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Showing 15 posts in Employee Benefits.

Telecommuting Employees and Unauthorized Overtime – Must the Employer Pay?

In today’s ever-increasing digital world, more employers than ever are turning to telecommuting to help reduce overheard and increase morale of employees. Importantly, however, state and federal laws apply equally to employers and employees, regardless of whether they work on-site or remotely. Among the most common issues and missteps which affect employers with telecommuting employees are wage and hour laws and, more specifically, overtime laws. More >

HIPAA Considerations In The Event Of Employee Death or Incapacitation

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, otherwise known as HIPAA, acts in part to provide federal protection for identifiable health information retained by covered entities, which includes most businesses that offer company health plans. While many employers have policies and procedures in place to ensure HIPAA compliance in routine, every day matters relating to the management of employee health data, few employers have developed policies or even considered how to manage protected health information in the unfortunate event of employee death or incapacitation. More >

Kentucky Supreme Court Decision Drastically Impacts All Non-Compete Agreements

Earlier this year, the Kentucky Supreme Court reversed the Kentucky Court of Appeals’ holding in Creech, Inc. v. Brown, and held, in a landmark decision, that continued employment, standing alone, is no longer sufficient consideration to justify or support enforcement of a non-compete agreement. This reverses prior precedent that employer-employee agreements may be executed in exchange for merely retaining one’s job. While the case has an intricate and complex set of facts, this article focuses on the consideration requirement only, as the Kentucky Supreme Court chose not to address any other issues. More >

Guidelines for Hiring Summer Interns

Summer is upon us. For employers, that means so is the prospect of hiring summer interns. Each year, clients contact McBrayer employment attorneys about the legality of their internship programs. Hiring interns gives employers access to highly motivated, educated young workers who bring a fresh perspective to the office and (sometimes) have little to no expectation of pay in return. It seems like a win-win situation, but in recent years, the practice of hiring unpaid interns has become increasingly scrutinized by the Department of Labor. In fact, there have been several high-profile cases wherein unpaid interns have sued employers (including Conde Nast Publications, Sirius XM Radio, and Warner Music Group), alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), which establishes minimum wage and overtime compensation requirements for non-exempt employees. More >

Detecting FMLA Abuse

Dealing with employees who abuse FMLA can be difficult. Letting abuse run rampant, however, can impact business productivity and put a damper on company morale (as present employees often have to pick up the slack of someone on leave). Employers who detect abuse must proceed with caution because it is very easy to run afoul of regulations. More >

Curbing FMLA Abuse

The Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) permits eligible employees to take up to 12 work weeks of leave during a 12-month period if a serious health condition makes the employee unable to perform the functions of his or her position. When an employer suspects that an employee is abusing the FMLA leave, employers may feel caught in a classic Catch-22. They can ignore the abuse and operate with a reduced workforce, or subject themselves to an interference or defamation suit if they decide to challenge or confront the employee about the questionable leave. More >

Unemployment Benefits Refresher, Part II

Unemployment Benefits Refresher, Part II More >

Unemployment Benefits Refresher, Part I

 A common administrative headache for employers is dealing with terminated employees who go on to seek unemployment benefits. While an employer has the right to challenge the award of unemployment benefits, choosing to do so requires careful consideration.  The process can be time-consuming and may require a commitment of more resources than one would like.  Additionally, challenging an award of unemployment benefits may serve to push a former employee into litigation that he or she may not have pursued otherwise.  That being said, if an employer has good documentation regarding a termination and clear, uniformly enforced employee policies, challenging a claim for unemployment benefits can be successful. More >

Drug-Free Workplaces, Followed by Drug-Free Benefits?

Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment Law, Kentucky Labor Cabinet

In recent years, policy makers in numerous states have considered banning welfare, unemployment benefits or workers’ compensation to employees or ex-employees who test positive for drug use. Proponents say that public monies should not be given to those who engage in illicit drug use and likely misuse payments on their addiction. Opponents say that these policies target the already-vulnerable who may be trying to get back on their feet and argue that drug testing procedures can be just as costly as the doled-out payments. The Kentucky legislature may take up the issue in 2014, as it has already showed interest in such measures during past sessions. More >

The Christmas Conundrum, continued

On Monday we discussed the basic framework for providing employees with days off during recognized religious holidays.  A related issue commonly presented during the holiday season is whether employees must be paid for their time off. More >

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