By: Rebecca L. Dobbs – SmithAmundsen LLC – www.salawus.com This October, the IRS announced cost of living adjustments increasing 401(k) contribution limits.  The new limits for 2013 are as follows:   2013 2012 Maximum Elective Deferral By Employee $17,500 $17,000   Catch-Up Contributions (age 50 and over) $5,500 $5,500   Defined Contribution Maximum Deferral (employer/employee combined) $51,0 ...

Senator Kim Lightford (D-Chicago) the sponsor of SB 1565 that increases the minimum wage . Illinois' rate currently is $8.25 per hour which is the third highest in the country. The increase proposed by Sen. Lightford would increase it to $10.55 per hour with an annual cost of living adjustment. Sen. Lightford has held several meetings over the past months with proponents and opponents of the legislation. Sh ...

The Illinois Department of Employment Security provided data at this past month's meeting of the Unemployment Insurance Advisory Board of interest to Illinois employers. Their September projections show the following tax parameters that likely are to apply for calendar year 2013: the adjusted state experience factor at 133%; Fund Building Rate of 0.55%; Taxable Wage Base of $12,900; the minimum rate (includ ...

As part of the workers' compensation package enacted last year by the General Assembly, it directed that workers' compensation prescriptions filled and dispensed outside of a pharmacy "shall not exceed the Average Wholesale Price (AWP) plus a dispensing fee of $4.18". This pharmaceutical fee schedule was added to the Workers' Compensation Medical Fee Schedule provisions (Section 8.2 of the Workers' Compensa ...

By Beverly Alfon & Carly Zuba – SmithAmundsen LLC – www.salawus.com         Election day is around the corner – Tuesday, November 6th.  It is time to dust off and review company policies regarding employee time off for voting. The legal requirements – how much time the employer has to give, when the employee must take the time off, and whether that time off is paid or unpaid – depends on what state your ...

Oregon's Department of Consumer and Business Services earlier this month released its biannual "Premium Rate Ranking Summary". Their analysis shows that the  2011 workers' compensation changes have made an impact. Illinois ranked as the 3rd highest cost state in 2010 moved one spot to the 4th highest cost state in 2012. The Illinois Chamber had emphasized the previous Oregon rankings as one of the basis for ...

by Heather Bailey – SmithAmundsen LLC – www.salawus.com As with every Fall, the United States Supreme Court is back in session with less than the normal amount of employment cases, but important ones nonetheless.  This session includes the following employment (and employment-related) cases up for decision by our highest court: To be a true “supervisor” for purposes of Title VII (i.e., race harassment), doe ...

By Julie Proscia – SmithAmundsen LLC – www.salawus.com On September 18, 2012 a three-person NLRB panel held that Costco’s policies regarding the Internet and social media were “too broad” and could effectively stifle employees’ right to free speech under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). This move was an evolution of previous general counsel’s guidance and the first time that the NLRB officially held ...