Growth Hacker’s Blog

A business owner’s guide to effective, compliant workforce management

Social Security Benefit Increase

On October 19, 2011, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced the monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will increase in 2012. The 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with the January 2012 benefit...

IRS Mileage Rate

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) optional standard mileage rate of 55.5 cents/mile for business miles expires on December 31, 2011. The IRS has not yet announced if the rate will be different in 2012.

Right to Know Rule

By October 2011, the Wage and Hour Division seeks to issue a proposed rule updating the recordkeeping regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in order to enhance the transparency and disclosure to workers of their status. The recordkeeping requirements...

OSHA’s 2011 Site-Specific Targeting Plan

On September 9, 2011, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced its 2011 Site-Specific Targeting (SST) plan, the agency's annual inspection program for general industry establishments with high numbers of injuries and illnesses. This year's...

Health Insurance Premium Tax Credit

On August 12, 2011, the Departments of Treasury and Health and Human Services released Proposed Regulations to provide guidance to individuals who enroll in qualified health plans through State-based Exchanges, as envisioned under the Affordable Care Act, and to...

New NLRB Notice Required

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a final rule requiring most private-sector employers to notify employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The NLRB will enforce employers to post a new NLRA notice in the workplace. The...

Proposed Rules Related to Health Insurance Exchanges

Published on July 15, 2011, in the Federal Register, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued two proposed rules: (1) Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans and (2) Standards Related to Reinsurance, Risk Corridors and Risk...

Final SEC Whistleblower Program Rules

Effective August 12, 2011, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued final rules to implement the Dodd-Frank whistleblower program, such that publicly traded employers should not interfere with an employee’s communication efforts with the SEC or take...

Required Consumer Report Disclosure

Effective July 21, 2011, the Dodd-Frank Act amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires an employer, who uses a consumer report with a credit score to determine employment eligibility, to inform a job applicant that a credit score was used, specify the...

Proposed E-Verify Requirement

On June 14, 2011, the Legal Workforce Act of 2011 was introduced in Congress and would require all employers to use E-Verify, the federal government’s electronic work authorization verification system.

OSHA Whistle-Blower Claims

Published in the Federal Register on November 3, 2011, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced Sarbanes-Oxley Act whistle-blower claims may now be filed orally. The final rules revise existing regulations and public comments must be...

OCR Privacy and Security Compliance Audits

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for privacy and security enforcement under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and...

American Jobs Act

On September 12, 2011, President Obama revealed the Jobs Bill that encompasses several employment-related provisions. Some of the provisions offer relief from payroll taxes and provide tax credits for hiring the long-term unemployed individuals and veterans. More...

Executive Order 13495 Final Rule

On August 29, 2011, the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued a final rule to implement President Obama's Executive Order 13495, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts. The Executive Order requires federal contractors and...

Proposed Parental Bereavement Act

On July 13, 2011, the Parental Bereavement Act was introduced in Congress. The bill would amend the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) by adding a new job-protected leave category for the death of an employee's son or daughter. If passed, an eligible employee...

DOL To Coordinate With IRS

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, on Sept. 19, 2011, hosted a ceremony at U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) headquarters in Washington, D.C., to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that will improve departmental efforts to end...

Unemployment Discrimination Legislation

Introduced on July 12, 2011, by the U.S. House of Representatives, the proposed Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011 would prohibit employers and employment agencies from discriminating against the unemployed or placing job advertisements or posts stating that...

Changes to OSHA Recordkeeping Requirements

Published on June 22, 2011, in the Federal Register, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed changes to its current requirements on recordkeeping and reporting of employee injuries and illnesses. OSHA is seeking comments from the...

Increased Standard Mileage Rates

On June 23, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rates for the second half of 2011. The rate will increase to 55.5 cents a mile for all business miles driven from July 1, 2011, through December 31, 2011.

Audit Notices to 1000 Companies

On June 15, 2011, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent notices to 1,000 companies ranging from small businesses to major enterprises including cargo handlers, food production, information technology, financial services, construction, water...

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