HR Forum

"I'd love a vacation, but I just can't ... "

It’s a catch-22: Employees stressed to the max could really use a vacation, but they have too much going on to take one. And without a healthy balance of quality downtime, stress levels continue to mount.

According to a “Wellness in Travel” study of 1,500 Americans by Westin Hotels & Resorts, more than half of workers failed to take all their vacation days. And even though 58% of respondents felt the need for vacation, 64% canceled plans due to work worries. What’s most unfortunate? Of those surveyed, 48% said they were happier and more positive at work and home after taking a vacation.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the owner of Westin Hotels, wants to help. A new campaign intends to educate consumers on vacation health benefits, while also giving them a chance to win free vacations. Rest-deprived workers can visit http://www.travelandbewell.com/ to learn more and sign a pledge to tap their remaining vacation days before year-end. Each pledge taker is entered to win one of 200 four-day vacations at a Westin Hotel in the U.S.

Are you following Westin’s lead and making it easier for employees to get away? It’s important to create a culture that supports a healthy work-life balance that includes well-earned time off. The last thing you want is employees thinking it’s more trouble than it’s worth to take a little R&R.

Beyond an employee vacation policy that outlines days off employees are entitled to, you should create a clear, consistent procedure for employees to request vacation time and receive approval. While it’s prudent to consider peak times for your business and the availability of others to absorb vacationing employee workloads, managers need to be responsive and collaborative with any requests. Throwing your hands in the air and groaning when a request comes in doesn’t send a positive message.

It’s time to encourage employees to take time off – for their benefit, as well as the company’s!

The "ICEy" grip of immigration enforcement felt by 500+ businesses

On September 15, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) doled out Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to more than 500 businesses nationwide. If a company receives a NOI, it has three business days to prepare for an in-person meeting with federal officials … and reveal its I-9 employment verification forms and payroll documentation.

According to ICE, these particular businesses are under scrutiny due to specific leads and allegations of hiring unauthorized workers, exploiting workers and paying unfair wages. The fines for I-9 errors identified in an inspection range from $110 to $1,100 per form – with greater penalties for knowingly employing unauthorized workers.

Would your employment verification practices pass inspection? Protect your business from damaging fines and even criminal arrests with a properly completed Downloadable Form I-9 for every new employee. And for expert answers to all your I-9 compliance questions – including how to prevent an I-9 audit - turn to the easy-to-browse CD-ROM, ComplyRight™ SolveIt Now™ Answers to All Your Questions: I-9 Compliance & Immigration Law.

Stand up to workplace bullies

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." If only that were true. As it is, words can be extremely hurtful, whether they're delivered by a surly schoolmate when we're young or a cocky coworker later in life.

According to a 2007 Zogby International survey, nearly 37% of workers (or about 54 million people), have been bullied or repeatedly mistreated at work. What’s worse, bullying is on the rise. ValueOptions®, an independent behavioral health and wellness company, reports a spike in people accessing the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) due to on-the-job bullying and other aggressive behavior.

“At work, bullying can be less obvious [then on the playground] and occur over a long period of time, resulting in extreme stress and anxiety for the employee,” says Rich Paul, vice president of Health & Performance Solutions at ValueOptions. The ongoing stress can lead to physical and mental health problems, a drop in job performance and more sick days away from the office.

The top five tactics used by workplace bullies are:

1. Falsely accusing someone of errors that weren’t made
2. Staring, intimidating or otherwise showing hostility
3. Discounting a person’s thoughts during a meeting
4. Using the silent treatment to isolate
5. Exhibiting unpredictable mood swings in front of a group

As with other forms of harassment, employers are responsible for taking a zero-tolerance position against bullying and just as important, educating employees on the words and actions that can get them in trouble. Prevent workplace bullying with Harassment-Free Workplace – Take Control, an engaging, easy-to-use, four-module DVD training program.

Anti-Muslim sentiment rears its ugly head in the workplace

With the recent resurgence of anti-Muslim attitudes surrounding the proposed mosque building near Ground Zero, it’s not surprising that claims of discrimination against Muslim workers are growing, too. Unfortunately, it seems that the lessons learned - and tolerance established – after the 9/11 attacks are quickly eroding.

In an msnbc.com article, “Muslims face growing bias in the workplace,” an attorney with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) shares how dire the situation is:

“There is hatred, an open hatred, and a lack of tolerance for people who are Muslim,” says Mary Jo O’Neill, regional attorney for the Phoenix district office of the EEOC. “I think the mosque in Manhattan seems to be a flashpoint, but it taps into feelings that preceded it.”

And the numbers underscore that point. According to EEOC figures, claims of bias against Muslims in the workplace rose to 1,490 last year from 1,304 in 2008 (compared to 697 claims in 2004). Even more alarming, last year’s total was higher than in the year after the 9/11 event, when claims amounted to 1,463.

Bottom line: Religious discrimination is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which also bans workplace discrimination based on sex, national origin, race and color. More specifically, it requires employers to reasonably accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs of an employee or prospective employee, as long as it doesn’t pose an undue hardship for the business.

Although every situation is unique, easy accommodations that shouldn’t pose an “undue hardship” for most employers include:

• Variations to your dress or grooming code (unless it poses a safety hazard) to allow for religious garb, like a hijab
• Scheduling work activities around an employee’s religious needs
• Permitting voluntary job swaps
• Reassigning an employee
• Excusing employees from workplace programs that conflict with their religious beliefs
• Allowing the use of an empty room for prayer during break times

Beyond a collaborative approach toward workplace accommodations, it’s essential that you include diversity awareness and training in your anti-harassment initiatives.

Be sure to state in all written applications, postings and other materials that your company does not discriminate on the basis of religion when it comes to hiring, promotions, benefits and other terms and conditions of employment.

Keep in mind, too, that if you ever need to defend a harassment claim (religious or otherwise), your first line of defense will be showing that your company took measures to prevent it. To reinforce your anti-harassment and discrimination position, you should train your managers and supervisors on proper conduct with their employees and the importance of not retaliating against an employee who expresses concerns.

You should also distribute an anti-harassment policy and complaint procedure that expresses your stance against unlawful harassment and your zero tolerance for threats, taunts and any other inappropriate behavior.

Lessons learned from the recent HP sexual harassment scandal

In the aftermath of sensational headlines and Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd’s sudden resignation, one thing is painfully clear: sexual harassment covers more than just employees.

In the HP case, Hurd’s sexual harassment charge came not from a subordinate or other HP employee but from an outside contractor. This highlights the extended liability companies face when it comes to sexual harassment.

Going beyond “regular” employees

Companies are responsible for protecting a variety of people in addition to employees. This can include job applicants, vendors, temp workers and, of course, contractors. As the recent HP case shows, employees’ actions related to these non-employees can result in claims of sexual harassment.

That works both ways. Employees are also extended protection from harassment by non-employees. A female bus driver brought a case against her employer because she was assaulted by one of her developmentally disabled passengers. She won, in part, because the transportation company took no action even after the driver filed reports about the passenger exposing himself.
The current reality is that harassment of or by non-employees must be treated the same as that of standard employees.

The best offense is a good defense

Like many unwanted situations, the key to handling harassment is prevention. You can accomplish that by taking a few essential steps:

Develop a sexual harassment policy
Clearly define sexual harassment and the fact that your company does not tolerate it. Decide on disciplinary action (including termination) and explain it. Be sure to set up and include a specific procedure for reporting and investigating harassment.

Train your employees (and non-employees)
Administer annual training sessions on sexual harassment. Explain what it is, how to avoid it and what to do when and if it occurs.

Train your managers and supervisors
Conduct these sessions annually for managers and supervisors, too, but separately from employee training. It’s important that they understand the procedure for handling complaints, as well as their role in properly and speedily responding to complaints.

Know the climate
Consider talking to managers and employees (informally, of course) about the tone and mood of the work environment. Ask for their thoughts and feelings – and really listen. And be certain to keep an eye open for pictures, notes, printed e-mails, etc. that may be considered offensive.

Investigate all complaints thoroughly
By taking all sexual harassment complaints seriously, you’re more likely to minimize disruption in the workplace. An immediate investigation helps you get to the heart of the matter and communicates that your company doesn’t tolerate these actions.

Wage and hour lawsuits outnumber all other class actions combined

According to a 2010 survey of more than 1,800 legal and HR professionals, one-third of respondents were hit with a wage and hour claim in the past year. At the same time, more than half of respondents shared that their organization has increased spending for wage and hour compliance.

Shanti Atkins, the President and CEO of ELT, the workplace compliance training company that conducted the survey, explains the dramatic rise in claims: “Employers are being hit from two sides. On one, there is a better funded, more fully staffed Dept. of Labor (DOL) that has made fighting wage theft one of its key priorities. On the other side are aggressive plaintiff law firms that literally salivate at these easy-to-identify and easy-to-win, lucrative class actions.”

To complicate matters further, the DOL reports that more than 80% of employers are out of compliance with federal and state wage and hour laws! The top Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that get employers in trouble are:

• Misclassifying a non-exempt employee (eligible for overtime) as salaried/exempt
• Not paying overtime to non-exempt employees for all hours worked, including unauthorized overtime
• Making improper salary deductions from exempt and non-exempt employees

Go here for clear guidelines on how to comply with FLSA regulations – and practical forms and recordkeeping tools to keep you on track.

Tax perks under HIRE Act may push out another six months

If Congess approves the proposed legislation, the tax benefits for hiring unemployed workers under the HIRE Act will be extended by six months. These benefits include a 6.2% payroll tax incentive for unemployed workers hired from February 3, 2010, to January 1, 2011, and a $1,000 general business tax credit for each worker who stays with your company for at least one year.

The HIRE Now Tax Cut Extension of 2010 would allow employers hiring qualified employees from July 22, 2010, through June 30, 2011, to tap into the HIRE ACT benefits for an additional six months. The hope is that the legislation will advance the nation’s economic recovery by trimming the costs associated with hiring. Claim your payroll tax exemption under the new HIRE Act with Form W-11.

We will continue to monitor the situation, so check back here for updates.

Previous posts:

Are you clear on who qualifies for the HIRE Act tax benefits?

Hiring and firing and the latest legalities along the way

Hiring to get a boost with tax breaks for employers

The workplace after war: Are you ready to accommodate our returning troops?

Soon after declaring an end to the war in Iraq, President Obama withdrew the last of the U.S. combat troops from the Middle East last month – with a pledge to remove all troops from the area by the end of 2011. With thousands of our men and women heading home and stepping back into the work world, now is the time to prepare for the impact this may have on your business.

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) is the primary federal law governing the employment and reemployment rights of uniformed service members. In general, USERRA requires both private and public employers to provide military leave for employees, and to eliminate or reduce any employment disadvantage resulting from participation. USERRA requires you to reinstate employees upon completion of service, grant seniority and applicable benefits to returning employees, and train or otherwise qualify returning employees for reemployment. Specifically, you may not discriminate in hiring, promotion, reemployment, termination or benefits because of past, current or future military obligations.

The law requires that you educate your employees about their USERRA rights. With Poster Guard® Compliance Protection, you can be certain you’re displaying mandatory USERRA information via the federal labor law poster. G.Neil also offers an easy-to-read, downloadable E-Guide that explains the USERRA regulations and your legal responsibilities.

Don't let cold and flu season sneak up on you - prepare now!

Before you know it, the balmy days of summer will give way to crisper fall temperatures. And with the change in season comes the arrival of colds and flu. Sniffling, sneezing cold season can start up as early as September, with the aches and fever of flu not far behind it in October.

By taking the proper precautions, you can keep a cold or flu outbreak from sidelining your employees. It’s not too early to:

• Encourage employees to get a flu shot. Find a local flu clinic or consider hosting an on-site flu clinic. Vaccination is the best way to prevent the flu, especially for those at higher risk, such as individuals age 65 and older, pregnant women and those with chronic illnesses.

• Educate employees about the flu and what they can do to minimize its spread. Distribute information (via handouts, emails and/or posters) on flu symptoms and how to avoid contracting or sharing germs.

• Review your sick leave policy and ensure employees understand it. Consider adopting flexible hours or allowing telecommuting for employees who need to care for themselves or a sick family member.

• Reinforce good flu-prevention hygiene with employees, such as frequent hand washing, keeping a clean work area and using tissues when sneezing or coughing. Other ways employees can minimize exposure is by limiting face-to-face time, foregoing business travel and avoiding basic greetings like shaking hands.

Keep employees informed with “flu smart” workplace posters and support frequent hand washing with hand sanitizer dispensers mounted throughout the building.

HR managers have training on the brain, according to survey

Based on a survey by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service with more than 320 locations worldwide, HR departments are most concerned with training their employees right now. More than 500 HR managers at companies with 20 or more employees responded to the question, “Which of the following is your greatest staffing concern as a human resources professional?” The results:

45% - Training and developing employees
27% - Retaining top-performing employees
23% - Recruiting new employees
5% - None/doesn’t apply

OfficeTeam executive director Robert Hosking explains: "As workers take on expanded responsibilities, it becomes more important for companies to offer professional development to help their teams keep up. Training programs boost job satisfaction for employees by enabling them to build new skills and take on more challenging roles."

Especially today, companies are looking for programs that deliver the best training ROI. At the very least, these programs must be designed with a clear purpose and outline measurable objectives for employees to reach.

Any organization can use these top five employee training tips to help design their own training courses or to improve the ROI of any current programs:

1) Set clear goals. Identifying goals should be the first step to developing a new training program or enrolling employees in outside courses. A clear set of goals will ensure that employees complete the required course material and know what is expected of them once the program is finished.

2) Keep it ongoing. Employee training should be viewed as a way to continually learn and improve, rather than just something to check off your to-do list. With continuous training, employees will develop new skills and abilities that will improve their productivity and boost to your bottom line.

3) Keep it simple. Keep training programs focused on one topic at a time. If there are too many topics or too much information, you can easily overwhelm employees and turn training into a burden instead of an opportunity. If necessary, split up a large training program into smaller, more manageable courses.

4) Spend wisely. Do your homework and make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck when investing in employee training. Whether you’re using an outside resource or developing an in-house training program, ensure the materials are the best quality for your budget.

5) Follow up. After the training course or seminar is complete, managers should meet with employees on a regular basis to determine the effectiveness of the training and to monitor employees’ progress. Managers can also help employees who may be struggling with any new information.

A business is only as good as the people who work for it. Help your business succeed by giving employees the tools and training to perform at their best.

Gearing up for the 1099 onslaught

Businesses need to anticipate a flurry of 1099s in 2012. Hidden deep within the recently enacted healthcare reform bill are new 1099 reporting requirements that will place significant demands on your time and resources. With this one tax change, you could find yourself filing hundreds more 1099s just to comply.

Under current law, you are required to record the income payments you make each year to non-employees on a 1099-MISC form. When the total payments to independent contractors, consultants, attorneys, vendors, healthcare professionals, trainers, freelancers and other non-employees exceed $600 in a calendar year, you issue a 1099 to the individual and file it with the IRS.

Beginning next year, many more payments will be subject to the expanded 1099 rules. For the first time, you’ll also issue 1099s to corporations - and for virtually all goods that exceed $600 in a calendar year.

When you consider all the payments you make in the course of running your business – from computer equipment and office supplies to janitorial services and overnight package delivery – you realize just how many 1099s this will entail.

Why the health care reform bill contains a 1099 change ...

The obvious question for most businesses is, “How did this sweeping tax change end up in the health care reform bill?”

Blame it on the burgeoning federal deficit. The tax change is expected to help the IRS capture an estimated $345 billion in new tax revenues, as well as offset the cost of the historic health care legislation. The reporting requirements have been on the IRS’ radar for a long time, and they finally made it in the health care reform bill.

Plan ahead so you're fully prepared

While we won’t know the ultimate impact of the new law until the IRS issues its final regulations, we do know it’s not too soon to plan for how you’ll manage the spike in 1099 filings. Stay tuned for more details on the new requirements, as well as tips for easing the paperwork burden.

Federal agencies to bump up enforcement in 2010

Last year a number of federal agencies increased their compliance enforcement efforts, including the Department of Labor (DOL), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Recent actions by these agencies suggest that this trend will continue in 2010:

• Designed to raise employee awareness of their rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the recently launched, DOL-sponsored We Can Help campaign will undoubtedly increase the number of employee wage and hour complaints to the agency. The campaign is actively targeting the country’s lowest-paid workers, regardless of citizenship status, and encourages them to submit information, including pay stubs and hours of work, via the agency’s website. In addition, the DOL received a significant uptick in funding for 2010, and is requesting more in its proposed 2011 budget.

• Immigration enforcement is a priority for the Obama administration, and the DHS is following through with plans to conduct 25,000 on-site inspections at companies who employ workers with H-1B visas – an increase of nearly 20,000 over the previous year.

• Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis has promised more OSHA inspections, and employers can expect to see a shift to a more aggressive, citation-based approach from OSHA. Last year, between July and September, OSHA performed nearly 700 inspections and issued over 1,000 violations that resulted in $1.6 million in fines.

Enforcement efforts like the We Can Help campaign and others underscore the importance of maintaining strict compliance with federal regulations, including those covering labor, safety, tax, immigration and employment law. Stay tuned for more updates as they come.

Are you clear on who qualifies for the HIRE Act tax benefits?

To take advantage of the HIRE Act’s payroll tax exemption, you must have eligible new hires complete Form W-11. The form acts as a signed affidavit, certifying that the employee has not been employed for more than 40 hours during the 60-day period ending on the hire date.

Many employers pursuing this tax benefit continue to have questions, however. The IRS has responded by updating the HIRE Act FAQs on its website. Based on new details from the IRS, you should be aware that:

• As long as other requirements are met, self-employed individuals qualify, which makes you eligible for the payroll tax exemption if you hire an independent contractor as an employee.

• To meet the hiring date requirement of a qualified employee (hired after Feb. 3, 2010, and before Jan. 1, 2011), an individual’s start date must follow “general principles” relating to employment. Employment begins on the date when, based on specific facts and circumstances, the employer-employee relationship is first established.

• Generally, an employee does not qualify if he or she is hired to replace an existing employee unless the former employee 1) voluntarily terminated employment, 2) was terminated due to gross negligence, 3) was terminated for poor performance, or 4) was terminated in a reduction in force due to lack of work.

• A minor can sign the Form W-11.

The Downloadable Form W-11 from G.Neil includes a FREE Tip Sheet with helpful do’s and don’ts, and advice for identifying qualifying employees under the federal HIRE act.

Fed-up JetBlue flight attendant ... hothead or hero?

We’ve all had horrible days at work that almost sent us over the edge. But we bury the stress and swallow back the urge to yell “I quit” and walk out the door.

Not Steven Slater. For cursing out a customer, grabbing a beer and fleeing the plane via the emergency exit chute, this JetBlue flight attendant has captured America’s attention. In fact, burned-out workers across the country are propping Slater up as a hero after his highly publicized workplace rant.

As two readers shared in an msnbc.com article:

“How many of us can honestly say we haven’t wanted to do the same thing? Steve is a working class hero!”

“Maybe not the best way to quit your job but hey, sometimes enough is enough.”

But the fantasy of telling your boss off could quickly collide with the reality of being jobless. As the article explains:

Some may see Slater as a hero because they know they don’t have the luxury to speak out like that in their own lives. While Slater may have felt great after finally letting loose in such a public way, the fact is that most of us need our jobs more than we need that release. And most of us realize that such a dramatic move can carry heavy consequences, such as the felony charges that Slater is currently facing.

When all is said and done, we need our jobs … and we need to find ways to cope with the frustrations that come with them. We may sympathize with and applaud Slater for his actions, but would we do the same and risk losing our jobs?

10 tips for surviving an I-9 audit

In a strategic plan to step up enforcement of immigration-related employment laws, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be knocking on more doors and conducting more workplace inspections in the coming years.

While certain industries are more vulnerable to investigations (such as agriculture, construction, hospitality and food processing), all employers need to take the proper steps to protect themselves and prevent I-9 violations.

1. Store I-9 forms in separate binders (not in employee personnel files) for current employees and terminated employees.
2. Print a list of all current employees, including name and date of hire.
3. Use the correct, most up-to-date version of the I-9 form.
4. Refuse any document with a past-due expiration date when completing the I-9 form for a new hire.
5. Do not verify U.S. passports or passport cards, Permanent Resident or Resident Alien Cards, or List B Identity documents.
6. Re-verify expiring work authorization documents before they expire – and do not allow an employee to continue working after the work authorization document expires.
7. Conduct a self-audit of your I-9 forms to make sure they are complete and accurate.
8. Avoid discrimination or document abuse with your I-9 form process.
9. Accept the document and complete Section 2 of the I-9 form if the document(s) presented by the employee is on the List of Acceptable Documents, appears to be genuine and relates to the person presenting it.
10. Stand up for your rights! If ICE shows up to conduct an audit, insist on a written Notice of Inspection and your right to three business days before you share your original I-9 forms.

In addition to the mandatory Form I-9, G.Neil offers practical information and tools to help you properly complete I-9s and maintain organized, up-to-date records.

OSHA issues a new program to prevent chemical-related workplace hazards ... more safety inspections to follow

Effective July 8, 2010, a new directive by OSHA will assist enforcement personnel in carrying out a National Emphasis Program to eliminate workplace accidents associated with the catastrophic release of highly hazardous chemicals. The PSM Covered Chemical Facilities National Emphasis Program will include programmed inspections in three regions:

• Region I – Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island
• Region VII – Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri
• Region X – Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Idaho

Unprogrammed inspections will be conducted in seven other OSHA regions, as well.

(Basically, programmed inspections are based on “objective or neutral” criteria, while unprogrammed inspections are in response to “alleged hazardous working conditions that have been identified at a specific worksite.”)

The new directive will focus primarily on chemical processing facilities, refineries, and water and/or wastewater treatment facilities. More than 15,000 facilities nationwide could face inspections as a result.

Improve your safety practices and prepare for an OSHA inspection with the ComplyRight™ SolveIt Now™ Answers to All Your Questions: OSHA Compliance.

Operation "Email cleanup" - Purging the profanity before you hit 'Send'

Got a potty mouth? If you work for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., you’ll need to clean it up and edit out the expletives in your email exchanges.

After an embarrassing slip of the tongue received national attention in recent Congressional hearings, Goldman Sachs is now prohibiting employees from swearing in emails.

For the New York company, this means 34,000 traders, investment bankers and other employees must now avoid a vast vocabulary of dirty words often uttered on Wall Street. Goldman Sachs’ disinfected communications policy will be carried out by screening software, which detects and flags common swear words and acronyms.

Goldman Sachs’ no-swearing policy extends to instant messages and texts from company-issued cellphones and emails. Inappropriate emails could make their way to the compliance department, while others might be blocked completely, depending on the severity of the language.

A Goldman spokeswoman said: "Of course we have policies about the use of appropriate language and we are always looking for ways to ensure that they are enforced." WSJ.com

Goldman Sachs is not the only employer taking a stand against off-color communications. This past June, Citigroup told employees in a memo that "recent headlines involving inappropriate emails are an important reminder to 'think before writing, read before sending'. Citigroup doesn’t enforce any formal discipline, but chronic swearers may be approached by their managers and asked to clean up their language.

Another company concerned about profanity-peppered communications is New York-based media company Bloomberg LP. It claims to have monitored emails for more than 10 years with an application that scans messages for 70 profane words and phrase - in English and several other languages.

What about your company? Do you have a formal policy prohibiting swearing in email communications? Do you worry about looking less professional if employees send emails that contain profanity?

When the bride-to-be is busy planning her wedding on work time

I ran across an article on msnbc.msn.com that I found particularly interesting. First, because summer is a busy season for weddings and second, because I’ve known a few women who became a tad obsessed planning their walk down the aisle.

According to a survey of 1,000 women by TheKnot.com, WeddingChannel.com and ForbesWoman.com, brides-to-be spend about 10 hours a week planning their wedding – and nearly 30 percent of it is done at work.

But apparently it’s all in the name of multi-tasking. While nine out of 10 women who participated in the survey admitted to making wedding plans on company time, only a third felt their work was negatively affected.

Carley Roney, editor-in-chief of TheKnot.com, says that lunch time and Mondays are particularly busy times on her wedding planning website.

Cause for concern … or let it go?

OK, so what’s an employer or manager to do when Megan is more concerned about the bridesmaids’ dresses, guest list and floral arrangements than the latest workplace project or report?

If you feel the same way as Carley Roney, the answer may be to “not sweat it” because the productivity will come back that much stronger after the nuptials.

"Post wedding, people become much more serious and focused. They are saving for
homes, so they're not in the mind of changing jobs as much because they're very
focused on what their goals are ahead," says Roney.

So what do you think? Have you ever had to intervene because an employee was more concerned about her wedding than her work? Are weddings an inevitable productivity drainer – or can the bride-to-be strike a healthy balance and stay on task?

A quick refresher of the Form W-4 tax-filing rules

In a recent review of the current Form W-4 (Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate) at the 28th Annual APA Congress in Washington, D.C., a handful of rules were revisited and reinforced. As a reminder:

• High school and college students are not automatically exempt from tax withholding, even if all the prior year’s taxes were refunded. In addition, students must meet all the same exemption tests as other employees.

• Employees claiming a withholding exemption must file a new Form W-4 every year.

• You may develop and use substitute Forms W-4, but you must also provide the table, worksheets and instructions contained in the form. You may not use a substitute developed by an employee, however.

• An electronic Form W-4 may be filed as long as it meets certain requirements.

• E-mails to change a Form W-4 are discouraged, as they are not a legitimate electronic system.

• Nonresident aliens filing Form W-4 have certain restrictions on their status, number of allowances and inability to claim the standard deduction.

Stock up on the required Form W-4 to meet the IRS filing requirements for new hires and tax status changes for current employees.

Are you dishing the right details about dependent eligibility?

With all the confusion surrounding the dependent coverage rules under the health care reform bill, we’d like to take a moment to provide some clarity.

First things first: The definition of an eligible dependent is a biological or legally adopted child up to age 26, even if married.

Just as important, you must comply with the new eligibility rules if your plan year begins on or just after September 23.

Some of the eligibility rules to keep in mind:

=> Dependents don’t need to be enrolled in school or be financially dependent on their parents
=> The spouses or children of adult dependents aren’t eligible for coverage
=> You must invite all dependents back during your company’s enrollment period – including those previously dropped or whose parents opted out of your plan

As you might imagine, a change like this requires some targeted communication on your part. This means reviewing and updating all your company’s printed and electronic information (such as enrollment materials and benefits-related websites) to include the new dependent definition and eligibility guidelines.

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