Tag: DOL

Family and Medical Leave: What Do We Do with an Employee Who Doesn’t Have Enough Hours for FMLA Leave but Might by the Start of the Leave?

You’d think we’d have the FMLA figured out by now, but we have two issues that we don’t know how to address. One employee has requested leave, but she hasn’t yet worked 1,250 hours and hasn’t been employed by us for 12 months. However, by the time the requested leave would begin, she would have […]

Retirement Plans: Automatic Enrollment Only Part of Equation for 401(k) Savings; Tips for Ensuring Quality Enrollment

Only 25 percent of the 300 mid- to large-sized employers polled in a survey by global HR-services company Hewitt Associates said they viewed a high participation rate in their 401(k) plans as the prime measure of the plans’ success. The survey indicated that more employers are placing less importance on the number of employees enrolled […]

Family and Medical Leave Act Is Getting a Facelift

Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a long-awaited proposal to update and retool regulations under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The proposal covers many topics, including notice requirements, medical certifications, the definition of “continuing treatment” for a serious health condition, fitness for duty, and more.

When Must Employers Comply with New FMLA Leave Requirements?

Update: New FMLA regulations issued by DOL on November 14, 2008 The recently enacted military family leave grants two new types of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave to the relatives of military personnel. In short, the law requires employers to provide: 12 weeks of leave to employees who have a spouse, parent, or […]

CVS Pharmacy Settles Wage-Hour Charges

CVS Pharmacy, Inc., has agreed to pay $226,598 in penalties and $38,151 in back wages to settle U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) allegations that the company violated wage and youth labor provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The DOL says an investigation revealed that 78 minors at CVS stores in the Northeast […]

Wage and Hour: Over $220 Million in Back Wages Recovered by DOL in 2007; Highest Amount Ever

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced that in 2007, its Wage and Hour Division recovered $220,613,703 in back wages, the highest amount ever, on behalf of 341,624 workers. These back-wage collections exceeded the previous record levels from 2003 by 3.8 percent. In addition, the division assessed over $10.3 million in penalties in 2007.

Retirement Plans: Final DOL Regulation on Qualified Default Investment Alternatives Protects 401(k) Fiduciaries

A new U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) regulation protects fiduciaries when selecting and investing employee assets in qualified default investment alternatives (QDIAs) for 401(k) plans. The rule, effective Dec. 24, 2007, expands the relief provided to plan fiduciaries under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and should be particularly valuable to fiduciaries of […]