Tuesday March 19, 2024

Firms need to review PTO policies, as days pile up

An increasing number (42%) of employers are making changes to their PTO, vacation and sick day policies, as employees are reluctant to take days off during the unstable times of the pandemic.  As unused vacation days pile up, some employers (16%) are requiring employees to take time off to reduce the year-end build-up, according to […]

Feds’ new guidance makes it easier to get PPP loans forgiven

Since the feds replenished the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in May, many more small employers have requested the forgivable coronavirus-relief loans. And now, the feds have issued a new round of guidance on what makes the loan forgivable.  Forgiveness applications On May 15, the Small Business Administration (SBA), which is administering the loans, released its […]

4 steps to reinvent recruiting in the age of COVID

With COVID-19 keeping many campuses closed and air travel remaining at a near standstill, employers are uncertain about what will happen this fall recruiting season. If things don’t quite go back to normal—which is looking increasingly likely—operating in the new landscape will require employers, students, and schools to explore unfamiliar options to prepare for any […]

OSHA issues return to workplace guidance, includes 3 phases

It’s probably what many of you have been waiting for: OSHA has issued guidance, all in one document, on returning employees to the workplace safely. Here’s a quick overview from Safety News Alert. OSHA recommends a 3-phase approach: Phase 1: Make telework available when possible. Limit the number of people in the workplace to maintain […]

Reward your teams with these budget-friendly perks

Your employees know the advantages of working for a small company or start-up – the feeling of being part of a friendly close-knit team and less like a tiny cog in a huge machine. But do their friends’ tales of big corporation benefits like the on-site fully-equipped gym and subsidized restaurant, or free travel and […]

Intermittent FMLA leave under FFCRA: When firms must allow or can deny

For many benefits pros, intermittent FMLA leave can be burdensome, but now it’s even more complex as to when to allow employees to take the incremental time off under the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). During the pandemic, the DOL is encouraging firms to be flexible in allowing employees who have children at […]

SCOTUS rules Title VII protects LGBTQ workers

After years of district and circuit courts debating whether sexual orientation is a protected class under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Supreme Court finally ruled it is. In a 6-3 landmark decision, SCOTUS decided that employees can’t be fired due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Defining ‘sex discrimination’ Since 1964, […]

Mid-year open enrollment? Firms can make health plan changes during 2020

While it’s optional for employers, many will likely opt to allow employees to make mid-year health plan changes since so many have had their lives upended in 2020, as the IRS gives the go-ahead in a new coronavirus-related ruling. Normally, employees are prevented from changing their health insurance plans after the open enrollment period ends […]

EEOC updates guidance as return-to-work accelerates

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on June 11 released updates to its document “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws.” The guidance, presented in a Q&A format, is especially critical as more businesses prepare to re-open facilities for the first time since state governments issued stay-at-home […]

No ADA violation: Company unknowingly terminated worker for health-related absences

The ADA protects employees from disability-related termination, but what happens if the person never mentioned they had a disability? Here’s what the 2nd Circuit had to say about that question. No prior notice Jesse Longway worked at Myers Industries when he began missing work to receive treatments for his pancreaitis. He told his supervisor the […]