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MUCH OF OBAMACARE EMPLOYER MANDATE HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO 2016

By: Alan M. Levy Most employer mandate penalties for not satisfying Obamacare coverage requirements have now been waived until December 31, 2015. On February 10, 2014, the Internal Revenue Service filed final regulations on “Employer Shared Responsibility” under the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), Agency Document Number 2014-03082 (official publication date January 12, 2014). The new […]

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WISCONSIN’S UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CHANGES WENT INTO EFFECT 01/05/2014

By: Daniel Finerty In a previous E-Alert, we described a series of substantial changes and amendments to Wisconsin’s unemployment insurance law that were scheduled to go into effect. The majority of the changes, including changes to the definition of “misconduct” and “substantial fault”, recently went into effect on January 5, 2014 and first apply to […]

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2013 SUPER LAWYER DESIGNATIONS

Lindner & Marsack, S.C. proudly announces that eight of its sixteen attorneys have been acknowledged as 2013 Super Lawyers or Rising Stars by Super Lawyers Magazine. “We are among a very small group of firms with at least one-half of its attorneys recognized by Super Lawyers,” said Jonathan T. Swain, President of the firm. He […]

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PROPOSED OSHA RULE IMPOSING ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS TO IMPROVE ILLNESS AND INJURY TRACKING

By: Laurie A. Petersen and Samantha J. Wood On Thursday, November 7, 2013, OSHA issued a proposed rule amending 29 C.F.R. § 1904.41 to require certain employers to electronically submit injury and illness information that most employers are required to maintain under § 1904. The only employers unaffected by this rule are those that are […]

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DOL ISSUES GUIDANCE ON RIGHTS OF SAME-SEX SPOUSES FOR ERISA PLANS

By: Alan M. Levy On September 18, 2013 the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued Technical Release 2013-04 to address ERISA rights for same-sex spouses after the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Windsor, 133 S. Ct. 2675 (2013), invalidated parts of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Largely consistent with the equivalent discussion […]

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SUPREME COURT RULING FORCES EMPLOYERS TO RECONSIDER BENEFITS FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES

By: John E. Murray and Samantha J. Wood In June 2013, the United States Supreme Court invalidated the federal law defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. That decision complicates the administration of FMLA leave for multi-state employers and employers in states (like Wisconsin) which have not recognized same-sex marriages. For […]

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WI COURT OF APPEALS HOLDS MUNICIPAL EMPLOYERS MAY MODIFY RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS

By: Alan M. Levy On October 1, 2013 the Wisconsin Court of Appeals held that Milwaukee County could eliminate the reimbursement of Medicare Part B premiums for employees who had not retired before that modification took effect on April 1, 2011. Reversing the decision below, the Court held that the Supreme Court’s decision in Loth […]

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NEW FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS IMPOSING HIRING GOALS FOR VETERANS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO AFFECT APPROXIMATELY 171,000 COMPANIES

By: Laurie A. Petersen and Samantha J. Wood On August 27, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced a Final Rule that makes changes to the regulations implementing the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These changes are intended […]

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AFFORDABLE CARE ACT NOTICES ARE DUE OCTOBER 1

By: Alan M. Levy Every employer subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) is obligated to notify each of its employees of health insurance coverage options effective January 1, 2014. This notice must be provided by October 1, 2013 or, if later, at the time of the employee’s hiring. The U.S. Department of […]

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