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| Low-performing employees -- from executives to entry-level workers -- likely won't see their paychecks rise much next year. But for high performers, raises will remain in line with 2008 increases as employers intensify the trend of reserving the bulk of pay raises for top talent. |
| (Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (free reg. req'd), 2008-08-15) |
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| Due to a combination of factors ranging from a weakened economy to an ongoing trend toward consolidation to the aging of the Baby Boom generation, a number of companies are making adjustments and reductions in staff. In this climate, employers and managers must be diligent about all phases of the termination process, according to employment law specialists, and this includes the matter of the severance agreement, an often-overlooked process that can serve as an insurance policy of sorts against costly, often frivolous lawsuits. |
| (Source: Business West, 2008-08-18) |
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| Employer organizations such as the Society for Human Resource Management are inundating congressional offices with letters opposing the Paycheck Fairness Act. The bill, HR1338, would require that compensation be more transparent and that employers be held more accountable for pay discrimination. |
| (Source: Ventura County Star, 2008-08-17) |
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| Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has signed bills to increase the number of "green jobs" and slow the emission of greenhouse gases in Massachusetts. The Green Jobs Act, backed by $68 million in funding over five years, provides money to encourage environmentally friendly startup companies and offer grants to train workers for jobs in the green economy. |
| (Source: Forbes.com, 2008-08-13) |
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| The U.S. workforce will become increasingly diverse over the next three decades, a shift that could bring changes in education, training and public policy, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Census data. By 2050, minorities will make up 55 percent of the working-age population. |
| (Source: USA Today (free reg. req'd), 2008-08-14) |
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| Employers across the country are facing new dilemmas about how and when to allow weapons on company property, as they try to balance the Second Amendment rights of their employees with federal laws requiring them to provide a safe workplace. In some instances, the business community finds itself at odds with the goals of the powerful gun lobby. |
| (Source: The Wall Street Journal, 2008-08-18) |
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| The federal agency charged with backstopping pension benefits for 44 million Americans has understated the risks of its new investment policy, a congressional watchdog said. The Government Accountability Office said in a report that the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.'s new strategy could significantly boost the PBGC's investment returns, but it "will likely also carry more risk than acknowledged by PBGC's analysis." |
| (Source: The Washington Post (free reg. req'd), 2008-08-18) |
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| A visa program designed to encourage the American dream of business ownership has turned into a nightmare for a businesswoman from the United Kingdom. Sue Fern, the owner of the business development firm Event Pro-ssss, said she is trapped in the United States, unable to return to England to see her family under provisions of an E-2 visa she acquired 10 years ago in order to start her business. If she leaves the United States, there's no guarantee she’ll be allowed to return, she said. |
| (Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal, 2008-08-15) |
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| Paul Sinclair |
While the rest of us were getting ready for summer vacation, Congress took aim at the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA has not seen significant legislative modification since it was originally signed into law in 1990. That looks likely to change with very little fanfare, based on what Congress did this summer. In June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) by an overwhelming vote of 402-17. Just days later, the Senate version of the bill had 56 co-sponsors and over the past two weeks, more than a dozen additional senators have signed on. The White House was quoted as “strongly supporting” the intent and changes proposed by the House version of the bill. As a result, when Congress reconvenes after summer break, it is highly likely that some version of the ADAAA will be passed and sent to the president’s desk. If the ADAAA is enacted, the proposed effective date is January 1, 2009.
Read the entire article on the ADAAA.
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Workers' comp professionals all over Indiana are gathering in Indianapolis on September 8 - 9, 2008, to acquire critical legal and regulatory updates, as well as information on resolving complex contested claims, safety and wellness programs, return-to-work programs, preventing fraud, and so much more!
Join the other claims professionals, risk managers, EHS, safety, wellness, insurance, legal, medical, and workers' comp leaders at the Second Annual Indiana Workers' Comp Conference and gain control of your workers' comp!
Register and learn more about the Indiana Workers' Comp Conference.
An exclusive offer from Ice Miller - Register to attend the Council's Indiana Workers' Comp Conference and receive an additional $100 off the current price of the event. Call 1-800-942-4494 and mention priority code 8832SPE to register.
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The legal profession is in a work/life crisis, with 78 percent of associates leaving law firms by their fifth year and nearly one-half of women lawyers leaving the profession at some point in their careers. The question is whether law firms will ever abandon their traditional practices to meet today’s rising female workforce demands? They might have to, according to a special report in the August/September issue of Working Mother magazine. Produced in partnership with Flex-Time Lawyers, the report names the Best Law Firms for Women and examines the challenges and opportunities afforded to female lawyers. Ice Miller LLP was named a 2008 Best Law Firm for Women and was recognized for having redefined the standards of success by creating a workplace that encourages the retention and advancement of women.
Read the entire article about Ice Miller being named a 2008 Best Law Firm for Women.
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