It’s Intern Season | TX Employee Benefits Advisors

Summer internships offer students opportunities to gain real-world experience and hands-on career development. Conversely, internship programs give employers access to highly motivated and educated young workers and give junior managers more experience training and supervising. There are benefits for everyone involved. However, there are some people risks that many employers overlook. One of the largest … Continued

New Federal Contract Compliance Directives | Fort Worth Employee Benefits

On August 24, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced the following three directives: Guidance for Contractor Compensation Practices: Directive 2018-05 clarifies the OFCCP’s approach to conducting compensation evaluations, supports compliance and compensation self-analyses by contractors, and improves compensation analysis consistency and efficiency during compliance evaluations. Contractor Recognition Programs: Directive … Continued

10 Stories That Caught Our Eye in June 2018 | Texas Benefit Advisors

Are you having a hard time keeping up with the steady flow of news and information that affects your workplace? Let ThinkHR help! We’ve curated some of the stories from business, news, human resources, benefits, and risk management publications that caught our eye this June. Just Don’t Ask Job candidates are covered by the Civil … Continued

Federal Employment Law Update April 2018 | TX Benefit Consultants

DOL Releases Assistance for Enforcement of Tip Credit Rules under FLSA On April 6, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor released a field assistance bulletin (FAB No. 2018-3) providing guidance concerning the Wage and Hour Division’s (WHD) enforcement of tip credit rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) after Congress amended the FLSA in … Continued

New Guidance on Tipped Wages | Texas Employee Benefit Brokers

The 2,232-page budget spending bill that was signed by President Trump on March 23, 2018, included an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) prohibiting employers, managers, or supervisors from collecting or retaining tips made by employees, regardless of whether the employer takes a tip credit. This law essentially blocked the U.S. Department of … Continued

A DOL Audit Can Happen to You | TX Benefit Brokers

Summary plan descriptions (SPDs) are required for all retirement, health, and welfare plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). However, misconceptions about this requirement are widespread. ERISA attorney Stacy H. Barrow, partner with Marathas Barrow Weatherhead Lent LLP, had a chat with ThinkHR about the importance of having proper ERISA … Continued

6 Ways to Keep the Flu from Sidelining Your Workplace | Fort Worth Benefit Advisors

This year’s flu season is a rough one. Although the predominant strains of this year’s influenza viruses were represented in the vaccine, they mutated, which decreased the effectiveness of the immunization. The flu then spread widely and quickly, and in addition, the symptoms were severe and deadly. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … Continued

Federal Employment Law Update – January 2018 | TX Benefit Consultants

WHD Revises Test for Unpaid Internships On January 5, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) released a Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB No. 2018-2) establishing that the primary beneficiary test, rather than the six-point test, will determine whether interns at for-profit employers are employees under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act … Continued

So Who Is a Paid Intern Now? | TX Benefit Advisors

On January 5, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) created new guidance for determining whether a worker could be classified as an unpaid intern under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FLSA requires “for-profit” employers to pay employees for their work. Interns, however, may not be classified as … Continued

New Year, New Penalties | Fort Worth Benefit Advisors

Department of Labor Publishes Updated Penalties for OSHA Violations On January 2, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published updated, inflation-adjusted penalties for violations of various laws regulated by the DOL and its internal components or divisions, including the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). The DOL is required to adjust the level of … Continued