Speaking of gig workers...
While the push to give benefits to gig workers in the United States has not seen much traction, Uber drivers in Europe are miles ahead. The company recently announced it would give drivers sick pay, parental leave, bereavement benefits, access to medical coverage and workers compensation. These are in addition to illness and injury coverage, which the company has offered since April 2017 at a cost of £2 a week to employees.
The moves are seen by many as goodwill offerings as the company's London operating license comes up for renewal in June. Meanwhile, as in the United States, Uber's European counterpart continues to fight court rulings over the classification of its workers, as well as attempts by employees to unionize. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Death benefits for teachers
The nation may not have a solution to its devastating increase in mass shootings, but teachers in New Hampshire will at least have some consolation if they find themselves caught in the crossfire. Legislators recently passed HB 1415, which provides "Death benefits" for a school employee killed "in the line of duty."
The measure, expected to be signed by Gov. Chris Sununu, will provide $100,000 to the family of any public school employee killed in an act of violence."Our educators and school employees are there to protect New Hampshire children in our schools in the event that New Hampshire does have to face such a horrific event like a school shooting or other act of violence," said Democratic supporter Kristina Schultz. "We need to have the same line of duty benefit for them to show that we honor and respect their service, that they might put themselves in harm's way to save our children." (Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP)
ICE fires up another round of I-9 audits
If your employees' 1-9 forms aren't in order, now is the time to do so. Over the past several months, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has more than doubled its workplace investigations, and earlier this week, ICE announced it would be conducting another wave this summer, with the goal of conducting more than 5,000 by the end of the fiscal year.
The overall goal of the audits is to encourage I-9 compliance and crack down on illegal immigration. Thus far, the agency has made 594 criminal arrests and 610 worksite-related arrests. ICE is not focusing on one particular segment or region, so all employers would be smart to review their processes, as well check out this list of rights and considerations from the National Law Review. (Photo: Shutterstock)
NYC's paid sick leave laws now in effect
New York City's Earned Safe and Sick Time Act took effect May 5, requiring all NYC employers with five or more employees to provide up to 40 hours of sick leave per year. The leave covers their own care as well as care for a family member. The act also grants employees "safe leave," in the event that the employee or a family member become a victim of domestic violence, unwanted sexual contact, stalking or human trafficking. Employers have until June 4 to provide a new Notice of Employee Rights and must update their company policies accordingly. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Is Seattle's 'head tax' contagious?
Inspired by the recent passage of a "head tax" in Seattle, the California cities of Cupertino and Mountain View exploring similar measures. In Mountain View, such a tax could generate $10 million annually, half of which would be generated by Google parent company Alphabet. "Google has billions of dollars in cash floating around," Mountain View mayor Lenny Siegel said. "They made billions off the tax bill. They can afford to spend a little more here."
Cupertino is not as far in the process of evaluating the impact of a head tax, but would no doubt draw significant revenues from Apple, its largest employer, as well as draw the attention of other cities with a sizeable tech industry presence. (Photo: Shutterstock)
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Freelancers benefitting from NYC law
On the one-year anniversary of the passage of New York City's "Freelance Isn't Free" Act, the city's Department of Consumer Affairs says the measure has netted a total of $254,866 in delinquent payments for freelancers, according to Nextcity.com.
The first-of-its-kind measure, passed to protect the city's growing freelancer population, requires payment within 30 days of service on contracts of $800 or more and opens up a wealth of legal resources to help freelancers take action against employers in violation. The Department of Consumer Affairs is still working out kinks in the program, including a lack of awareness, but hopes the model will inspire other cities as the gig economy grows. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Speaking of gig workers...
While the push to give benefits to gig workers in the United States has not seen much traction, Uber drivers in Europe are miles ahead. The company recently announced it would give drivers sick pay, parental leave, bereavement benefits, access to medical coverage and workers compensation. These are in addition to illness and injury coverage, which the company has offered since April 2017 at a cost of £2 a week to employees.
The moves are seen by many as goodwill offerings as the company's London operating license comes up for renewal in June. Meanwhile, as in the United States, Uber's European counterpart continues to fight court rulings over the classification of its workers, as well as attempts by employees to unionize. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Death benefits for teachers
The nation may not have a solution to its devastating increase in mass shootings, but teachers in New Hampshire will at least have some consolation if they find themselves caught in the crossfire. Legislators recently passed HB 1415, which provides "Death benefits" for a school employee killed "in the line of duty."
The measure, expected to be signed by Gov. Chris Sununu, will provide $100,000 to the family of any public school employee killed in an act of violence."Our educators and school employees are there to protect New Hampshire children in our schools in the event that New Hampshire does have to face such a horrific event like a school shooting or other act of violence," said Democratic supporter Kristina Schultz. "We need to have the same line of duty benefit for them to show that we honor and respect their service, that they might put themselves in harm's way to save our children." (Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP)
ICE fires up another round of I-9 audits
If your employees' 1-9 forms aren't in order, now is the time to do so. Over the past several months, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has more than doubled its workplace investigations, and earlier this week, ICE announced it would be conducting another wave this summer, with the goal of conducting more than 5,000 by the end of the fiscal year.
The overall goal of the audits is to encourage I-9 compliance and crack down on illegal immigration. Thus far, the agency has made 594 criminal arrests and 610 worksite-related arrests. ICE is not focusing on one particular segment or region, so all employers would be smart to review their processes, as well check out this list of rights and considerations from the National Law Review. (Photo: Shutterstock)
NYC's paid sick leave laws now in effect
New York City's Earned Safe and Sick Time Act took effect May 5, requiring all NYC employers with five or more employees to provide up to 40 hours of sick leave per year. The leave covers their own care as well as care for a family member. The act also grants employees "safe leave," in the event that the employee or a family member become a victim of domestic violence, unwanted sexual contact, stalking or human trafficking. Employers have until June 4 to provide a new Notice of Employee Rights and must update their company policies accordingly. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Is Seattle's 'head tax' contagious?
Inspired by the recent passage of a "head tax" in Seattle, the California cities of Cupertino and Mountain View exploring similar measures. In Mountain View, such a tax could generate $10 million annually, half of which would be generated by Google parent company Alphabet. "Google has billions of dollars in cash floating around," Mountain View mayor Lenny Siegel said. "They made billions off the tax bill. They can afford to spend a little more here."
Cupertino is not as far in the process of evaluating the impact of a head tax, but would no doubt draw significant revenues from Apple, its largest employer, as well as draw the attention of other cities with a sizeable tech industry presence. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Advertisement
Freelancers benefitting from NYC law
On the one-year anniversary of the passage of New York City's "Freelance Isn't Free" Act, the city's Department of Consumer Affairs says the measure has netted a total of $254,866 in delinquent payments for freelancers, according to Nextcity.com.
The first-of-its-kind measure, passed to protect the city's growing freelancer population, requires payment within 30 days of service on contracts of $800 or more and opens up a wealth of legal resources to help freelancers take action against employers in violation. The Department of Consumer Affairs is still working out kinks in the program, including a lack of awareness, but hopes the model will inspire other cities as the gig economy grows. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Speaking of gig workers...
While the push to give benefits to gig workers in the United States has not seen much traction, Uber drivers in Europe are miles ahead. The company recently announced it would give drivers sick pay, parental leave, bereavement benefits, access to medical coverage and workers compensation. These are in addition to illness and injury coverage, which the company has offered since April 2017 at a cost of £2 a week to employees.
The moves are seen by many as goodwill offerings as the company's London operating license comes up for renewal in June. Meanwhile, as in the United States, Uber's European counterpart continues to fight court rulings over the classification of its workers, as well as attempts by employees to unionize. (Photo: Shutterstock)
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Emily Payne
Emily Payne is director, content analytics for ALM's Business & Finance Markets and former managing editor for BenefitsPRO. A Wisconsin native, she has spent the past decade writing and editing for various athletic and fitness publications. She holds an English degree and Business certificate from the University of Wisconsin.
