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| Time off during the holiday
season has long been a source of workplace contention, with working parents angling to use their
vacation time while kids are off school and singles arguing that their requests are equally
important. This year the dilemma gets even more complicated as many workers who feared taking time
off earlier in the year will be forced to use or lose their vacation as 2009 comes to a close. |
| (Source: Miami Herald (free reg. req'd),
2009-12-01) |
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| Companies would have to
provide more detailed information about compensation to employees under a regulation that the
Department of Labor will propose next year. In releasing the agency's regulatory agenda, Secretary
of Labor Hilda Solis put a high priority on wage-and-hour enforcement. |
| (Source: Workforce Management,
2009-12-07) |
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| An encouraging jobs report
underscored the growing prominence of temporary workers who some experts predict could constitute up
to a quarter of the workforce in a few years. A big reason employers shed a far-less-than-expected
11,000 jobs last month is that temporary staffing agencies found slots for 52,000 additional
workers, the most since 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. |
| (Source: USA Today (free reg. req'd),
2009-12-06) |
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| Instead of making mass
arrests, the government is reviewing employment records at hundreds of companies nationwide in an
effort to keep illegal immigrants out of the workplace. The actions mean unauthorized workers are
more likely to face job loss than prison and deportation. |
| (Source: Commercial Appeal,
2009-11-29) |
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| Overtime is returning at many
manufacturers, boosting workers' battered wages and helping companies increase output during a
period of uncertain growth. But the trend could prevent the improving economy from creating new jobs
-- at least for now. |
| (Source: The Wall Street Journal,
2009-11-27) |
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| Big businesses are spending
serious time and money trying to limit the swine flu pandemic's impact on operations, from
bankrolling video on good hygiene to training employees to cover for co-workers with critical jobs.
Employers are playing Dr. Mom, teaching about hygiene, distributing information about the pandemic,
telling folks to stay home if they get sick -- generally with pay -- and scrapping the required
doctor's note. |
| (Source: The Washington Post (free reg. req'd),
2009-11-29) |
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| Growing ranks of U.S. citizens
are heading to street corners and home improvement store parking lots to find day-labor work usually
done by illegal immigrants. The trend is most pronounced in regions where hot construction markets
have collapsed, says Abel Valenzuela Jr., a professor of urban planning at the University of
California-Los Angeles. |
| (Source: USA Today (free reg. req'd),
2009-11-30) |
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| As benefit choices become more
complex, more employers are providing self-service decisionmaking tools to employees to help them
navigate through the open enrollment process, a survey concludes. Many employers also have found
that employees who use the tools, which perform functions such as comparing out-of-pocket medical
costs under different health plan options, are more likely to make benefit plan changes. |
| (Source: Business Insurance,
2009-12-07) |
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| As the recession prompts more
employers to scale back or cancel holiday parties, some are looking for alternative ways to
celebrate the season without spending too much money or appearing ostentatious. For some companies
that means organizing volunteer efforts instead of parties, while others have come up with creative,
low-cost ways to reward employees. |
| (Source: MSNBC, 2009-12-07) |
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| Jenifer
Brown |
Christl
Glier |
Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS, formerly INS) recently announced that approximately
61,100 H-1B Cap-subject temporary worker petitions have been filed for the 2010 fiscal year (October
1, 2009 - September 30, 2010) . CIS also confirmed that it has approved sufficient H-1B petitions
for foreign nationals with U.S. advanced degrees to meet the exemption of 20,000 from the FY2010
Cap. Any H-1B petitions filed on behalf of a foreign national with an advanced degree will now count
toward the general H-1B Cap of 65,000. CIS will continue to accept both cap-subject petitions and
advanced degree petitions until a sufficient number of H-1B petitions have been received to reach
the statutory limits, taking into account the fact that some of these petitions may be denied,
revoked, or withdrawn. While it is extremely difficult to make any predictions as to when the FY2010
Cap will likely be exhausted, the rate of H-1B filings may continue to accelerate, and exhaustion of
the FY2010 Cap could be imminent.
Read more information about the FY
2010 H-1B Cap Count. |
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| Tami
Earnhart |
Tami Earnhart was featured in this month's edition of Indiana Employer in an article,
titled "Outlook 2010." Read the article. |
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Ice Miller invites you to
attend a free webinar on “Conducting an Effective Internal Investigation in the United
States,” sponsored and presented by the Employment Law Alliance (ELA) on Tuesday, January 12,
2010 from 3:00-4:30 p.m. EST. Issues discussed will include: the standard of proof, assessing
credibility, interviewing witnesses, the right to remain silent, addressing concerns about
retaliation and confidentiality, and sorting relevant from irrelevant evidence. For more
information and to register for this session, please visit: www.employmentlawalliance.com and click the link (on
the right side of your computer screen) in the box entitled “Employment Law
Webinars.” |
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Ice Miller's Labor and
Employment Practice is proud to partner with Lorman Education Services and present to you a seminar
on "Administering the Family and Medical Leave Act Under the Current Regulations." The seminar
will take place at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel on March 5, 2010. This event will be
a great opportunity to network with other professionals in your area. You can receive $50 off the
registration fee by using the priority code 15000 and discount code Z7745121. Click
here to view the event details and to register, or call 1-866-352-9539. |
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IRS Mounts Major
Audit Initiative For "Misclassified" Independent Contractors
The United States Internal Revenue Service has begun its most significant payroll audit
initiative in decades. It is planning to "study" a number of companies to check for compliance in
the areas of payroll taxes, independent contractor (IC) status, fringe benefits, and executive
compensation. Certainly, independent contractors play an important role in the economy, but some
companies may be using an IC classification to avoid worker's compensation insurance issues, as well
as payroll tax issues, benefit issues, and so on.
Read about the important things to remember when utilizing independent
contractors.
If you have questions about a claim or any of your other worker's compensation questions, please
contact Ann Stewart.
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