labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Thirty-one U.S. states have laws requiring employers to give workers time off to vote. The penalties for employers who don’t give workers time off to vote can be severe.

In the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, Election Day is a legal holiday. This includes any day a referendum is held. General elections are legal holidays in the Virgin Islands, and employees who give prior notice must be permitted two hours off, with pay, to vote.

Internationally, in many countries, election day (more…)

Fall is the season of crisp breezes, crunchy leaves underfoot – and for most employers, open enrollment for the next benefit year. As every HR manager knows, open enrollment is the one period each year when current employees can opt to add health insurance coverage.

Tips to prepare for 2009 open enrollment:

• Provide clear, attractive, portable written information on each insurance plan and benefit option offered. (more…)

  3 Comments >> Posted in Employee Benefits
  Tags: 2009, apples to apples, benefit option, group health insurance, group insurance, health insurance coverage, HMO, Insurance, insurance company, insurance options, insurance plan, open enrollment, open enrollment period, period, plan managers, PPO, premium, premiums, short term disability, staff members, sticker shock, verbal communication, website cd
  

  Federal Help for Louisiana Employers Affected by Hurricane Gustav

  September 16th, 2008 Posted by Amelia

   The US Department of Labor has a number of resources in place for Louisiana victims of Hurricane Gustav. Similar programs for survivors of Hurricane Ike in Texas are sure to follow.

   

  So far, the US Department of Labor has announced a $22.2 million national emergency grant  to Louisiana to aid workers displaced by the hurricane. Emergency grant funds are available to employers, small business owners and self-employed workers as well as employees displaced by the natural disaster.

   

  The funds will be used to create more than 4,000 (more…)

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  Tags: business owner, displaced workers, employer, federal emergency management, federal emergency management agency, federal emergency management agency fema, federal monies, Gustav, hurricane, hurricane emergency, hurricane gustav, individuals with disabilities, Louisiana, louisiana communities, louisiana residents, louisiana workforce commission, natural disaster, parishes in louisiana, public assistance program, secretary of labor elaine, small business owners, unemployment, unemployment benefits, unemployment office, US Department of Labor
  

  New Alaska Workers’ Compensation Regulations

  September 15th, 2008 Posted by Cara

  Alaska employers are invited to comment on new workers’ compensation regulations proposed by Labor Commissioner Clark “Click” Bishop.

   

  The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development recently proposed new regulations aimed at making workers’ compensation hearings more ethical.

   

  Workers’  compensation hearings are held when the employer or employee does not agree with the original finding. Often, this is because an employee is denied workers’ compensation and feels that he or she was entitled to it.

   

  Under the proposed regulations, a new (more…)

  No Comments >> Posted in Alaska, Employee Benefits
  Tags: Alaska, alaska department of labor and workforce development, alaska employers, alaska labor, anchorage, appearance of impropriety, commissioner clark, comp, conflict of interest, conflicts of interest, eagle street, ethical conduct, ethics, fairbanks, fairbanks alaska, hearing, juneau, labor commissioner, labor department, oral comments, panel member, private employers, Regulations, worker
  

  Tighter Federal 401K Enforcement

  September 1st, 2008 Posted by Amelia

  Employers are warned that the US Department of Labor and the Securities and Exchange Commission or SEC will be sharing information on employee retirement plans such as 401ks. This collaboration enables the federal agency to more strictly enforce regulations on employers.

   

  Elaine L. Chao, U.S. secretary of labor, and Christopher Cox, chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), today committed to (more…)

  No Comments >> Posted in Employee Benefits, Federal Labor Laws, Regulations
  Tags: 401 k plans, 401K, christopher cox, commission, employee retirement, exchange, federal, investment decisions, investor protection, memorandum of understanding, plan administrators, protection efforts, regulation, regulatory responsibilities, retirement assets, retirement savings, sec, secretary chao, secretary of labor, securities, securities and exchange commission, US Department of Labor