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Retirement Benefits 2013—What’s Really Happening?

Please participate in our brief survey and see how your retirement benefits stack up against those of other successful companies. We’ll get answers to these questions and more: What is the status of your employer match? (Stopped? Less? Same?) What percent of employees participate? What percent do you match? Can employees “cash out” vacation to […]

Are Your People Trained on the ADA?

The material in this issue comes from BLR®’s popular 10-Minute HR Trainer session, “The ADA—What Supervisors Need to Know.” Train your supervisors and managers on these basic facts, definitions, and requirements regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act. What Does the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Require? The ADA was enacted to remove obstacles to employment […]

Maternity, paternity leave and ‘sensitive situation’ bring up FMLA questions

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) can be a headache for HR since the law applies to so many situations. Recently, questions regarding the timing of maternity and paternity leave as well as the need for FMLA paperwork for an employee’s “sensitive situation” were put to a group of attorneys well-versed in employment law. […]

Plan Sponsors Expect to Add Roth Features After ATRA Changes

Shortly after the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 eased the conversion of defined contribution plan balances into after-tax Roth accounts, many employers indicated they were very or somewhat likely to add the in-plan Roth 401(k) conversion options the act created as a new federal revenue source. Global human resources consultant Aon Hewitt conducted a […]

Littler’s EEOC Activity Report–No Relief for Employers

Littler Mendelson’s recently released Annual Report on EEOC Developments—Fiscal Year 2012 indicates that the agency recovered a total of $365.4 million in monetary benefits in FY 2012, the highest level ever achieved through the administrative process. In addition, in settlement of 254 EEOC lawsuits, the EEOC recovered an additional $44.2 million. Employers beware. The report, […]

HRAs With Individual Policies Will Violate Reform Ban on Limits, HHS States

Health reimbursement arrangements that are not integrated with group health coverage will violate health reform’s prohibition on annual benefit limits, the federal government recently clarified. HRAs that are integrated with individual policies will be seen as “nonintegrated,” thereby violating the ban on annual limits, the agencies implementing health reform stated. And if employees don’t sign […]

Survey Says: Make Leadership Development a Training Priority

“The Rising Risk of a Double-Dip Leadership Crisis: A Pulse Survey on Exploring the Increased Focus on Leadership Development” found that Fortune 1000 companies do not have enough leaders coming up through their ranks to fill existing and future leadership roles—partly due to recessionary cuts made to leadership programs. In fact, 62% of respondents surveyed […]

Tennessee Senate OK’s ‘guns in parking lots’ bill

Legislation giving handgun carry permit holders the right to keep guns in their vehicles in public parking lots, including their employer’s parking lot, passed the Tennessee Senate Monday evening, 28-5. The bill, which will go to the House Civil Justice Subcommittee Wednesday afternoon, would give civil immunity to employers for deaths, injuries, or damage involving […]

More Employee Handbook FAQs

Yesterday, attorney Adam Keating took on some common employer questions about employee handbooks. Today, more Q&A—plus an introduction to a must-have California-specific collection of employee handbook policies—fully updated for 2013!