Labor & Employment

Macy's has agreed to pay a $175,000 civil fine for discriminating against immigrant employees when verifying their eligibility to continue working for the company, according to a Reuters report. 

The retailer will have to walk the fine line between ensuring equal opportunity rights to workers while not running afoul of complex immigration laws. To that end, in addition to paying the fine, Macy’s has agreed to improve the manner in which it verifies workers’ eligibility to work legally.

Workforce management tools can help with compliance, control costs

As an industry with one of the largest populations of part-time workers, retail stands to be hit the hardest by the changes required by the Affordable Care Act. Yet as retailers start planning, many of them simply don't know how to comply, and what the long-term effects will be. Unfortunately, there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution, and employers will have to carefully select a strategy that is right for them.

New York – Macy’s will pay $175,000 in civil penalties to the U.S. government in an agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) settling claims of mistreatment of immigrant workers. In addition to paying the $175,000 fine, Macy’s will also revise its employment eligibility reverification policies and procedures and to provide training to its human resources personnel across the country on the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA).

Oklahoma City – Hobby Lobby has received permission from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver to continue its challenge of the federal mandate requiring for-profit employers to offer certain types of birth control coverage as part of their employee health care plans. As a result, Hobby Lobby will at least temporarily avoid having to start paying millions of dollars in fines for non-compliance next week.

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — Land O'Lakes has promoted Mike Macrie to the position of VP and chief information officer. Macrie replaced Barry Libenson, who after running IT for three years, left the company to be CIO at Safeway. 

Macrie joined Land O'Lakes in 2010 as VP and senior director of Ag Services IT.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation told a congressional panel that retail and chain restaurant companies continue to have serious concerns about the Affordable Care Act and remain worried by the quickly approaching deadlines for full health care reform implementation, anticipated for January 2014.

Seattle – Starbucks has enacted small increases in the prices of less than one-third of its beverages in select markets. The increases, which average about 1%, affect smaller sizes of brewed coffee, tea, latte and espresso drinks. Larger venti- and grande-sized drinks will not have their prices changed.

Jacksonville, Fla. – Stein Mart has named Jay Stein, its interim CEO since September 2011, as permanent CEO. Stein has been chairman of Stein Mart’s board of directors since 1989 and will remain in that position. He also served as CEO from 1990 to 2001.