EEOC Launches Small Business Task Force to Expand and Enhance Assistance to Small Businesses

Posted by admin on February 10, 2012  |   No Comments »

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has launched a new internal task force that will focus on expanding and improving outreach and technical assistance to small businesses. The Small Business Task Force will work to find ways in which the agency can better collaborate with the small business community to ensure compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws.

The Task Force will, among other things, develop recommendations on how to:

- Utilize new technology to expand outreach to small businesses;
- Develop technical assistance and training initiatives for small businesses;
- Identify specialized approaches to aid small businesses owned by women and minorities;
- Identify specialized approaches for micro businesses, generally those with 50 or fewer employees; and
- Enhance small business information and training on the EEOC’s web site.

The Small Business Task Force plans to focus on newly established small businesses and those that are too small to afford lawyers or human resource personnel.

Anti-Discrimination Laws Enforced by EEOC
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. The laws enforced by the EEOC apply to employers who meet the threshold number of employees for coverage.

- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act apply to employers who have at least 15 employees in 20 or more weeks of the calendar year.

- The Age Discrimination in Employment Act applies to employers with 20 or more employees.

- The Equal Pay Act does not contain a minimum number of employees for coverage.

- Additionally, employers with100 or more employees (50 if the employer is a government contractor) are required annually to file the EEO-1 Report, providing a breakdown of the workforce by race, sex, and national origin in nine broad job categories.

For information about the federal nondiscrimination laws enforced by the EEOC, you can contact the Commission’s small business liaisons or visit our section on Discrimination.

NLRB Postpones Effective Date of New Employee Rights Posting Rule to April 30

Posted by admin on February 6, 2012  |   No Comments »

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has furtherpostponed the effective date of its employee rights notice-posting rule at the request of the federal court in Washington, DC hearing a legal challenge regarding the rule, in order to facilitate the resolution of the legal challenges that have been filed with respect to the rule. The new implementation date for the rule is April 30, 2012.

As a result of the most recent postponement, most private sector employers will be required to post the 11-by-17-inch notice beginning on April 30, 2012. The notice is available at no cost from the NLRB through its website, either bydownloading and printing or you may also fill out this form or call 202-273-0064 and copies will be mailed free of charge.

Additional Information
For further information about the jurisdiction and posting requirements for the new notice, please see the NLRB’sFrequently Asked Questions, which will be updated regularly as new questions arise. For questions that do not appear on the list, or to arrange for an NLRB presentation on the rule, employers may contact the agency at questions@nlrb.govor             866-667-NLRB      .

Our section on Federal Poster Requirements contains more information on this and other federal notices required to be displayed in the workplace.

Retirement Planning Resources for Your Business

Posted by admin on February 3, 2012  |   No Comments »

It’s a brand new year and it’s never too early to start taking advantage of the benefits of retirement planning. As a business owner, a retirement plan allows you to invest now for financial security when you and your employees retire. As a bonus, you and your employees can receive significant tax advantages and other incentives. Consider the following benefits of setting up a retirement plan:

Business Benefits

  • Employer contributions are tax-deductible.
  • Assets in the plan grow tax-free.
  • Flexible plan options are available.
  • Tax credits and other incentives for starting a plan may reduce costs.
  • A retirement plan can attract and retain better employees, reducing new employee training costs.

Employee Benefits

  • Employee contributions can reduce current taxable income.
  • Contributions and investment gains are not taxed until distributed.
  • Contributions are easy to make through payroll deductions.
  • Compounding interest over time allows small regular contributions to grow to significant retirement savings.
  • Retirement assets can be carried from one employer to another.
  • A special tax credit known as the “Saver’s Credit” may be available.
  • The employee has an opportunity to improve financial security in retirement.

Retirement Plan Resources from the IRS
The Small Business Retirement Plan Resources provided by the Internal Revenue Service include helpful information for choosing, operating and maintaining your retirement plan. Here is a list of resources to help you get started:

You can also check out the Retirement Plans Navigator, an online guide for choosing a retirement plan, maintaining it and correcting plan errors.