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EMPLOYER SUED FOR DENYING FMLA LEAVE
December 17, 2013
An Ohio employer faces a lawsuit for firing a worker who took leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to care for an ill child. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) filed the suit in federal District Court seeking back wages, liquidated damages and employment reinstatement on behalf of ...
SMALL BUSINESS MARKETPLACE (SHOP) ONLINE APPLICATION DELAY
December 11, 2013
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced that online applications for SHOP Marketplace small group coverage will be delayed for one year. The Small Business Health Options Program, or the SHOP exchange, will not offer online enrollment until November 2014, a one-year ...
IRS ANNOUNCES 2014 STANDARD MILEAGE RATES
December 9, 2013
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued the 2014 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. Beginning on January 1, 2014, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also ...
IRS ALLOWS $500 CARRY-OVER ON FSAs
November 22, 2013
The IRS has issued a notice modifying the longstanding “use-or-lose” rule for health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs). For the first time, employers will be allowed to modify their section 125 cafeteria plan documents to provide for the carry-over of up to $500 of any amount ...
NEW RESOURCES TO PROTECT WORKERS FROM HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS
November 19, 2013
Each year in the United States, tens of thousands of workers are made sick or die from occupational exposures to hazardous chemicals that are used in workplaces every day. To assist employers with keeping their workers safe, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health ...
PRESCRIPTION DRUG USE IN THE WORKPLACE CLIMBS
November 11, 2013
While overall drug use among American workers has declined over the past 25 years, the use of certain prescription medications—including amphetamine and opiates—continues to climb, according to a landmark analysis of workplace drug tests by Quest Diagnostics. The drug test ...
PROPOSED RULE TO CHANGE OSHA RECORDKEEPING REGULATIONS
November 7, 2013
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a proposed rule to amend its current recordkeeping regulations. The new rule seeks to improve workplace safety through improved tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses. The announcement follows the Bureau of Labor ...
NEW FORM W-9 RELEASED
November 5, 2013
The IRS has released a new Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification and its instructions. Form W-9, which is used by a business to obtain the correct taxpayer identification number from a non-payroll worker, was revised to conform to the provisions of the ...
PROPOSED RULES ON EMPLOYER HEALTH CARE REPORTING
October 18, 2013
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that certain employers report information regarding the health coverage they offer their full-time employees to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Known as Section 6056 reporting, employers with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees will ...
GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
October 17, 2013
Last month we reported on the new minimum wage bill passed by the California legislature. Governor Brown has now signed the bill ( AB10 ) into law, officially raising the state’s minimum wage for the first time in five years. The California minimum wage will increase in two ...
