Law

We Need Universal ESG Accounting Standards

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 14:32:30 -0500

Nearly every company today understands that sustainability must be made core to its strategy and capital allocation process but are often confused by how best to report on ESG progress in a way that will be credible to shareholders and other stakeholders. What is needed is...

Are you ready? Here are the top regulatory concerns facing HR this year

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 10:13:49 -0500

Workplace safety ranks number one on a top 10 list of regulatory issues employers face for the balance of 2022 and beyond, a new report finds. According to the report, from Paychex, a provider of...

A Leader’s Legacy

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 17:05:03 -0500

For the last several years I’ve made it a practice to observe the Martin Luther King Day holiday by re-reading his famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”. King penned the letter while in solitary confinement, writing first in the margins of a newspaper that had been smuggled in to him, and then...

Handling the tricky questions in FMLA intermittent leave

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 04:00:00 -0500

Intermittent FMLA leave is a giant thorn in the side of HR people everywhere. But not all intermittent leave requests are equal. Here’s a look at some of the most common scenarios, and how to handle them...

The phishing email most likely to scam Finance

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 04:00:00 -0500

Phishing emails allegedly from social media sites have transformed into a top target for cyber-criminals. And of all social media...

AT&T Pays $60 Million To Settle Claims It Lied About Unlimited Data Plan

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 01:00:00 -0500

AT&T agreed to pay $60 million to settle litigation from the Federal Trade Commission alleging that...

Virtual currency: IRS issues additional guidance on tax treatment and reminds taxpayers of reporting obligations

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 02:00:00 -0400

As part of a wider effort to assist taxpayers and to enforce the tax laws in a rapidly changing area, the Internal Revenue Service today issued two new pieces of guidance for taxpayers who engage in transactions involving virtual currency. Expanding on guidance from 2014...

Featured Resource: Internal Investigations Certificate Program

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

When you receive an allegation of workplace harassment or discrimination - or believe your organization has become a victim of fraud or theft - taking prompt action is your legal responsibility. But let's face it...

Social Security taxable wage base for 2020 released

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

The Social Security Administration (SSA) just issued the taxable wage base for 2020. And it’s higher than what was predicted back in the spring. The magic number Payroll needs...

5 qualities every internal auditor needs – does yours have them?

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 01:00:00 -0400

It’s a mission-critical function in every company: the internal auditor. And whether you have a dedicated position or tap general finance staffers to do the review, you want to make sure you have the right person for the job. Heads up: That definition is changing...

Featured Resource: Employee Expense Reimbursements: Compliance Workshop

Fri, 04 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

The legal and financial risks of mishandling employee expense reimbursements have spiked in recent years. And the IRS is in the middle of a wide-ranging audit crackdown on employment-tax issues.

Let’s Make A “Deal Tax”

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 02:00:00 -0400

They call it the “deal tax”: When a public company announces a merger or acquisition, it is greeted with one, two or half a dozen lawsuits, sometimes drafted and filed within hours of the announcement.

Lawyers sued over...

What We Know About CrowdStrike, The Cybersecurity Firm Trump Mentioned In Ukraine Call, And Its Billionaire CEO

Fri, 27 Sep 2019 03:00:00 -0400

CrowdStrike has found itself in the eye of a political storm, again.

In a reconstructed transcript released by the White House on Wednesday morning...

The World’s Most Reputable Companies For Corporate Responsibility 2019

vvalet@forbes.com — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 04:00:00 -0400

Some of the world’s biggest businesses were in crisis management mode last year, picking up the pieces of reputations shattered by scandal. While many corporations have yet to regain the trust of stakeholders...

Three inconvenient truths about corruption

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 03:00:00 -0400

These days, I sometimes begin my classes on corruption with an unusual admission. I announce to my students - who may be judges, police officers, military investigators, bureaucrats or any other variety of public official - that...

Last-Minute Tips for Complying with EEO-1 Pay-Data Reporting

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 02:00:00 -0400

Employers have less than two weeks to file their EEO-1 Component 2 data—pay information broken down by job category, race, sex and ethnicity—to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). To avoid technical issues and delays...

Arbitration Clauses Can Cause a Rift

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 00:00:00 -0400

In Latif v. Morgan Stanley & Co., plaintiff Mahmoud Latif complained to defendant Morgan Stanley’s HR department about his co-workers’ inappropriate comments regarding his sexual orientation and religion, inappropriate touching and sexual advances. Latif also complained of...

States eye unclaimed property: How to stay compliant this fall

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 04:00:00 -0400

With fall reporting deadlines right around the corner for Finance, you may want to take a second look at your company’s process...

Why U.S.-China Trade War Risks Hurting Firms in Both Countries

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 04:00:00 -0400

U.S. businesses are imploring President Donald Trump not to expand his tariffs to $300 billion in goods from China that have so far been...

Should Employees Who Have Been Evacuated Be Paid During a Hurricane?

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 03:00:00 -0400

As Hurricane Dorian makes its way up the United States' Southeastern coast, many businesses will close and workers will be displaced. Employers should be prepared to answer important questions, including...

Hiring in Finance: Legally, what can and can’t you say?

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 04:00:00 -0400

Any time Finance is looking to bring on new staffers, you must ensure the interview process is carried out smoothly and soundly.

In today’s age...

Invoice fraud? 4 telltale signs someone’s scamming your company

Fri, 30 Aug 2019 03:00:00 -0400

On most days, your finance staffers fly through invoices quickly and methodically. But once in a while, they may come across an invoice that causes them to take pause.

With payment fraud at a record high now...

Busted! Employer catches employee on social media abusing FMLA leave

Fri, 30 Aug 2019 00:00:00 -0400

FMLA leave costs your company enough when employees take it legitimately... then you catch an employee trying to scam you!

Unfortunately it happens a lot, though probably not as...

Judge sees age discrimination, jury awards $15 million

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 04:00:00 -0400

Ageism continues costing employers dearly.

The Los Angeles Times is on the hook for a $15.4 million jury award for demoting an older worker.

It’s the most recent example of...

Employer Makes $1.3 Million FMLA Mistake by Firing Worker After Mexico Trip

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 01:00:00 -0400

A recent decision from the highest court in Massachusetts emphasizes the risk to employers of taking employment actions based on outrage rather than reason—particularly when it comes to decisions about leaves of absence.

In this case...

New Study Says Age Discrimination Remains a Persistent Issue for Employers

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Simple solutions exist, including recruitment and hiring strategies that avoid age bias by seeking workers of all ages and not limiting qualifications based on age or experience.

Sexual harassment blind spots: 3 keys to opening your CEO's eyes

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 02:00:00 -0400

In this post-#MeToo world, nearly every HR pro has made sexual harassment prevention a top priority.

But despite your best efforts, harassment isn’t going away. Research shows employees are just as likely to be sexually harassed now as they were before the #MeToo movement...

New IRS rule changes your year-end prep

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 04:00:00 -0400

Your company will soon be able to take a new step to protect employees’ sensitive info at year-end – IRS just issued a final rule that lets employers voluntarily truncate employee Social Security numbers (SSNs) on W-2s.

This isn’t the first change...

Here's What $300 Billion in New Tariffs on China Really Means for You and Your Business

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 03:00:00 -0400

Sometimes, it can be difficult to personalize big numbers like $300 billion. That's the amount of new tariffs President Trump announced he intends to impose on goods from China beginning September 1. It will affect...

Cisco pays $8.6M to settle security-software whistleblower lawsuit

michael_cooney@idg.com — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 03:00:00 -0400

Cisco has agreed to pay $8.6 million to settle claims it sold video security software that had a vulnerability that could have opened federal, state and local government agencies to hackers.

Under terms of the settlement...