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Compensation & Benefits

Appeals court refuses arbitration bid, cites one-sided, coercive agreement

09/27/2013
A California appellate court has invalidated an arbitration agreement on the grounds that it was unconscionable. The court said it was both one-sided and oppressive.

Don’t require payment via prepaid debit cards, feds say

09/26/2013
The U.S. Consumer Financial Pro­­tec­­tion Bureau last month warned employers that they cannot require employees to be paid using prepaid payroll cards. “Consumers must have options when it comes to how they receive their wages,” the agency announced.

No penalty for failing to deliver insurance-option letter by Oct. 1

09/25/2013
Initially, there was talk that employers would be hit with $100-per-day fines for failing to notify employees of their health coverage options by Oct. 1. But the U.S. Small Business Admin­­is­­tra­­tion announced last month that “there is no fine or penalty under the law for failing to provide the notice.”

Study: ACA won’t spike individual health premiums

09/24/2013
Individuals shopping for health insurance in state-based exchanges beginning Oct. 1 are unlikely to encounter skyrocketing premiums, according to a new study by the RAND Corp. However, researchers caution that the cost of policies in the individual market will vary between states.

SBA: No penalties for dropping ACA employee-notification ball

09/23/2013
The Small Business Administration has issued a coy blog post observing that the ACA doesn’t penalize employers that don’t comply with a key employee-notice requirement.

Affordable Care Act: Dept. of Unintended Consequences

09/23/2013
On Oct. 1, the government of an Indiana county will fire more than 30 employees over age 65. Officials say they have no choice, blaming a provision of the Affordable Care Act

Special analysis: Fall is fringe-festival time

09/23/2013
Fall is when most companies assess their fringe benefits programs, with an eye to making changes for the coming year. It’s also when Payroll begins to assess the damage (taxes, that is) from the current year’s offerings. How to sort everything out? Here’s some help.

California minimum wage to hit $10 per hour in 2016

09/18/2013
By 2016, California may have the nation’s highest minimum wage—$10 per hour—after the state Legislature approved a two-step plan to raise the rate from its current $8 per hour.

Employer sued for ‘forcing’ employees to take paycards

09/18/2013
Low-wage employees have initiated a class-action lawsuit in Pennsylvania against their employer, alleging that they were forced to receive their wages via paycards, thus incurring fees for accessing their pay. The lawsuit asks the employer to pony up for those fees. Don’t get caught in a similar situation.

Family health premiums up just 4% this year

09/17/2013
Annual premiums for employer-provided family health coverage rose a relatively modest 4% this year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Family premiums averaged $16,351, with employees paying $4,565 toward the cost of their coverage.