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Insurance

IRS clarifies COBRA subsidy’s ‘involuntary termination’ language—sort of

04/07/2009

When the mammoth American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) economic stimulus law was enacted in February, lots of the details were still fuzzy. Now the IRS has defined a key term that governs who qualifies for the 65% COBRA subsidy built into the law. The only trouble is, the definition poses more questions than it answers.

After the fact, employee can’t claim illness caused absence

04/02/2009

Sometimes, employees hesitate to tell supervisors about their medical problems, especially if they feel there’s a stigma associated with the condition. But if the employee misses work and is fired, she can’t use the medical excuse to get unemployment compensation benefits.

Will economic stress increase workers’ comp cases? State panel evens playing field

04/01/2009

Coupled with the stress of worrying about the economy and whether their jobs will be gone tomorrow, more employees may develop psychiatric or stress-related illnesses. Some will file workers’ compensation claims.

Courts crack down on workers’ comp for minor injuries

03/30/2009

It used to be that an employee who continued to suffer any pain following a work-related injury could continue receiving workers’ compensation payments until she was fully healed. Now, however, Industrial Commission judges are getting tougher on pain that isn’t backed up by medical evidence. That’s good news …

North Carolina Legislature considers new employment laws

03/30/2009

Barely two months into the 2009-2010 session, the North Carolina General Assembly has already introduced a profusion of employment-related bills. Employers should keep a watchful eye on several bills that already appear to have strong support this new legislative year.

May we supplement unemployment comp benefits for temporarily laid-off workers?

03/30/2009

Q. We need to temporarily lay off some employees. It will be hard for them to make it on the amount of unemployment benefits. Can we supplement their unemployment benefits without interfering with the unemployment benefits?

If we supplement unemployment comp benefits, must we pay FICA/FUTA on it?

03/30/2009

Q. If we have a Supplemental Unemployment Pay Plan to supplement unemployment benefits, do the company and the employee have to pay FICA and FUTA taxes on the supplemental pay?

Does North Carolina have a mini-COBRA law?

03/30/2009

Q. Our company employs fewer than 20 employees, so federal COBRA does not apply to us. Is there a state law that allows continued health care coverage following termination of employment?

Is there a state health continuation subsidy?

03/30/2009

Q. Is North Carolina providing a subsidy for health care continuation for employers with fewer than 20 employees similar to the federal subsidy contained in the new economic stimulus law?

Congress weighs taxing employee health benefits

03/26/2009

The value of health insurance isn’t counted as income on paychecks. But that could change under an increasingly popular proposal being pushed hard by the key tax-writer on Capitol Hill, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.