Ask the Experts: Mandatory Flu Shots | Maryland Benefits Agency

Question: Can we require our employees to get flu shots? Answer: While there is no law that prohibits employers from mandating flu shots — and in some states, the law requires all healthcare workers to get flu shots — you should carefully determine if the benefits to your business outweigh the risks. There has been … Continued

9 HR Policies are Legal Again, Says NLRB General Counsel | Virginia Benefit Brokers

Workplace rules are back, baby! Peter Robb, General Counsel for the National Labor Relations Board (and my new hero), issued a memorandum on Wednesday that employers should love. Mr. Robb has declared that nine standard employer policies will now be presumed lawful under the National Labor Relations Act. The memorandum was based on the Board’s decision in The Boeing Company, … Continued

Federal Employment Law Update – May 2018 | VA Benefit Consultants

EEO-1 Filing Deadline Extended In late April 2018, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced the deadline for the EEO-1 Employer Information Report (EEO-1 Report) has been extended from March 31, 2018 to June 1, 2018. For the 2017 EEO-1 reporting cycle, the EEO-1 will collect data on the race, ethnicity, and sex of … Continued

EEO-1 Reporting Deadline Moved to June 1 | Virginia Employee Benefits

Here’s an update on EEO-1  reporting by Cara Crotty, partner with leading national labor and employment law firm (and ThinkHR strategic employment law partner) Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP. The new deadline is June 1, but only for this year. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced that it has extended the deadline to submit 2017 EEO-1 report data. … Continued

Ask the Experts: Gathering Race and Ethnicity Information for the EEO-1 Report | Virginia Employee Benefit Advisors

Question: What is the best way to get ethnicity and race information for each employee for the EEO-1 report? Answer: Self-identification is the preferred method for gathering the required information for the EEO-1 report. As an employer, you are required to ask employees to self-identify if they wish; however, employees are not required to self-identify. If … Continued

Federal Employment Law Update – February 2018 | Virginia Benefit Advisors

IRS Releases Publication 15 and W-4 Withholding Guidance for 2018 On January 31, 2018, the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Publication 15 — Introductory Material, which includes the following: 2018 federal income tax withholding tables. Exempt Form W-4. New information on: Withholding allowance. Withholding on supplemental wages. Backup withholding. Moving expense reimbursement. Social Security … Continued

Court Orders the EEOC to Reconsider Its Wellness Program Rules | Virginia Benefit Advisors

On August 22, 2017, in AARP v EEOC, a federal court found that regulations allowing employers to offer large incentives under workplace wellness programs were arbitrary. The court did not vacate (nullify) the rules due to concerns about disrupting employers’ existing programs. Instead the court has ordered the responsible agency, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission … Continued