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JANUARY 2006
Members Only
CPI & PPI
Real Earnings
Productivity & Costs

November 2005 Unemployment Stats
(Seasonally Adjusted)
Wisconsin 4.3%
Illinois 5.3%
Indiana
5.0%
Iowa 4.8%

January Poll
Wireless technology can be an effective work tool. Check all of the following that apply to your company's business reimbursement of these tools such as cell phones, PDAs, Blackberry or Treo, flash drives, and/or hand-held computers.
1) Have a written policy on business use reimbursement.
2) Subsidize purchase of any of these devices for employees who need for business.
3) Require employees who have business need to use some or all of these.
4) Provide cell phone to certain employees who have business need.
5) Provide Blackberry, Treo or similar device to certain employees who have business need.
6) Provide hand-held or notebook computer to certain employees who have business need.
7) We don't use wireless technology for business.
8) My industry classification is manufacturing.
9) My industry classification is service.
10) My industry classification is neither manufacturing nor service.

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view last month's poll results

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Inside Line Readers: You are the first to know!
Your HR partner, MRA, is here for you 24/7 with new tools to help you do your job even better.
  1. BNA Newsfeed - begins February 14.
    Each day, logon to the MRA site, www.mranet.org, to read the latest news stories that touch HR. This newsfeed from BNA is updated weekly, to keep you in the know.
  2. New weekly e-newsletter - begins February 22.
    The Inside Line will be transformed into a weekly e-newsletter. Get ready for a quick hit of key information. With MRA's weekly e-newsletter, you'll get the latest information - with interpretation and comments from MRA's HR experts - plus tools you can use.
  3. Training and Special Events Bulletin - begins February 27.
    With MRA's new bi-weekly Training & Special Events Bulletin, you can zero in on information to help you cultivate engaged, productive employees. You'll see training classes that are 3 to 5 weeks out and information on MRA's Special MRA events such as Briefings, Expert Panels, and Conferences - all in one place.

Watch for them! And thank you for your readership of the Inside Line!

Seventh Circuit (Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin) Decision Rules Mandated Counseling for Employee Compensable Time
A former police dispatcher who was ordered to engage in stress-related counseling by her employer is entitled to overtime pay . . . (more)

IRS Issues Final Rules on Roth 401(k) Plans
The IRS has published final rules allowing employees to designate all or part of their 401(k) deferrals as Roth contributions. (more)

New This Month at BNA
Members only can log into the BNA Employment Guide to access the following information:

  • Employer Costs Per Hour Worked for Employee Compensation - September, 2005.
  • A Summary of 2006 New and Important Numbers for Payroll. (more)

Serious Health Condition: How many doctor visits?
A single treatment for back pain during a leave from work was not protected by the FMLA because the medical condition was not serious or continuing. . . (more)

Reminder: USERRA Poster Updated, Post by 1/18/2006 and Final USERRA Rules
Members only can access this poster on MRA's Members Only Home Page/Current Topics along with the final USERRA rules. (more)

Wisconsin Makes Adjustments in UI
Wisconsin has made a number of changes to the existing unemployment regulations. (more)

Re-Designed Reference Checking Services!
A recent incident in Milwaukee involving the shooting death of a Walgreen's customer by an illegally armed security guard heightens the awareness employers must have for proper background and reference checks. (more)

Q: We plan to shut down the last week of the year in 2006 (Monday, December 25 through Sunday, December 31). All employees will receive 3 days holiday pay (Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve). Will we have to pay exempt employees their salary for the whole week?

A: No. Since your salaried exempt employees are not working at all during that week, they do not need to be paid a salary for that week. (more)

MEMBERS ONLY
New resources have been added to the MRA Web site. . .

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    Training Opportunities
    Looking for Training Opportunities in February?
    Click your location below for an Excel file of our upcoming classes!
    Waukesha, WI

    Palatine and Moline, IL
    MRA Annual Employment Law Update at a location near you
    Looking to Drive Results in Sales?
    MRA Brings More Webinars to Your Desk in 2005
    NEW Program!
    HR QUIZ:
    Which of the following are you permitted to do if you suspect an employee has stolen something from the company:
    1)     Detain the employee until you can question and search him.
    2) Search the employee's locker.
    3) Ask the employee to empty his pockets.
    4) Search the employee's vehicle.
    5) Open an employee's locked desk to search it.
    (Click for answer)