Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
It seems the voice of the retirement plan community has been heard — the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is proposing extending the applicability dates of two controversial fee disclosure regulations. “Extending these dates will more closely align the application of the two rules and ensure that parties have sufficient time to comply with the […]
A recent article on the HR.BLR.com website prompted quite a response by Suzanne Lucas, who blogs as Evil HR Lady. “Oh, cry me a river” she said over suggestions that employers take steps to ameliorate off-site harassment of female employees.
According to Michael Smith, CEO of ConSova, the three areas of your health plan with the greatest potential for cost containment are: well-chosen provider networks; employee cost-sharing strategies like premiums, copays, coinsurance, and deductibles; and coverage for ineligibles. BLR spoke with him recently to address this last area. ConSova (www.consova.com) helps clients with dependent audits […]
Financial security in retirement is one of our nation’s cornerstone principles when it comes to the way we have come to envision quality of life from cradle to grave. With this in mind, Social Security has long been considered the safety net for most Americans in retirement. In recent years, however, the perception of Social […]
Like so many other employers, The Bolles School grappled with how to cut expenses when the recession hit. The organization looked for ways to operate more efficiently and, in fact, cut many expenses. But it made a conscious decision not to reduce or cut certain coveted employee benefits, including 100% employer-paid medical insurance premiums, 100% […]
As rising healthcare costs eat away at an organization’s bottom line, benefits managers look to: (1) reduce the cost of employee benefits, and (2) drive healthy outcomes by influencing member behavior. Communications can play a vital role in reaching these goals. Communicating benefits is not merely sharing facts and figures, though. Instead, you should approach […]
One of Friedman, LLP’s best recruiting tools is a policy giving employees Fridays off during the summertime, according to Michael Gaines, Human Resources partner for the New York-based accounting, tax, and consulting services firm. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, all 325 staff members in Friedman’s (www.friedmanllp.com) four offices in New York City, New Jersey, […]
Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) companies with more than 50 employees who haven’t already done so now need to accommodate the needs of the nursing mothers among their staff. We spoke with Gina Ciagne, a Certified Lactation Counselor and Director of Breastfeeding and Consumer Relations for Lansinoh Laboratories. She wants to […]
A fun, simple, and flexible way to get information out to your employees and families, Twitter™ can be a powerful addition to your benefits communication this year. But, understanding how this at-first perplexing platform can be used for benefits communication may not be obvious. Look a little closer, and Twitter is a great way to […]
While donning cowboy hats, boots, and bandanas, and ringing cow bells and playing country music on boom boxes, managers walked through Benefitfocus® offices “rounding up” volunteers to provide support services during an upcoming Open Enrollment period. Business Objectives Met Benefitfocus (www.benefitfocus.com), a Charleston, South Carolina-based company that is the largest healthcare benefits software provider in […]