Uncategorized

When Not to Worry About Turnover

Most HR professionals would agree that turnover is a source of stress. Losing an employee can feel like losing an investment, and replacing that person has its own costs—advertising, onboarding, training, and coverage to name a few. But we also know that turnover is a manageable cost of doing business, and sometimes even welcome. In [...]

June 2nd, 2023|Uncategorized|

What Employers Should Know About Generative AI

A generative AI system (artificial intelligence software that answers questions), like ChatGPT and Bard, provides immediate responses to prompts based on the information it knows—much of the internet or a smaller content library if that’s what it’s been told to use. These responses usually look and sound authoritative—like a real human wrote them— although the [...]

May 26th, 2023|Uncategorized|

2023 penalties for violations of federal laws

Several federal agencies released final rules, announcing increased amounts for 2023. Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Failing to furnish reports to certain former employees or maintain employee records: maximum penalty is $36 per employee per plan year. Failing to file a plan annual report: up to $2,586 per day. Failing to provide requested documentation [...]

May 19th, 2023|Uncategorized|

Calculating number of employees for FMLA eligibility

The Department of Labor's Field Assistance Bulletin 2023-1 considers what compliance with the FMLA looks like for businesses that have employees working remotely. Specifically, employers may be uncertain about one of the eligibility requirements: having 50 or more employees within 75 miles of the worksite. As the guidance lays out, employees’ personal residences or other [...]

May 12th, 2023|Uncategorized|

Break time for pumping breast milk and privacy to pump

The FLSA requires that employers provide covered employees “reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for such employee’s nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk” and provide “a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free [...]

May 5th, 2023|Uncategorized|

Break times under the FLSA for remote work

Summarized from Department of Labor Field Assistance Bulletin 2023-1: The FLSA requires covered employers to pay nonexempt employees for all hours worked, including work performed in their home or otherwise away from the employer’s premises or job site. “Hours worked” is not limited solely to time spent on active productive labor but may, for instance, [...]

April 28th, 2023|Uncategorized|

FMLA leave for reduced schedule

The Department of Labor (DOL) just released an opinion letter (FMLA 2023-1-A) focused on reduced schedule leave. It covers how intermittent or reduced schedule FMLA leave should be calculated, and whether employees’ schedule limitations would be “better suited” for reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Someone may be covered by both the [...]

April 21st, 2023|Uncategorized|

Standard mileage rates for 2023

Beginning on January 1, 2023, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be: 65.5 cents per mile driven for business use, up 3 cents from the midyear increase setting the rate for the second half of 2022. 22 cents per mile driven for medical or [...]

April 14th, 2023|Uncategorized|

Electronic workplace posters

Avoid penalties: Electronic workplace posters belong in the ‘break room,’ not the ‘custodial closet’ It’ll cost more in 2023 if you don’t display the required workplace posters. To complicate matters, electronic postings may be allowed, or even required. Back before the rise of remote and hybrid workforces, the Department of Labor (DOL) released guidance on [...]

March 24th, 2023|Uncategorized|

How offering a 401(k) plan helps SMBs (video)

It’s estimated that 1 in 4 Americans do not have ANY retirement savings¹. To help get more US workers to start saving, states and the federal government have created legislation aimed at getting retirement programs in place and helping pave a way for businesses to start their own retirement plans.  We recently held an educational webinar with our [...]

March 17th, 2023|employee benefits, Uncategorized|