As a result of a spike in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant, the CDC now recommends that everyone, including individuals who are fully vaccinated, wear face coverings when indoors in places of substantial or high community transmission. According to the CDC, infections happen only in a small proportion of people who are
Carmody @ Work
Updates for Employers on Important Workplace Issues
Latest from Carmody @ Work - Page 4
Playing Away from the Fringes: Understanding Indirect Employee Compensation
The subject of taxation of employee benefits made rare headlines earlier this month when a New York grand jury indicted the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, for tax crimes relating to unreported fringe benefits. The indictment alleges that Weisselberg intentionally failed to report and pay taxes on over $1.75 million of…
New Law Requires Employers to Disclose Wage Ranges and Expands Scope of Gender-Based Wage Discrimination
By Nick Zaino
The end of Connecticut’s legislative session always generates an influx of newly passed bills that affect employers. One such bill that was signed into law by Governor Lamont is Public Act 21-30, “An Act Concerning the Disclosure of Salary Range for a Vacant Position.” This law will go into effect October 1, 2021 and requires…
New IRS Guidance on the COBRA Subsidy: Questions Answered
The IRS recently issued FAQs regarding the temporary, 100% COBRA subsidy created by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“Rescue Plan Act”). This subsidy is available to “Assistance Eligible Individuals” for COBRA continuation coverage during the period April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021. We previously covered developments relating to the COBRA subsidy in…
Incentives for COVID-19 Vaccines and Extra Time for FSAs
As the economy and public health situation gradually move to a more hopeful phase in Connecticut, employers and HR administrators will benefit from staying on top of current legal developments and trends in employee benefits. Let’s discuss two timely topics in employee benefits: (1) incentives for getting COVID-19 vaccines; and (2) extended time for employees…
CT Expands Anti-Discrimination Laws to Prohibit Discrimination Based on Natural Hair
Gov. Ned Lamont has signed into law House Bill 6515, entitled “An Act Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair”, commonly known as the “CROWN Act”, which makes it illegal to discriminate based on a person’s hair texture or protective hairstyle in employment, public accommodations, housing, credit practices, union membership, and state agency…
Connecticut Extends Sexual Harassment Training For A Third Time and President Biden Nominates A New NLRB General Counsel
Connecticut’s Sexual Harassment Training Deadline Extended to April 19, 2021
The CHRO has announced a third extension of the deadline to provide sexual harassment training for all employees, including supervisors and non-supervisors. In November 2020, the CHRO had announced that the deadline would be extended for a second time until February 9, 2021. Now, the…
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021-Retirement Plan Provisions
Partial Plan Termination Relief
Many employers may be facing what the IRS guidance refers to as a partial plan termination. Generally, this occurs when the number of employees participating in a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) plan, decreases by 20% or more during the Plan Year. This is calculated by dividing all employer…
A Different Kind of “Mask Mandate”: Civil Rights Law Does Not Protect Employees Disciplined for Wearing “Black Lives Matter” Masks at Work
Earlier this month, a Massachusetts federal court dismissed discrimination and retaliation claims against Whole Foods Market and its parent company Amazon alleging that Whole Foods workers faced discipline and retaliation, including docked pay, cut hours, and even termination, for wearing face masks and other paraphernalia bearing the slogan “Black Lives Matter” at work. Whole Foods…
Beware the Ides— March 15 Deadline Approaches for Payment of Short-Term Deferred Compensation
HR administrators, employers, employees, and even independent consultants are all well-advised to remember the approaching March 15th deadline for the distribution of annual bonuses and many other forms of compensation that were earned in 2020.
Ever-lurking tax traps wreaked on businesses and individuals by Section 409A of the Tax Code makes each year’s due date…