Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Employers that pay advances, allowances or reimbursements to employees for work-related entertainment expenses — including taxpayers who, in turn, get reimbursed by their clients for such expenses — have until Oct. 30 to comment on a proposed regulation IRS published Aug. 1. The proposed rule clarifies who — among the employer, its client and an […]
Plan sponsors and participants both want to ensure better retirement savings but they often wonder which factor in the process matters most. A study from Putnam Institute suggests sticking with the obvious: The higher the deferral rate during an employee’s working life, the greater the long-term returns. Despite intense focus on fund performance in the […]
A multibillion-dollar corporation that hired a private investigator to combat excessive employee absenteeism and suspected FMLA abuse withstood an interference and retaliation claim by a fired factory worker in a case brought before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The case is Scruggs v. Carrier Corp., No. 11-3420 (Aug. 3, 2012). Daryl Scruggs, who […]
Here’s the bottom line. Management professor Matthew Bidwell, of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, has researched the question for several years—from 2003 to 2009. The basics of his findings are these: External hires get significantly lower performance evaluations for their first 2 years on the job than do internal workers who are […]
In response to health reform, some employers may stop offering health coverage and opt instead to pay a fine, give workers a raise and send them to state-run health insurance exchanges. Compensating for that , the individual mandate may drive about 4 million workers into employer plans, according to research from various sources compiled by […]
Our recent epinion “Human Resources–STILL Not a Strategic Partner?” elicited a number of interesting responses from readers. One lamented about being the last to know, while others boosted the strategic importance of HR. Here are the responses: HR Far Removed? I Don’t Think So HR is far removed from the people and points that make […]
A school district failed to accommodate a teacher with seasonal affective disorder, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has determined, upholding a jury’s award of damages. The 7th Circuit had already heard the case, Ekstrand v. School District of Somerset (No. 11-1949, June 26, 2012), once before. Renae Eskstrand filed suit against her employer, […]
Hazmat transportation regulations require employee training and establish the basic rules for educating employees. But it’s up to you to determine training needs and set up an effective training program. To help employers meet employee training requirements under the hazmat transportation regulations, DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) periodically publishes guidance materials. Here […]
By Kyle Emshwiller Forget about elevator pitches, it seems like more and more workers are using those few seconds to annoy coworkers and execs, rather than to network with them. A recent CareerBuilder survey asked respondents to share odd behaviors they have witnessed in the elevator. We were shocked at some of the responses, especially […]
By Elaine Quayle HR Strange but True joins in the celebration of what would have been Julia Child’s 100th birthday on August 15. We honor her not only for her culinary skills but as a pioneer of “distance learning” through her television cooking shows. As part of the tribute to this icon, here is a […]