Last month, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Tibble v. Edison International that retirement plan fiduciaries have an ongoing duty to monitor plan investments. The ruling came in a case involving challenges to plan investment decisions made more than six years before suit was filed. The lower courts had ruled some claims were
Massachusetts Attorney General announces Safe Harbor that grants temporary reprieve from earned sick time law for employers with existing PTO policies
With the July 1 effective date for the new Massachusetts earned sick time law looming, the anxiety level of employers is on the rise. Proposed regulations for implementing the law are yet to be finalized, and payroll providers are still working through how
Unlimited PTO: Solution or Problem?
Has your company considered offering your employees unlimited Paid Time Off (“PTO”)? Many businesses challenged with wanting to recruit and retain the best talent are experimenting with providing new and arguably better benefits to employees. PTO combines an employee’s vacation time, sick days,
When Domestic Violence Enters the Workplace
Headlines about Ray Rice and the NFL remind us all that domestic violence does not stop at the door of an employee’s home. It is a serious crime and one that has lasting impacts on those affected by it. This post
Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Hobby Lobby: Decides That a Corporation May Hold Religious Beliefs
On June 30, 2014 the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby in a controversial 5-4 decision regarding the Affordable Care Act provision mandating that insurance policies cover contraceptives without charge to the insured. The Court ruled that Hobby Lobby, Inc. a corporation which owns a number of arts and crafts stores
Are employees entitled to pay if their worksite is shut down due to inclement weather?
It has been a long, cold winter this year with the Polar Vortex and record snowfall in many parts of the country. And while spring will arrive eventually, winter’s not over yet. (Remember what they say about March coming in like a lion….)
Sometimes, severe weather conditions lead employers to make the decision to shut
2013’s Most Ridiculous Excuses for Calling in Sick – Just When You Thought You’ve Heard Them All
Have you ever gotten lost on the way to work and found yourself in another state or had your car swarmed by bees so that you just couldn’t get to work? Some employees have 
had those days and called in sick from work.
CareerBuilder’s annual survey on absenteeism in the workplace reveals some of the
IRS Issues Additional Guidance Related to Refunds of Employer-Paid Taxes Paid On Imputed Income for Same-Sex Spouse Benefits
On September 23, 2013, the IRS released Notice 2013-61 which provides special rules for employers making claims for refunds or adjustments of Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) and federal employment taxes resulting from the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Windsor. In Windsor, the Court found that Section 3 of the Defense of
IRS Takes First Big Step Toward Federal Recognition of Same-Sex Marriages, and In Doing So, Opens the Door for Employers to Recoup Overpayment of Taxes
While uncertainty still lingers in some areas of federal law regarding how the recent overturning of DOMA will affect same-sex couples’ abilities to obtain federal benefits, on August 29, 2013, the IRS clarified this ambiguity with regard to federal tax law. The IRS published Revenue Ruling 2013-17 and a news release, IR-2013-72, announcing that it
Is Work Going to the Dogs?
Many dog lovers think their job, and their job performance, would be better if they could bring their pet to work. And there are studies that show that allowing dogs in the workplace reduces stress – resulting in happier and even more productive
and efficient employees – and even increased teamwork.
So every office should