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HR Management

Navigating Pennsylvania’s new minimum wage law

12/01/2006

For many Pennsylvania employers, the state’s new minimum wage law taking effect Jan. 1, 2007, is straightforward: It raises the minimum wage they must pay employees to $6.25 per hour from the current federally mandated rate of $5.15. The law, however, has numerous loopholes that you need to know about …

Texas court clarifies new definition of ‘Retaliation’

12/01/2006

Just a few months ago, the U.S. Supreme Court established a broad new legal standard for judging whether an employer has retaliated against an employee for complaining about discrimination (Burlington Northern v. White). Now, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has applied the standard to its first retaliation case after the Supreme Court decision. The news is good for employers …

North Central Texas Workforce Board earns large training grant

12/01/2006

The U.S. Labor Department recently awarded a $1.5 million job-training grant to the North Central Texas Workforce Board …

Employers benefiting from latest round of prescription drug price wars

12/01/2006

In a move that is spurring big competition among pharmacies, Wal-Mart is quickly expanding its low-cost prescription program, which began in Florida in October, to an additional 27 states. The retailing giant will offer $4 prescriptions for 30-day supplies of about 300 common generic drugs, whether the customer carries insurance or not …

IRS makes it easier to track, verify FSA payments

11/01/2006

If your organization offers a flexible spending account (FSA) plan to employees, consider amending it to authorize payments by debit or credit card. The IRS recently issued new guidance that makes it easier for employers to track and verify employees’ FSA transactions …

Help Older Workers With ‘Rewirement’—Not Just Retirement—Planning

11/01/2006

If your organization helps older employees plan for their retirement, you’ve probably been asking them how they’re set financially for their golden years. What you might ask instead is: What do you want to do with the next one-third of your life? …

 

Adoption Benefit Spawns In-House Support Group

11/01/2006

A few years ago, the SAS Institute started reimbursing employees who adopted children up to $5,000 toward their expenses. The company also began covering adopted children as soon as the parent gained custody, rather than after all the legal wrangling was finished—a benefit popular with employees …

OSHA fines Oriental Weavers $125,000 over fatal accident

11/01/2006

If you think safety issues may be lurking in your workplace, don’t wait until an accident or injury brings OSHA calling. Otherwise, the agency will surely do a top-to-bottom inspection and catch even minor problems. That can mean a hefty penalty, as one Georgia carpet manufacturer recently learned …

Study: Good-Looking people suffer a ‘Beauty penalty’ at work

11/01/2006

Studies in the past have shown that attractive people generally earn a "beauty premium." That is, they earn more money, enjoy better performance reviews and people view them as being more intelligent and trustworthy. But according to a recent study published by Rice University, those studies may have it wrong …

Must we report employees’ domestic abuse?

11/01/2006

Q. As an employer, do we have an obligation to alert authorities about at-home physical abuse of an employee? We have an employee who has been open about abuse at the hands of a spouse, so we know it’s going on. —S. R., Wisconsin