Editor’s Note:

As federal regulations tighten and government adopts more stringent and less forgiving approach to fraudulent practices in the healthcare and corporate sectors, organizations need to have persistent conscience, unconditional ethical standards and strong corporate integrity. Frequently changing laws and regulations add to the complexity of the compliance fabric of these organizations. The role of corporate compliance in an organization revolves around ensuring that all employees obey to the same high ethical and legal standards.

Legal and Compliance Excellence December 2015 Advertisers

Fair Chance Hiring Policy: Why you should care about it

For many job applicants, having a criminal record means applying for a job is pointless. For the 70 million U.S. adults who have a criminal record, and the 600,000 people released from prison every year, the criminal history shuts doors before they open. “Ban the box” legislation passed in 19 states and more than 100 cities and counties is opening those doors by giving people a chance to present their qualifications for a job before encountering the stigma associated with a criminal record.

Cross-Border Background Screening: How do you maintain a compliant program in multiple jurisdictions

The proliferation of laws, regulations, bylaws, rules, and guidelines around background screening is overwhelming. While a small employer operating in one location can easily understand local laws and work within them, an organization operating across multiple jurisdictions in North America – say, several states in the U.S. and provinces in Canada – has a lot more to keep track of. With the right planning and consultation, and an experienced global background-screening partner, you can tackle this challenge and create a coherent, consistent, and compliant background screening program across the continent. However, where do you start?

No Mistletoe: Policies for the holiday party

Before we get into this article, you should understand that I like parties as much as anyone and this article is not a lecture on do or don’t for the holidays. This article is intended to help you realize your exposure to legal action and mitigate possible damages resulting from the party. It is a good idea to have a mandatory meeting a day or two before the party to hand out and review company policies on sexual harassment, unacceptable conduct, and alcohol consumption.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act: What employers need to know

Over the past few years, a number of high-profile lawsuits have targeted companies for violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and that number is continuing to increase. So, what is the Fair Credit Reporting Act exactly?
The FCRA is a federal law designed to protect consumers and ensure transparency for applicants by placing certain responsibilities on consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) and end users of consumer reports. The recent trend of litigation deals with responsibilities placed on the end users, in particular employers. These responsibilities include requiring employers, prior to obtaining a background check, to provide applicants and/or employees with a disclosure notifying them that a background report will be performed. The employer must also obtain the applicant’s authorization to procure the background check.

Compliance Concerns Of Business Travelers: Tracking employees’ short-term business visas

In recent years, there has been an overall global rise in business travel. Business activities are undergoing significant changes and are getting increasingly difficult to track and define in accordance to the scope of regulations.
A company’s global mobility program may include overseas assignments of varying lengths, including extended business travel, depending on their needs in the host country and the degree of business commitment. There can be advantages in sending employees on extended business trip assignments, especially in instances where the company is engaged solely in marketing, sales, or customer service activity. However, there may be implications related to frequent use of such assignments, due to host country regulations surrounding immigration, employment, and tax laws that could be applied if the business visa limitations are exceeded.

Selecting An ACA Reporting Benefits Solution?: Questions to ask

Affordable Care Act imposes significant information reporting responsibilities on employers. Moreover, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued various forms and instructions that will be required to comply with these reporting requirements. However, fulfilling these new reporting requirements can significantly be harder for employers if they don’t possess necessary tools. With so many benefit options available in the market, how can you be sure to possess the right one?

Warning Flag: What is a QDIA and why is it important?

A Qualified Default Investment (QDIA) is an investment covered under the 2006 Public Procurement Act (PPA) regulation providing added fiduciary protection for an investment accepting participant contribution in the absence of their affirmative election. It could be a mix of investments that considers age or retirement date or one that allocates among existing plan options, perhaps a custom mix, or that considers all participants such as a balanced fund. It must be managed and it must be a prudent selection.

Paid Time Off: 5 advantages

Granting paid benefit time instead of offering a policy that accrues based on hours worked, may be a better offering for your employees and for your business. A current trend in employee paid benefit time is to provide some level of paid time off to all employees, including part time and seasonal. Partially driving this trend are the states, cities, and municipalities that have already instituted legal regulations requiring companies to offer a minimum level of paid sick time to all employees.