Dec. 8, 2009 ---

What you don’t know can hurt you. At least, that's the message from Susan Waag, an employment law attorney with Waag & Co. and a panelist for the 2010 Employment Law Update next week. The last chance to register online for this event is Dec. 11. Click here to register now.

A plethora of new and changing laws will be covered at the event and many of these laws can and will affect local businesses. From wage and hour issues to administering health insurance to paperwork violations, there are several changes in 2010 labor laws. Waag and two other attorneys will highlight ways businesses will be affected at the update on Dec. 15.

Here are some questions from the Chamber and answers from Susan Waag about labor laws:

Chamber: What new labor laws will affect local businesses the most?
Susan: One change will affect those administering health insurance to employees. There’s talk about an extension to the COBRA Subsidy.

[The COBRA Health Insurance Continuation Premium Subsidy is an employer-provided subsidy for employees who involuntarily lose their jobs, established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.] It’s very likely they’re going to expand the COBRA Subsidy, where employers pay the premium for 9 months and get cash back in government subsidies when they file their taxes. This causes more cash flow problems for employers that are laying people off. The subsidy was going to expire at the end of this year, but there’s talk about extending it to next year.

Another change is that the government is working on a number of fronts to crack down on those hiring illegal workers and even employers with simple I-9 paperwork violations. Government enforcement is being amped up big time. They’re going to slam people hard on paperwork violations and employers can see fines anywhere from several hundred to a couple thousand dollars. Many times, employees didn’t fill out the form properly, employers over-document (ask for and copy more personal documents than is necessary) which is illegal, or employers don’t do their fair share of the paperwork.

Chamber: Why is it important to know what the new and updated laws are?
Susan: Because those who don’t know are going to suffer the penalties if they aren’t compliant with these laws. Even if they’re not on government radar or employees would never bus them, there are still a number of ways employers can be brought to the attention of law enforcement agencies. If you don’t know these laws and updates, you’re playing Russian Roulette.

Chamber: How can employers stay up-to-date on these laws?
Susan: This event is one way people can keep up-to-date and get questions answered. Joining a group like the Chamber, one that puts on events like this is very important to keep up with the changing laws. It can be difficult the rest of the year, but my advice is to get on a list for a newsletter that sends updated law information, check in with an expert periodically or a couple of times a year – you’re not spending thousands to do this, and it’s good to at least once a year make sure employee policies are current and reviewed by someone who knows the laws.

Click here for more information or to register for the 2010 Employment Law Update lunch on Dec. 15.