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Compensation & Benefits

No place to hide for scofflaw California employers

09/27/2013
If the California Department of Indus­­­trial Relations comes after you, don’t expect to get away with anything illegal. The department reports that since January 2013, a joint enforcement task force of state regulatory agencies looking for pay and safety violations has wound up citing 83% of work sites inspected.

Court sends class action back to drawing board

09/27/2013
In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court considered a class action against Wal­­mart that included over a million employees who claimed sex discrimination. The court said the ­­employees didn’t have enough in common to band together in one lawsuit (Wal­­mart v. Dukes). Now federal courts are doing the same with much smaller class-action lawsuits—good news for employers.

Appeals court refuses arbitration bid, cites one-sided, coercive agreement

09/27/2013
A California appellate court has invalidated an arbitration agreement on the grounds that it was unconscionable. The court said it was both one-sided and oppressive.

Don’t require payment via prepaid debit cards, feds say

09/26/2013
The U.S. Consumer Financial Pro­­tec­­tion Bureau last month warned employers that they cannot require employees to be paid using prepaid payroll cards. “Consumers must have options when it comes to how they receive their wages,” the agency announced.

No penalty for failing to deliver insurance-option letter by Oct. 1

09/25/2013
Initially, there was talk that employers would be hit with $100-per-day fines for failing to notify employees of their health coverage options by Oct. 1. But the U.S. Small Business Admin­­is­­tra­­tion announced last month that “there is no fine or penalty under the law for failing to provide the notice.”

Study: ACA won’t spike individual health premiums

09/24/2013
Individuals shopping for health insurance in state-based exchanges beginning Oct. 1 are unlikely to encounter skyrocketing premiums, according to a new study by the RAND Corp. However, researchers caution that the cost of policies in the individual market will vary between states.

SBA: No penalties for dropping ACA employee-notification ball

09/23/2013
The Small Business Administration has issued a coy blog post observing that the ACA doesn’t penalize employers that don’t comply with a key employee-notice requirement.

Affordable Care Act: Dept. of Unintended Consequences

09/23/2013
On Oct. 1, the government of an Indiana county will fire more than 30 employees over age 65. Officials say they have no choice, blaming a provision of the Affordable Care Act

Special analysis: Fall is fringe-festival time

09/23/2013
Fall is when most companies assess their fringe benefits programs, with an eye to making changes for the coming year. It’s also when Payroll begins to assess the damage (taxes, that is) from the current year’s offerings. How to sort everything out? Here’s some help.

California minimum wage to hit $10 per hour in 2016

09/18/2013
By 2016, California may have the nation’s highest minimum wage—$10 per hour—after the state Legislature approved a two-step plan to raise the rate from its current $8 per hour.