The Department of Labor just issued updated FMLA forms, good through August 31, 2021. No more using “expired” forms! For anyone who was expecting “updated” to mean changed or improved…well, we are sorry to disappoint you – the only thing that was updated was the date! The forms are otherwise identical.
Continue Reading
Yikes…Uber Drivers are Employees, Not Independent Contractors?
Ronald Reagan famously once said: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”
On January 13, 2015, the State of Florida entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) with the goal of preventing the misclassification of employees as independent contractors. It is part of DOL’s “Misclassification Initiative.” Nationally, this initiative has meant a significant increase in the number of investigations undertaken by DOL, and Florida employers can expect greater scrutiny in light of the agreement with DOL.
How’s the initiative going so far? Two very recent cases caught our attention. Just a few days ago FedEx settled with the DOL by agreeing to pay $227 million to delivery drivers in California that were classified as independent contractors. FedEx will bounce back – aren’t drones going to be delivering packages soon anyway?
Department of Labor Announces H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced today that it has awarded more than $183 million in grants to industries in 28 states that rely on the H-1B visa program for skilled workers. The grants will be used to provide education, training and job placement assistance aimed at helping American workers fill jobs in high-growth fields
There’s an App for That! DOL Creates iPhone App for Employees to Track Hours/Overtime
The Department of Labor announced yesterday in a press release that it has launched its first application for smartphones — a timesheet app to “help employees independently track the hours they work and determine the wages they are owed.” Yes, that’s right. The DOL created an iPhone app that allows employees to track their hours
Free Webcast on Retirement Savings Options for Small Businesses
We thought this might be of interest to our many small business clients:
The U.S. Department of Labor is offering a free webcast on retirement savings options for small businesses and plan providers this Wednesday, February 23. Check out the press release here.
The webcast, which takes place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Update: DOL Issues New COBRA Notices
The Department of Labor recently issued updated COBRA model notices to assist employers in complying with the recently enacted Temporary Extension Act of 2010 (“TEA”). The DOL website has the following model notices available:.jpeg)
- Model Updated General Notice
- Model Notice of New Election Period
- Model Supplemental Information Notice
- Model Notice of Extended Election Period
- Model