View 2013 Reform Implementation in Relation to Unions & Labor, Expert Advises
Employers can’t be instantly ready for how health reform will transform their health plans in 2014; they have to do all the heavy lifting in 2013 in order to achieve preparedness, an attorney from the Epstein Becker & Green law…
DOL Gets Serious About Federal Contractor Compliance; Slaps Companies with $1M in Back Wages in November
Companies that violate the federal government contractor laws risk not just fines and citations from the U.S. Department of Labor, but also debarment that prevents them from bidding on any other federal contracts for a specified period. For a company…
Ameriprise Suit Alleging 401(k) Fund Selection Favoritism Allowed to Advance
A recent U.S. district court decision is the latest ruling over plan fees and may give a legal foothold to participants seeking restitution for investment decisions they deem imprudent. Judge Susan Richard Nelson of the U.S. District Court for the…
EEOC: Retailer automatically fired employees who exhausted sick leave
A national retail chain will pay $2 million to settle claims it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by requesting too much medical information from employees and automatically firing employees who had exhausted their sick leave. The agreement settles a 2008…
Proposal Would Speed Bankruptcy Retirement Asset Distributions
To expedite distribution of retirement assets from companies in Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings, the U.S. Department of Labor wants to allow bankruptcy trustees to use its Abandoned Plan Program. This program establishes a process to terminate abandoned plans so that…
Comments on Smartcard Guidance Include Harsh Assessment of Implementation Process
Even as the IRS announces it plans to issue guidance on the use of smartcards with qualified transportation fringe benefits, public comments on such guidance include allegations of impropriety from one vendor. The IRS asked for input on whether it…
November Corporate Pension Plan Funding Levels Up, but Lag End-2011 Values
Pension liabilities of the 100 largest U.S. corporate defined benefit pension plans decreased by $28 billion in November, while assets increased by $5 billion, bringing the Milliman 100 Pension Funding Index funded status deficit to $466 billion and the funded ratio…
DOL Reminds Employers Seasonal Jobs Still Subject to FLSA
Just because it’s the holiday season does not mean employers can relax their vigilance on wage and hour issues. The U.S. Department of Labor has its own list of who’s been naughty or nice (by its standards), and employers that…
Former Verizon Managers Lose Bid to Block Conversion of DB Plan
Large corporations thinking about transferring hefty defined benefit plan payouts to insurance companies for them to manage now have judicial support for that approach. A federal judge in Texas has denied a bid by retired Verizon Communications executives to block…
Extended FMLA Leave May Be Protected under ADA, Court Says
Employers need to keep in mind that if an employee uses all of her allotted leave time under the Family and Medical Leave Act, it does not necessarily follow that she has lost her entitlement toward job protection. In fact,…