Businesses Urged To Review and Strengthen Their Policies, Practices & Training
Today’s (November 14, 2011) Justice Department announcement that a Bank of America subsidiary will pay 160 military service members at least $116,785 apiece for violating their federal credit rights is the latest reminder to businesses and their leaders of the significant liability that they run for failing to honor the legal rights of U.S. military service persons and their families. The payments are required as part of the terms of a May 26, 2011 settlement agreement reached to resolve charges that BAC Home Loans Servicing LP unlawfully foreclosed on servicemembers’ homes in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). The settlement represents the largest action taken under the SCRA by the Justice Department to date.
The announcement follows the Justice Department’s September 22, 2011 announcement that ServiceMaster 24-Hour and its owner would pay $15,000 for refusing to reemploy a member of the U.S. Army Reserve following his return from active duty in violation of USERRA. Together, the settlements together illustrate the growing risks businesses run if they fail to honor these and other rights of members and veterans of the U.S. military.
With government and private awareness and enforcement of these rights on the rise, U.S businesses should review and tighten their business and employment practices for dealing with individuals in the military and their families in light of growing risks of enforcement of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) and other federal and state protections.
You can learn more details about these settlements and other enforcement of these rules here.
For Help With These Or Other Matters
If you need assistance in conducting a risk assessment of or responding to a challenge to your organization’s existing policies or practices for dealing with servicemembers or with other compliance, labor and employment, employee benefit or compensation practices, please contact the author of this update, attorney Cynthia Marcotte Stamer.
A board certified labor and employment attorney widely known for her extensive and creative knowledge and experience worker classification and other employment, employee benefits and workforce matters, Ms. Stamer has extensive experience advising and representing businesses about managing responsibilities and risks under USERRA, SCRA and other federal rules regarding the rights of military service members and veterans in employment, credit and other transactions as part of her broader human resources and internal controls practice.
Ms. Stamer has more than 24 years experience advising and representing employer, employee benefit and other clients before the Department of Labor, Justice Department, Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor, Department of Veterans Affairs, Immigrations & Customs, and other agencies, private plaintiffs and others on worker classification and related human resources, employee benefit, internal controls and risk management matters.
Ms. Stamer works extensively with employers, employee benefit plan sponsors, insurers, administrators, and fiduciaries, payroll and staffing companies, technology and other service providers and others to develop and operate legally defensible programs, practices and policies that promote the client’s human resources, employee benefits or other management goals. She works extensively with, speaks and publishes, and conducts management training on compliance and risk management of requirements concerning the handing of servicemember employment and other rights.
A featured presenter of numerous presentations on employment and other responsibilities of U.S. businesses to servicemembers, Ms. Stamer also is a widely published author and highly regarded speaker on these and other employee benefit and human resources matters who is active in many other employee benefits, human resources and other management focused organizations. She frequently speaks and conducts training for the American Bar Association, DallasHR, Solutions Law Press and a wide range of other corporations and associations on the management of compliance and risks associated with employment and consumer rights of military service members, veterans and their families See, e.g., Update on Employment Rights of Emploeyes in The Military & Their Family.
You can learn more about Ms. Stamer and her experience, find out about upcoming training or other events, review some of her past training, speaking, publications and other resources, and register to receive future updates about developments on these and other concerns from Ms. Stamer at www.CynthiaStamer.com.
For Help With These Or Other Matters
If you would like help reviewing or defending your organization’s practices or programs, need legal representation defending those programs and activities, or wish to discuss arranging for Ms. Stamer to conduct training or speak for your organization, please contact Ms Stamer here.
For important information concerning this communication click here.
About Solutions Law Press
Solutions Law Press™ provides business risk management, legal compliance, management effectiveness and other resources, training and education on human resources, employee benefits, compensation, data security and privacy, health care, insurance, and other key compliance, risk management, internal controls and other key operational concerns. If you find this of interest, you also be interested reviewing some of our other Solutions Law Press resources available at www.solutionslawpress.com.
THE FOLLOWING DISCLAIMER IS INCLUDED TO COMPLY WITH AND IN RESPONSE TO U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 230 REGULATIONS. ANY STATEMENTS CONTAINED HEREIN ARE NOT INTENDED OR WRITTEN BY THE WRITER TO BE USED, AND NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN CAN BE USED BY YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON, FOR THE PURPOSE OF (1) AVOIDING PENALTIES THAT MAY BE IMPOSED UNDER FEDERAL TAX LAW, OR (2) PROMOTING, MARKETING OR RECOMMENDING TO ANOTHER PARTY ANY TAX-RELATED TRANSACTION OR MATTER ADDRESSED HEREIN.
©2011 Cynthia Marcotte Stamer, P.C. Non-exclusive license to republish granted to Solutions Law Press. All other rights reserved.
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