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► Gov. Signs Bill Delaying Key Employer Provisions of Privacy Law
October 29, 2019
A bill giving employers an extra year to comply with much of the sweeping new California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) was recently signed by Governor Gavin Newsom (D). This amendment (AB 25) to the CCPA postpones most, but not all, employer obligations under the law until January 1, 2021. The ...
► Immigration Policy Tips: Don't Ask, Don't Probe Unless . . .
October 28, 2019
The year is 2019, but I want to take you back to the 1990s for just a moment. Do you remember where you were in December 1993? President Bill Clinton had just signed an order directing military personnel not to ask about or initiate investigations of service members’ sexual orientation ...
► 3 Ways Small Businesses Can Provide Employee Child Care
October 25, 2019
At the start of an individual’s career, child care most likely is not at the center of his or her employee benefits concerns. But, as people venture further into their careers, the chances increase that they’ll need to find a childcare provider to be able to progress in their jobs, ...
► Can Employers Allow Exempt Employees to Perform Nonexempt Duties?
October 23, 2019
You may have employees whom you have properly classified as exempt from receiving overtime pay under federal and state wage and hour law. What happens when you are short one or more hourly employees and you ask an exempt employee to pick up their duties? Under certain circumstances, you may have ...
► Pitfalls of the Incomplete Background Check
October 21, 2019
Today’s companies recognize the importance of conducting employment background checks. Background checks are an important component of most hiring practices. According to a national survey of HR professionals, 96% of employers conduct at least one type of background screening. Whether ...
► The Message in the Medium: Lessons Learned from Google
October 18, 2019
For years, Google has been playing with fire by encouraging employees to post almost anything on its internal message boards. The company, known as the portal for any inquiry imaginable, brought its open search philosophy in-house, encouraging robust employee discussion on almost any topic, ...
► EEOC Rejects 'Boys Will Be Boys' Excuse for Same-Sex Harassment
October 14, 2019
Atlas Electrical Construction, Inc., a New Mexico electrical contracting company, has agreed to pay $195,000 to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Let’s take a closer look at the case. Background of the Case ...
► Proposed Tip Credit Rule Likely to Please Hospitality Employers
October 8, 2019
Employers in industries where tips are the norm are likely to welcome the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) new proposed rule relating to tipped workers. Although the proposal, announced on October 7, 2019, just codifies current guidance from the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division, it ...
► Long-Awaited Overtime Rule Slated to Take Effect January 1
September 25, 2019
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced its new regulation outlining who is eligible to collect overtime pay, and it’s a rule expected to be far more palatable to employers than the previous attempt to raise the salary threshold for workers exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act ...
► Taxation of Uncashed 401(k) Plan Distribution Checks
September 22, 2019
What happens when an individual fails to cash a distribution check from a qualified retirement plan? The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidance to answer some basic questions about the consequences. Uncashed checks occur fairly often for plans, mostly in connection with required ...
