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Compensation & Benefits

Fired for misconduct: Can former employee collect unemployment benefits?

11/01/2017

Q. A former employee engaged in misconduct, which resulted in his discharge. Now he is requesting unemployment compensation benefits under California law. Is an employee entitled to these benefits if he or she is no longer employed, regardless of the circumstances?

Study finds benefits costs vary greatly by industry

10/31/2017
The cost of employer-provided health care and retirement benefits, measured as a percentage of pay, varies greatly by industry, according to research by the Willis Towers Watson consulting firm.

Ignored work rules? No unemployment benefits

10/26/2017
Employers are entitled to impose reasonable rules in their workplaces. Workers who refuse to abide by those rules aren’t eligible for unemployment compensation benefits if they are terminated.

Holiday bonuses: Great for everyone’s morale but yours

10/26/2017
Employees usually receive their bonuses in December, but Payroll must begin planning for them now. Here’s what you need to know.

1,099 miscellaneous reasons why you’re stressed out now

10/26/2017
Completing Forms W-2/W-3 and getting them into employees’ and the Social Security Administration’s hands on time is challenging enough. Your stress compounds exponentially if you also handle Forms 1099-MISC for the company’s independent contractors. Here’s what you need to know for the upcoming 1099 filing season.

Out-of-pocket costs rising in large employer plans

10/24/2017
About one in four people (24%) covered by large employer health insurance plans spent more than $1,000 out-of-pocket on health care in 2015, according to new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. That’s an increase of seven percentage points from 17% in 2005.

Intended workers’ comp bid stops at-will firing

10/18/2017
In Pennsylvania, employment is presumed to be at-will, meaning employers can terminate workers for any legal reason or no reason at all. There is one exception, however. The so-called public policy exception provides protection from termination if an employee files a workers’ compensation claim.

Master compliance challenges that follow natural disasters

10/18/2017
Unless planned and executed properly, employers’ emergency procedures may run afoul of many federal, state and local employment laws.

Trump order OKs health insurance associations

10/17/2017
After Congress failed to pass legislation repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, President Trump decided to take matters into his own hands. On Oct. 12, he issued an executive order directing the Department of Labor to write new rules allowing employers to buy health insurance benefits for employees through multi-state, multi-employer associations.

Snapshot: 51% of employers oppose repealing, replacing the ACA

10/11/2017
Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act have stalled for now. A slight majority of employers want it to stay that way.