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Compensation & Benefits

Nonprofit unemployment plan doesn’t change eligibility

01/11/2013

Some nonprofit Minnesota em­­ployers can opt into an alternative unemployment compensation plan that allows skipping quarterly unemployment taxes in exchange for reimbursing the state for any benefits paid. Good news for those employers: The alternative plan doesn’t affect unemployment eligibility.

Lilly diversity effort includes working parents

01/11/2013
At Eli Lilly and Co. in Indianapolis, a diverse workforce is one that includes working parents. Steve Fry, senior VP of HR and diversity, says, “Family-friendly work schedules and benefits are about having lower stress levels, maintaining better health and enabling a stronger focus when at work––all leading to enhanced engagement, increased innovation and ultimately better results.”

Employer-paid health insurance is largest tax break

01/10/2013
As the legislative wrangling to avert a plunge over the federal budget’s fiscal cliff heated up late last year, the IRS released its list of the nation’s biggest tax breaks. Three of the top 10 involved employee benefits.

Should we allow employees to use DOL’s timekeeping app for smartphones?

01/09/2013

Q. We have heard that the U.S. Department of Labor has issued a timekeeping app that allows employees to track their time on smartphones. Should we permit employees to use this in our workplace?

Richardson Doubletree Hotel settles wage-and-hour suit

01/09/2013
The Doubletree Hotel in Richardson has agreed to pay 112 employees $102,592 to settle charges it violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.

DOL says ‘bah, humbug’ to Christmas lights installer

01/09/2013

Some may see this as part of the Obama administration’s alleged “war on Christmas.” In reality it was a simple enforcement action. The DOL recently played the Grinch by filing a lawsuit against a Dallas company that installs and removes Christmas lights.

How to survive a DOL audit of your health insurance plan

01/09/2013
The Affordable Care Act health care reform law doesn’t fully kick in for another year. But that hasn’t stopped DOL auditors from scrutinizing group health plans for provisions that have already taken effect. Make sure your plan complies with the following requirements.

Undocumented worker claims retaliation? No back pay

01/09/2013
An undocumented worker who is fired after claiming he isn’t being paid minimum wage can’t collect back pay after his discharge. That’s because illegal immigrants shouldn’t be working anyway.

Self-insured plans, HSAs, HRAs must pay research fees

01/09/2013

To determine what works in providing medical care, the Affordable Care Act health care reform law created the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). For seven plan years, PCORI will be funded with fees on plan sponsors of self-insured plans, including retiree-only and COBRA plans. Now comes news that sponsors of insured plans that offer employees health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) and certain health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) must also pay fees.

First Republic settles FLSA suit for more than $1 million

01/09/2013
San Francisco-based First Republic Bank has agreed to pay $1,009,644 in overtime back wages for 392 First Republic Bank employees in New York, California, Connecticut, Mas­­sa­­chu­­setts and Oregon.