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| Members of Congress may be locked in partisan debate over how to spur economic growth, but there's at least some bipartisan support for a recently enacted tax credit that rewards employers for hiring the long-term unemployed. Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, who drafted the legislation with Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, announced he's joining with Hatch to push to extend the tax credit for six months -- through June 30 of next year -- to sweeten the financial incentive for employers. |
| (Source: The Ithaca Journal, 2010-07-18) |
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| Even as the Obama administration cracks down on companies that hire illegal immigrants, it is simultaneously going after employers that it says go too far in vetting job applicants to ensure they are entitled to work in the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security currently is auditing employment records of many companies suspected of hiring undocumented workers, but in an emerging paradox for businesses, the Justice Department and other agencies have stepped up probes of employers -- including restaurant groups, factories and retailers -- for allegedly violating anti-discrimination laws by demanding too many identity documents from applicants who aren't U.S. citizens. |
| (Source: The Wall Street Journal, 2010-07-15) |
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| The Obama administration has replaced immigration raids at factories and farms with a quieter enforcement strategy: sending federal agents to scour companies' records for illegal immigrant workers. While the sweeps of the past commonly led to the deportation of such workers, the "silent raids," as employers call the audits, usually result in the workers being fired, but in many cases they are not deported. |
| (Source: The New York Times (free reg. req'd), 2010-07-09) |
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| Workers with a 401(k) retirement account will soon know exactly how much they're paying in fees. The Department of Labor released new rules designed to force companies that provide 401(k) plans and services to employers to spell out all the fees charged. |
| (Source: USA Today (free reg. req'd), 2010-07-15) |
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| A jury has awarded a man more than $1 million in a discrimination case based on sexual orientation -- the largest such award to date in Maine. The jury found that the man's former employer, Express Jet Airlines, had violated Maine's Human Rights Act, which bars discrimination based on sexual orientation. |
| (Source: The Portland Press Herald, 2010-07-15) |
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| When a bully boss rouses a reign of terror, some employees band together and bunker down in survival mode, while others flee for their professional lives. While bad behavior in politics grabs headlines, incivility is costing businesses. |
| (Source: Des Moines Register, 2010-07-19) |
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| With the economy coming back, employers are increasingly worried about retaining stressed-out employees who survived cutbacks, pay and benefit reductions, and increased workloads, experts say. Some employers are taking the opportunity to review their workplace cultures and how they recognize employees, re-examining everything from telecommuting to the structure of rewards programs and charity participation. The major challenge: doing it on a budget. |
| (Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal, 2010-07-07) |
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| Planning a vacation trip for the whole family -- lining up plane tickets, time off work on a school break, pet care or a house sitter -- is a major undertaking. What would you do if, just a few days before you were scheduled to depart on such a trip, your boss told you to cancel the whole thing? |
| (Source: The Wall Street Journal, 2010-07-16) |
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| While many bosses wring their hands over employees' use of social media at work -- fearing legal problems or lost productivity -- the evidence is mounting that letting employees tweet or check Facebook during their workday is not only inevitable, but it may make good business sense. Studies show that employees allowed to use social media on the jobs help drive profitability, improve customer service and -- contrary to employer fears -- may help workers do their jobs better. |
| (Source: Courier Post, 2010-07-19) |
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| Jenifer Brown |
Arizona's new immigration law (Senate Bill 1070 as amended) is set to take effect in a matter of days on July 29, 2010. The controversial state law will require Arizona state and local law enforcement to verify immigration status upon suspicion that an individual is illegally present in the U.S. In the last few weeks, there have been numerous legal challenges to the enacted bill. On June 28, 2010, the Supreme Court granted certiorari to address whether federal law preempts the state law with respect to employers who hire unauthorized aliens (I-9 compliance matters), mandatory use of the federal E-Verify system (currently voluntary for most employers) and the Congressional authority to address immigration matters at a federal level.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on July 6, 2010, that it filed a lawsuit challenging Arizona's law on constitutionality grounds and expressed serious concerns that this law would lead to a "disruptive patchwork" of state and local immigration policies across the country.
Read the entire article about Arizona's immigration law. |
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Thursday, July 29, 2010
Are you prepared for coverage reforms to group health plans under The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)? Will you be able to comply by the January 1, 2011, deadline?
“Grandfathered" group health plans are exempt from many – but not all – of these coverage mandates. Several significant pieces of guidance relating to early coverage mandates have been issued, including the changes to a group health plan that will result in the loss of grandfathered status.
This 90 minute webinar will provide you with information to create a 2011 action plan for compliance with the PPACA mandates.
Learn more about this health care reform compliance webinar. |
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Register This Week to Attend the Conference and Receive Up to $500 Off the Current Price
September 29-30, 2010
Indianapolis, Indiana
Please join Ice Miller attorneys at this year's Indiana Workers' Comp Conference in Indianapolis. Learn valuable information that will help you reduce worker's compensation costs, handle complex challenges for getting employees back on the job and maximize safety and prevention. Information is appropriate for both those new to the Indiana worker's compensation system and the seasoned professionals trying to improve their worker's comp program and save money. Learn more about this event.
To take advantage of the $100 Ice Miller client discount, you must call (800) 942-4494 and mention priority code 8848SPE. This offer is not available for online registrations.
There is also an additional $400 early bird discount if you register by Friday, July 23. |
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