United States: New York Times Discusses The Growth Of Whistleblower Programs

As federal agencies dole out record-breaking awards to tipsters (such as the SEC’s recent $30 million award), whistleblower programs remain a topic of public interest.  Earlier this month, The New York Times published an articleabout the growth of the whistleblower programs operated by the S.E.C., Justice Department, and I.R.S, which financially incentivize the reporting of misconduct.

The Times article notes that the Justice Department reported a record-high recovery in civil fraud cases under the False Claims Act in […]

By | December 29th, 2014 ||

United States: Cash Balance Plans A Bright Spot In Dreary Defined Benefit Landscape

There are two primary types of pension plans: defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans. Defined benefit plans provide each eligible employee with a specific benefit at retirement, while defined contribution plans specify the amount of contributions to be made by the employer toward an eligible employee’s retirement account.

A cash balance plan is a defined benefit plan that defines the benefit in terms that are more characteristic of a defined contribution plan. As recently […]

By | December 29th, 2014 ||

Australia: Our "TOP 10" Employment, Workplace & Ssfety issues from 2014

1. IMPLIED TERM OF TRUST AND CONFIDENCE? HIGH COURT SAYS “NO” …
After many years of uncertainty, the High Court finally clarified in September that there is no implied term of mutual trust and confidence in employment contracts under the common law in Australia.

The High Court’s decision in Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Barker[1] closes off the implied term as a potential cause of action for employees seeking redress against various forms of adverse or […]

By | December 28th, 2014 ||