Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
New reform standards for health plan value and coverage are important for employers, first because they will determine the kind of insured coverage that small employers buy. But grandfathered and self-funded employer health plans also need to know the rules to avoid penalties under health reform. The proposed rules, which HHS announced on Nov. 20, […]
Employees are learning the hard way that anything they say or post via online social network sites can and will be used against them in a court of law. This includes incriminating photographs that catch them in the act of fraudulently taking a leave of absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act. A recent […]
Plan sponsors in areas Hurricane Sandy affected may want to prepare for an increase in loan or hardship withdrawal requests after the IRS on Nov. 16 said it temporarily will relax its rules that apply to such emergency funding for retirement plan participants. The IRS announced the relief in Announcement 2012-44. Hurricane Sandy should be […]
Start with this simple distribution chart, says Ahlrichs, who is owner of ExpertSpeaks, and a consultant and business developer for Gregory & Appel. Distribution of Producers Which ones do you really want to keep? If we agree that we want to keep the top 16%, says Ahlrich, then we need to address turnover. That means […]
The American writer, George Matthew Adams once observed that "many moments of personal success and fulfillment in an individual’s life come about through encouragement from someone else." No doubt you can remember those who impacted your life when you were young, during the school years, involvement in community activities, at your first job and perhaps, […]
by Craig M. Borowski The holiday season is almost upon us. Employers often use this time of year to show their appreciation for employees’ hard work and to celebrate with them in the workplace. Unfortunately, however, even an office party planned with the best of intentions can create legal liability for your company or possibly […]
A worker calls a coworker an “F”ing moron. Is it harassment? asks attorney Jonathan Segal. It’s probably not harassment as long as the name-caller is an equal opportunity name-caller, but is it appropriate? Most employers want to be an employer of choice, says Segal, and this is not the way to go about it. Segal, […]
Several years ago a big box employee was trampled to death when a mob of shoppers flooded through the doors of a store holding a Black Friday sales event. The DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued guidelines in mid-November urging retailers to put policies in place to prevent other tragedies during the upcoming holiday […]
On November 20, the Obama administration announced it is moving forward with certain provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including banning insurance companies from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions. The administration issued the following: A proposed rule that, beginning in 2014, prohibits health insurance companies from discriminating against individuals because of a preexisting […]
The information in today’s Advisor is from BLR’s 10-Minute HR Trainer session entitled "Balancing Employer and Employee Needs." Anticipate Employee Needs and Concerns Communication is key to striking the right balance employer and employee needs. Train managers and/or supervisors to convey employee needs and concerns to employers. Here’s how managers can stay in touch with […]