluded from the employee’s gross income […]
Graduating college students are often warned that the content in their online profiles can hurt their chances of gaining employment. But as social media usage increases, so do the risks to employers, who are now seeing a rise in social media lawsuits. Next week the National Labor Relations Board will hear the case of a […]
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, […]
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration has issued a fact sheet to help employees preserve their health care coverage after layoffs or a reduction in hours. It outlines the options available to employees, such as COBRA continuation coverage or special enrollment in another group plan.
The revised federal per diem rates for travel expense reimbursement became effective Oct. 1. Between now and Dec. 31, you can choose to use either the old or the new rate, although you have to be consistent for the entire period. The new rates must be used as of Jan. 1, 2001. In the future, […]
Charles Sinatra, a long-time assistant principal with the Chico Unified School District, sued for wrongful termination in violation of public policy when the district refused his request for transfer to a part-time administrative position, instead giving him a full-time teaching assignment. He claimed he was “forced” to quit for exercising his statutory right under […]
A new U.C. Berkeley study concludes that employees who drink off the job are more likely to file workers’ comp claims. The research focused on San Francisco Municipal Railway drivers’ alcohol consumption, medical histories and workers’ compensation claims over a five-year period. In light of this finding, you may want to consider offering employee assistance […]
Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi has announced he will recommend a 16.4 percent decrease in the workers’ compensation pure premium rate for policies starting on or after July 1, 2006. This recommendation is the latest in a string of recommended rate reductions since July 2003, when workers’ comp reforms went into effect. The cumulative recommended reductions […]
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has reported that workplace discrimination complaints filed by employees in the private sector were up 4.5% in 2002, to the highest level in seven years. The types of bias complaints that saw the greatest increases were those based on religion (up 21% over 2001 figures), age (up 14.5%), and […]
It’s no secret that retirement and pension plans have come under increased scrutiny in recent years, amidst allegations that benefits are often miscalculated and underpaid. Here’s a checklist to help you avoid some of the most common plan mistakes: Check your plan documents to determine the types of covered compensation. Be sure all relevant […]