Access to Education, Family & Community Programs to Address Exploitive Child Labor On December 15, 2010, the US DOL announced the award of $40 million in grants in 2010 to eliminate exploitive child labor in 12 countries. The grants will offer children access to educational and training alternatives, help improve the livelihoods of their households Read more
Effective May 1, 2011 Minimum Wage Rates in Quebec Canada Increase Workers in Quebec will see larger paychecks effective May 1, 2011 when the minimum wage rates increase. Currently the general and clothing industry rates are $9.50 per hour, and $8.25 per hour for employees receiving tips. May 1, the rates will be as follows: Read more
Compliance with FLSA and FMLA laws expected to catch greater scrutiny On December 13, 2010, the U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced that it was teaming up with the American Bar Association (ABA) to provide an Attorney Referral System for workers who want to file claims for alleged violations of the Fair Labor Read more
Updated Fact Sheets for Injured Workers Now Available From the California DWC The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has created a series of updated fact sheets for injured workers. The fact sheets are available in “text only” versions on their website. The text only versions make it possible for claim administrators to incorporate updated Read more
Latest Figures Released for Consumer Price Index Rates The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased by 0.1 percent in November 2010. This figure was just released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Indexes for food and energy slightly increased in November 2010 and indexes for food at home also rose in November Read more
The District of Columbia has issued new final regulations for the District’s Family and Medical Leave Act (DC FMLA, D.C. Official Code 32-501 et seq.), effective November 19, 2010. While many provisions of the rules are not new and were included in the Act and in prior regulations, there is new material of which employers Read more
Illinois Governor to Sign Civil Unions Bill Giving Same-sex Couples Additional Benefits & Protections During the Illinois legislature’s fall 2010 veto session, lawmakers passed the historic “Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act” (IL S 1716). The bill defines “civil union” as a legal relationship between 2 persons of either the same or opposite Read more
Massachusetts’ Governor Signs CORI Reform Law Massachusetts’ Governor Deval Patrick signed a law preventing employers from seeking disclosure of job applicants’ criminal record information prior to the interview stage of the hiring process. The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination has enforcement authority over the existing Criminal Records Statute, G.L. c 151B, Section 4 (9). Under the Read more
The California Employers Guide, DE 44 Has Been Updated for 2011 2011 changes for employers in California include: Expanded e-Services for Businesses- Now employers will be able to view and manage their own employer tax account, file most reports, and provide payment options for tax deposits, liabilities and much more. For more information go to Read more
IRS Releases 2011 Standard Mileage Rates The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued the 2011 optional standard mileage rates. Businesses utilize these rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. January 1, 2011 the standard rates for the use of a car (including vans, pickups or Read more
