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On May 18, 2016, President Barack Obama and Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez announced the publication of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Final Rule updating the regulations governing overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The updated rule will automatically extend overtime pay protections to 4.2 million new employees within the first year […]

Every industry has been affected by the changes brought on by the Affordable Care Act, but hospitality and retail employers are dealing with arguably the biggest challenge when it comes to compliance. That’s because both rely largely on labor-intensive work. They’re volatile industries with heavy turnover. And many employees work varying hours from week to […]

Hillary Clinton’s proposal to allow those under the age of 65 to buy into Medicare may find support among employers. The likely Democratic nominee has suggested that people should be able to opt into the public health program for senior citizens before retirement age, perhaps at age 50 or 55. Clinton reasons that Medicare could […]

We are just over six months away from the 2016 election and –well—we certainly won’t pretend to know with any level of certainty what will happen. That said, six months ago (or so), Clinton looked to be an absolute lock for the Democratic nomination with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders a mere distraction at best. That […]

IRS has finalized certain rules and regulations to assist sponsors of employer-provided health coverage (and the carriers of same) in determining whether such coverage meets the requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for purposes of the “play-or-pay” rules. Most of the finalized regulations reinforce the proposed regulations from before, but there are few highlights […]

As the clock ticks toward the announcement of final overtime rules, employers will be asking what they can do to get ahead of the curve. The answer? Employers should put in place a proactive preparation and compliance plan so that they can successfully understand the latest government regulations. FLSA preparation tips • Employers should designate a team from […]

The Affordable Care Act deadline for filing Forms 1094-C and 1095-C with the IRS was extended to May 31 for paper filings and to June 30 for electronic filings. The electronic filing process is complex and requires a good deal of advance planning. Employers who are not using an outside vendor for filing should not […]

(Bloomberg) – President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law was dealt another blow as a federal judge ruled a key program intended to reduce consumers’ out-of-pocket medical bills is unconstitutional because it relies on money that hasn’t been appropriated by Congress. The ruling on Thursday was a victory for the Republican-led House of Representatives, which challenged […]

With compensation taking up the biggest slice of the benefits pie, employers are paying close attention to the Department of Labor’s proposed changes to the overtime rules – expected to be released as early as this month – under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The proposed rules bump the salary threshold for overtime from $23,600/year […]

Astute employers are reviewing available options to mitigate the potential economic impact of the imminent release of new federal Fair Labor Standards Act overtime regulations. The Department of Labor estimates that average annualized direct employer costs could total between $239.6 and $255.3 million per year. While the DOL initially committed to issuing the new FLSA […]