July, 2010

President Presses Congress to Act on Equal Pay

Citing the issue's importance to women and their families, President Obama has urged Congress to strengthen the Fair Labor Standards Act's equal pay provisions, which prohibit discrimination based on sex in the payment of wages.

Employment Agency Flagged for Using Code Words as Proxy for Race and Sex

Employment agencies and the employers that use their referrals will want to take notice of a settlement recently reached between a Cleveland-based temporary employment agency and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

OSHA Issues Construction Cranes and Derricks Safety Rule

Construction crane and derrick operators should start familiarizing themselves with a just-issued rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) designed to make this machinery safer to operate.

Misclassification Said to Hurt Workers, Employers

Employers that misclassify employees as independent contractors hurt workers and law-abiding businesses alike, said witnesses at a recent Senate hearing, some of whom urged passage of a bill to address the matter.

IRS Issues Final Diversification Rules for DC Plans

The IRS issued final regulations relating to the diversification of publicly traded employer securities held by certain defined contribution (DC) plans. The regulations apply for plan years beginning on or after Jan.

Health Reform Law Increases Adoption Assistance Exclusion, Credit

Employers that offer adoption assistance and employees who take advantage of it — or who claim the adoption tax credit — need to make adjustments that reflect provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the PPACA) that increase the employer-provided adoption assistance exclusion and the adoption tax credit.

Your Questions Answered: Over-the-Counter Medications, Nondiscrimination Testing, and Changes-in-Status

This month's benefits questions and answers address new health care reform law provisions concerning over-the-counter medications, gathering information for nondiscrimination testing, and operation of change-in-status rules.

No Serious Health Condition of Son, No FMLA for Mom

An employee’s Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) lawsuit should be dismissed because she never established that her son had an FMLA-qualifying serious health condition, a federal magistrate judge recommended to the U.

Containing Health Care Costs Using Value-based Payments

Value-based payments are emerging as a means of containing health care costs by addressing three areas of risk to target health plan changes, as this special report describes. .

Appeals Court Rejects Equal Opportunity Harasser Defense

It is no defense to a claim of hostile work environment sexual harassment against an employer that the alleged harasser is an "Equal Opportunity Harasser" who makes crass and offensive remarks to men and women alike, the Second U.