Get answers to your most urgent questions about COVID-19 and its impacts to employee benefits, human resources, risk management and other issues. Our page provides articles and webinars on critical topics as well as other resources.
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Our national Employee Benefits Compliance Team is dedicated to helping you stay abreast of fast-changing legislative and regulatory developments and guidance related to health and welfare plans that could impact your business.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to protect employees that are reasonably anticipated to come into contact with blood or certain body fluids. While most employers associate exposure to bloodborne pathogens with healthcare workers only, there are a host of other employees who may be at risk of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
The construction industry continues to face ongoing challenges related to supply chain delays and product availability due to COVID-19. Dodge Data & Analytics, a leading provider of commercial construction project data, recently reported that the construction materials cost index increased by 6% in the month of April alone, more than the average annual increase. Dodge also reported the anticipated timeline for return to normal stockpiled inventory could be as long as another 18-24 months. Historically, skyrocketing material costs and product shortages were addressed through contract contingency; in current market conditions, this method is proving inadequate to address the monthly cost increases of construction materials.
Knowing that life’s only two certainties are death and taxes, let’s turn our attention to how the IRS determines independent contractor status. Previously, the IRS used to apply a 20-factor test to determine whether or not an individual could be classified as an independent contractor. A number of years ago they moved to what they call a “common-law” test that focuses on the degree of control the business exercises in achieving its purposes versus the degree of independence the worker has to actually perform the tasks themselves. As described in IRS Publication 15-A, the IRS will closely examine each of the following three areas: “behavioral control, financial control, and the type of relationship of the parties.” Let’s take a look at each.
As the world tries to regain a sense of normalcy, it is important for employers to understand that not all employees have the same needs. While the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a serious toll on employees’ health and well-being, arguably, most hard hit with mental stressors has been the Asian American woman. Most of the notorious news stories about violence since the start of the pandemic has been in instances of where an Asian American woman has been harmed. The fear of discrimination plus the stress of balancing family and work life has been particularly brutal for Asian American women.
The Federal Department of Labor (DOL) and its related state agencies are charged with making sure that employees are given the modern-day equivalent of an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. Employers who fail to do so can be subject to back-pay claims, penalties and attorneys’ fees.
July 1, 2021 will be here before you know it, bringing new legislative updates at the state and federal level. We have complied some of the more noteworthy laws that will go into effect.