Human Power
The 2018 Holiday Party Survey by Challenger, Gray & Christmas found that just 65 percent of companies are holding holiday festivities this year, the lowest rate since the 2009 recession. If your company is among those celebrating the holiday season this year, what can you do to avoid liability from sexual harassment, alcohol consumption, and…
Robin Shea, partner with leading national labor and employment law firm (and ThinkHR strategic employment law partner) Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, explains that avoiding harassment at work does not mean avoiding women at work. Better to be Prudent with Everybody An article this week in Bloomberg said that men on Wall Street were getting the message…
Question: We give year-end bonuses based on attendance, and employees with a certain number of absences are disqualified. If an employee took FMLA leave, can we count those absences against them and withhold the attendance bonus? Answer: Yes, if you apply the rubric used to qualify employees for the bonus consistently across all “equivalent leave... Read more ›
Question: Is the common flu considered a serious health condition under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? Answer: Most cases of the common flu do not meet the definition of “serious health condition” and would not be eligible for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. Some cases of the flu, however, are severe... Read more ›
Robin Shea, partner with leading national labor and employment law firm (and ThinkHR strategic employment law partner) Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, explains that avoiding harassment at work does not mean avoiding women at work. Better to be Prudent with Everybody An article this week in Bloomberg said that men on Wall Street were getting the message... Read more ›
Alaska Occupational Safety and Health Penalties Increased As of October 20, 2018, the maximum civil penalties for violations of the Alaska Occupational Safety and Health (AKOSH) standards increases as follows: Willful: minimum $9,239 per violation, maximum $129,336 per violation. Repeat: maximum $129,336 per violation. Serious: maximum $12,934 per violation. Other than serious: maximum $12,934 per... Read more ›
2019 San Jose Minimum Wage Increase The City of San Jose announced that beginning January 1, 2019, employers subject to the San Jose Business License Tax or that maintain a facility in San Jose must pay to each employee who performs at least two hours of work per week in San Jose at least $15... Read more ›
Sexual Harassment Notice On November 14, 2018, the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Industrial Affairs released its mandatory sexual harassment information sheet as required by the Delaware Discrimination in Employment Act. A law against sexual harassment passed in 2018 extends protections to all individuals in all workplaces, including employees, applicants, apprentices, staffing agency workers,... Read more ›
ThinkHR Chief Knowledge Officer Laura Kerekes writes a monthly “Innovative Workplace” column for Rough Notes, a publication that has been serving the insurance industry since 1878. Enjoy her November column on cybersecurity. Cybercriminals are becoming more focused on users of company networks as a weak link in the security infrastructure chain. Secure web gateways, anti-virus tools,... Read more ›
Today, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced annual inflation adjustments for more than 50 tax provisions, including an increase in voluntary employee contributions to employer-sponsored healthcare flexible spending arrangements (HFSAs) to $2,700 for plan years beginning in 2019, up from the 2018 limit of $2,650. The IRS also announced an increase in the 2019 monthly... Read more ›
Question: Is the common flu considered a serious health condition under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? Answer: Most cases of the common flu do not meet the definition of “serious health condition” and would not be eligible for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. Some cases of the flu, however, are severe... Read more ›