Archives

Voluntary Benefits: Some Say ‘Garbage’; Some Say, ‘Bargain’

Miles is vice president and senior employee benefits consultant at Gregory and Appel Insurance. During his presentation at a recent boot camp sponsored by BLR®, he was joined by colleague Janet McClure, vice president and worksite marketing team leader. What Are Voluntary Benefits? “Voluntary benefits” are generally insurance products sold to employees at work through […]

Is Your Laptop Running Low? Start Pedaling

It’s not breaking news. Sitting all day at work can take a toll on your health. One study tracked the health of 123,000 Americans between 1992 and 2006 and found that men and women who sat 6 hours or more per day had a much higher overall death rate (overall death rate was around 20 […]

The Workplace Accident Seen Live by Millions

Sure, your workers suffer accidents on-site, but you probably have never seen one actually happen. Well, countless people just witnessed a workplace accident—on live TV. Sure, the “worker” could have been wearing personnel protective equipment, but it would have taken the festive nature out of the holiday happening. Celebrity chef and Food Network star Giada […]

Children’s Books Helped Shape the American Workplace, Says the DOL

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the federal Department of Labor developed an initiative, “Books that Shaped Work in America,” in conjunction with the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress. And books you would find in the children’s section of a bookstore have made the list! Along with books about presidents and secretaries […]

NLRA covers nonunion employers, too

by Gary S. Fealk The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) has the primary purpose of regulating union-management relations. However, nonunion employers must be aware that the NLRA’s provisions apply to all employees.  Know what’s covered Protected activity in general. Any group of nonunion employees may engage in activity protected by the NLRA. Whenever employees engage […]

Win-Win Approach to “Unplanned” FMLA Leave

Yesterday’s Advisor offered the first three of attorney Stacie Caraway’s tips for avoiding Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) abuse. Today, the rest of her tips, plus an introduction to the unique guide just for smaller HR departments—HR Department of One. Caraway, who is a member of Miller & Martin PLLC in the Chattanooga office, […]

Retroactive FMLA Designation—3 Scenarios Cut Through the Fog

When you find out about a possible FMLA qualifying leave after it has started, how far back can you go to retroactively designate the leave? Athey, an attorney with The Robert E. Miller Group in Kansas City, Missouri, was joined by a colleague, consultant Kristi McKinzey, in a recent webinar sponsored by BLR/HRHero. Athey offers […]

Government Proposal Refines Reform Fees on Health Plans

A proposed rule put on public display Nov. 26 adjusts Transitional Reinsurance Program rules and tries to put out fires left burning by the ever-moving target of health care reform. For example, it proposes a lower contribution level insurers and self-funded plans would pay in 2015 to a transitional reinsurance fund, and gives employers the […]

Minnesota’s “ban the box” law takes effect January 1

by Richard R. Voelbel Minnesota’s new “ban the box” law takes effect January 1, meaning private employers will be prohibited from inquiring about a job candidate’s criminal background until after the candidate has been selected for an interview or has received a conditional offer of employment. Public employers already have been prohibited from including a […]

Computer-Based Training and HAZWOPER Requirements

Employers are continually seeking the simplest means to meet their employee training requirements under OSHA’s hazardous waste operations and emergency response (HAZWOPER) regulations (29 CFR 1910.120). One method that may ease the burden is computer-based training, whether on CD, DVD, or online, which is increasingly available from commercial software vendors. However, OSHA makes it clear […]