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Compensation & Benefits

Respect for Marriage Act passes; employers, take note

12/21/2022
The Respect for Marriage Act passed into law with bipartisan support in December and protects marriage for LGBTQ+ and interracial couples. The act ensures that a marriage that is legal in one state is recognized by all. Take this opportunity to review your benefits offerings to ensure they align with federal, state and local laws.

How to spot and prevent burnout

12/20/2022
Everyone has a limit. When walking into work (or taking the few steps to the home office) becomes a challenge, your employees are probably on track to experience burnout. The ability to spot and—more importantly—prevent burnout can save great workers from absences or the pursuit of greener pastures.

Sleep is overrated: Zillow expands parental leave

12/20/2022
Parental leave is among the benefits that interest working women most, according to a 2022 summer survey by the insurance broker Breeze.

Labeling a fund “ESG” doesn’t make it an ESG fund, SEC charges

12/20/2022
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged an investment adviser’s subsidiary with violating the Investment Advisers Act for failing to implement written policies and procedures for the selection of environmental, social and governance investments.

Snapshot: It’s not too late for holiday gifts

12/20/2022
Many companies try to recognize employees with something extra this time of year. What “extras”? Cash tops the list.

New York state will bar retaliation against workers who take legally protected time off

12/15/2022
The law appears to focus on “points-based” attendance, in which employers impose points, or demerits, on employees for absences, often without regard for the reason for the absence—including medical reasons, which can be protected under the FMLA and other laws.

Court calls working beyond pay grade intolerable

12/15/2022
Generally, workers must be turned down for a job, demoted or fired before they can sue their employers and allege discrimination as the reason. But as with many things in life, there’s an exception—the concept of constructive discharge holds that if an employer makes the employee’s work life “intolerable,” that justifies quitting. The worker can then sue despite not having been fired.

Viral tripledemic means missed work

12/06/2022
Influenza hospitalizations increased 30% Thanksgiving week, taking up over 11,000 beds. It’s expected to get worse, says Health and Human Services. COVID-19 cases are again climbing, albeit modestly. Respiratory syncytial virus infects many infants and young children. All signs lead to a winter tripledemic of illness and missed work.

Bill would ban caregiver discrimination

12/06/2022
The Protecting Family Caregivers from Discrimination Act would prohibit employers from firing, demoting, mistreating, refusing to hire or taking other adverse employment action against workers who are caregivers for their loved ones.

On health insurance, voters trust employers over others

12/06/2022
Voters surveyed by the American Benefits Council had good news for employers.