The significant tax breaks and other incentives available to employers that hire veterans have inspired many to increase their veteran recruitment efforts. Some companies have even begun to advertise themselves as “veteran friendly.”

But there’s more to being a veteran-friendly employer than just a company’s willingness to hire veterans. The following are steps companies can take to ensure job-seeking veterans respond to recruitment efforts are feel welcomed once hired.

Among the many California Peculiarities that employers must face are special rules on personnel record keeping. In 2012 the Legislature, in enacting AB 2674, made those rules yet more complicated and onerous. Until December 31, 2012, employer obligations to make employee performance records or grievances available were drawn out in the seven subdivisions of Labor Code section 1198.5(a)-(g). Effective January 1, 2013, the statute’s subdivisions now number seventeen, reflecting nine key changes:

Oh, L’Amour.  As Valentine’s Day approaches and the flowers and cookie bouquet deliveries start roaming the hallways, it is time for us to turn our sights on one of the most innocent-seeming, yet problematic, aspects of employment law:  the workplace romance. 

As HRInformant previously reported, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently revised the Form I-9. The USCIS also publishes a handbook with useful information for employers to assist them in completing the Form I-9.

The USCIS updated the Handbook for Employers, Guidance for Completing the Form I-9 (M-274) to include information about the revised Form I-9. 

According to the USCIS, helpful new images have been added to the Handbookto illustrate how employees and employers can complete Sections 1-3 of the new form. The Handbook also contains updated guidance on recording changes of name and other identity information.

Continuing in this series on new California regs, this post calls out three additional areas where the pregnancy disability regulations have changed as of January 1, 2013.  Last time, we talked about expanded definitions, time periods for leave, and required notices.  This time, we are talking reinstatement, interplay with other leaves and reasonable accommodation.  For a deeper dive, you’ll have to read the regulations yourself, which you can find here.

After almost two years of public comment and editing, the California Office of Administrative Law finally settled on a crop of regulations that substantially alter the way Pregnancy Disability Leaves (PDL) are administered in California.  The regulations (effective December 30, 2012) have created additional burdens for employers that many may find onerous:    

We all know that agency regulations can be informative guidance but, by their nature, extremely detailed and—let’s face it—dry as toast.  The new disability regulations, which went into effect on December 30, 2012, are no exception.  

As the March 15 corporate tax filing deadline approaches, California’s small businesses need to know they may qualify for an important health care tax credit available under the Affordable Care Act.

The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit provides a credit equaling up to 35 percent of the health insurance premium costs that a small business incurred for insuring its employees. The credit is designed to help small businesses and tax-exempt organizations that primarily employ moderate and lower-income workers either maintain existing coverage or offer health insurance to their employees for the first time.

Certified Public Account and tax expert Conrad Davis, Crowe Horwath LLP, explains that more businesses need to be made aware of this benefit of the law aimed at small employers.

“Right now the credit is underutilized,” Davis said in an interview with CalChamber News. “The studies show that not as many businesses that are eligible are participating.”

According to a recent study, more than 375,000 small businesses in California are eligible for health insurance tax credits for a total value of more than $1.8 billion.

Small employers that pay at least half of the premium for employee health insurance coverage may be eligible for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

CalChamber News has the full story, including more details on which employers qualify for the tax credit.

Today, March 8, 2013, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a revised Form I-9 for use in verifying employment eligibility. All employers are required to complete a Form I-9 for each employee.

The USCIS stated that the revisions to the form include: 

The new minimum wage of $10 per hour in San José goes into effect on March 11, 2013.

The Minimum Wage Ordinance requires covered employers to pay covered employees a minimum wage of $10.00 per hour for work performed within the City of San José. The ordinance also mandates that, beginning on January 1, 2014, the minimum wage will increase annually if there is an increase in the Consumer Price Index issued by the United States Department of Labor each year.

City officials published detailed information about the new minimum wage for employers and employees on this San José webpage, including an updated frequently asked questions document about the new requirements.

According to the city’s Office of Equality Assurance, the Minimum Wage Ordinance covers: