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Decisions Must be Made on How Employers Will Manage Section 6055/56 Reporting

Employers deciding how to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s reporting requirements have important housekeeping questions to decide, such as: (1) who will take phone calls from the IRS and employees about ACA forms; (2) whether electronic filing (for the IRS) and transmittal (to employees) is needed; and (3) which workers have coverage that was […]

EEOC Targets Another Employee Wellness Program

A second employer has been sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over its employee wellness program. Once again, the EEOC alleges that the company’s penalties for nonparticipation rendered the program involuntary, making it a medical inquiry prohibited by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The latest case, announced Oct. 1, involved a plastics manufacturer […]

Supreme Court to Hear Imprudent 401(k) Fees Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 2 agreed to hear a case that, if overruled, could make 401(k) fee lawsuits by participants in employer-sponsored defined contribution retirement plans much easier. The High Court granted plaintiffs’ petition for writ of certiorari in Tibble v. Edison International, (13-550), a case based on the cost and prudent selection […]

What Are You Afraid Of? (Childhood Taunt or Manager’s Advice?)

It sounds like a childhood taunt. “What are you afraid of?” If you close your eyes for a minute, chances are you can go back in time and recall a situation in which you were asked that exact question. Someone was trying to push you into doing something you really didn’t want to do—daring you […]

Soft Stuff (Rubber Chickens, Anyone?) Gets Results

Speaking about his unique recognition programs, Yum! Brands Chairman and CEO David Novak says, “Soft stuff gets hard results.” He ought to know, as he’s in charge of recognizing 1.4 million associates in more than 40,000 KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell restaurants in 125 countries.

Workplace communication: It’s more than just talking

Everybody knows the importance of effective communication in the workplace. Achieving it, though, can be tricky. Some people speak without listening. Others find themselves too distracted to understand what someone else is trying to say. Written communication often gets bogged down in jargon and misinterpreted. And those are just some of the problems that can […]

5 More Tips on How to Train Supervisors to Administer FMLA

How do you deal with the supervisor who appears to be on a “personal crusade” to “eradicate all Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) abuse”? What about the supervisor who likes to pretend he doesn’t know that FMLA leave exists? Read on to find out. 1. Prohibit negative comments about FMLA leave both in general […]

Conciliate First, Court Tells EEOC as it Tosses out Lawsuit

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may not sue an employer unless it has engaged in pre-litigation conciliation — even for pattern or practice claims — a federal district court has held. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Oct. 7 dismissed an EEOC suit alleging that CVS Pharmacy’s separation agreement violated […]