The Conference Committee in Congress worked last week to meld together the House and Senate versions of their tax cuts bill. Their compromise bill was passed on Tuesday, December 19th, by the House. While the Senate passed it that Wednesday, some last minute changes required Tuesday night by reconciliation rules meant the House had to pass the final bill again on Wednesday, before President Trump signed it into law on Friday, December 22nd. The final product was a little closer to the Senate version of the bill, but included a few last-minute surprises for employers and tax payers alike.

 

Sexual harassment claims are rising at an alarming rate. The need for immediate action in response to these trends should be a priority for every organization.

 

The growing “#MeToo” movement has given employees a platform to share their story and callout misconduct in the workplace. These shared experiences are prompting increased openness about discussing the issue and will continue to give employees the confidence to bring forward claims that they may not have had the courage to do so previously. If your organization hasn’t had a claim, it doesn’t necessarily mean your current work environment will be safe from future claims.  

What You Should Do Right Now. This is a critical time for organizations to take a hard look at their culture, workplace behaviors, and policies to proactively assess areas of risk. Read more for the six steps every organization should take right now to protect their employees and the organization from distracting workplace behaviors and expensive legal claims: 

Although there is much speculation about the future of The Affordable Care Act (ACA), the requirements for certain reporting is still the law of the land for now. For all large employers, and small employers that are partially self-funded, the deadline of January 31st to distribute 1095-Bs and 1095-Cs to employees is fast approaching.