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Please Click HerePosted on May 2, 2016 by Mary Ellen Schill
Late last week the IRS announced its adjustments to the health savings account limits for 2017. These limits are adjusted annually by the IRS for “cost of living.” Since the IRS rules for cost of living adjustments provide that adjustments are only made in $50 increments, and even then only if rounding to the nearest […]
Posted on May 2, 2016 by Mary Ellen Schill
The Internal Revenue Service on April 29th announced the cost-of-living adjustments for the HSA contribution limits and for High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums for 2017. HSA/HDHP Requirement Cost-of-Living Adjustments Limit on HSA Contributions – Self-only HDHP 2016 – $3,350 2017 – $3,400 Limit on HSA Contributions – Family HDHP 2016 […]
Posted on April 25, 2016 by Ruder Ware Alumni
“Substantial fault” is a new concept that may determine whether a terminated employee is eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. In 2013 the Wisconsin Legislature amended the unemployment insurance eligibility statute to create “substantial fault” as a basis to deny benefits; the new law took effect on January 5, 2014. On April 14, 2016, the Wisconsin […]
Posted on April 14, 2016 by Ruder Ware Alumni
A recent decision from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals addressed whether obesity automatically qualifies as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In a decision filed by an applicant for employment who was ultimately denied employment because of his severe weight and body mass index, the Court of Appeals held that obesity (in […]
Posted on April 13, 2016 by Ruder Ware Alumni
I have written a number of blogs regarding the position of the National Labor Relations Board relating to protected speech for employees. The NLRB and its General Counsel have been very aggressive in concluding that the conduct of employees should be considered protected free speech and an employee may not be terminated for such conduct. […]
Posted on April 4, 2016 by Ruder Ware Alumni
In a recent blog, I wrote about the potential of litigation requiring a business to make its website ADA accessible. I noted that it is still not clear what a business may be required to do under this legal argument. A recent court decision in California has not clarified what a business may be required […]
Posted on March 31, 2016 by Ruder Ware Alumni
A recent decision of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals puts a spotlight on that question: Do your supervisors exercise discretion when supervising others? This question is important because the recent Court of Appeals decision held that several employees who were identified as supervisors actually did not exercise sufficient discretion to meet the definition of […]
Posted on March 22, 2016 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Yes, there have now been a number of lawsuits filed over whether or not a company’s website is accessible under the Americans With Disabilities Act. In many of these cases, the Department of Justice has joined in the lawsuit seeking to enforce Title III of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Companies are now considering whether […]
Posted on March 21, 2016 by Ruder Ware Alumni
A recent settlement of a disability discrimination lawsuit against AT&T shows that a discrimination claim can be an expensive proposition. AT&T settled a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by paying $250,000 to the Commission and re-instating an employee. The EEOC filed suit against AT&T for failing to provide a reasonable […]
Posted on March 18, 2016 by Ruder Ware Alumni
I am afraid to report that many employees will be receiving a significant Christmas present in July. The latest word is that the new FLSA regulations regarding exempt status will be issued in July and will be subject to a 60-day review period by Congress. This means we will be faced with addressing the exempt […]