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Caught Red-Handed and Breastfed

Last night’s episode, Jury Duty, involved scandalous improprieties, shrewd cover-ups, relentless investigations, and dramatic public confessions. Agatha Christie would have been proud, although Scranton’s twist on these themes might have left her a little confused. It took Dwight only a few minutes to dismantle Jim’s lie about having been on jury duty for a full […]

Protect Your Data: Identity Thieves Hit from Where You Least Expect

A 39-month prison sentence was handed down Feb. 1 for an Alabama woman who had pleaded guilty to stealing more than 4,000 patient records from a Birmingham hospital. A federal district court sentenced Chelsea Catherine Stewart to 15 months for wrongfully obtaining individual health information in violation of HIPAA, along with an unrelated bank fraud attempt […]

American Airlines in Bankruptcy Threatens to End $1B in Pensions

When American Airlines and its parent company, AMR Corp., filed for bankruptcy in November, many industry watchdogs dismissed the event as a chance for the airline to restructure and bring down costs. Which is why the developing skirmish between the #3 airline carrier and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) since then has been like […]

IRS Wants to Offer RMD Relief for Longevity Annuity Contracts in 403(b)/457, Other Retirement Plans

Guidance on how longevity annuity contracts purchased under 403(b) and eligible 457 retirement plans — as well as certain other retirement plans — can comply with the required minimum distribution (RMD) rules under Code Section 401(a)(9) was proposed Feb. 3 by the IRS. Code Section 401(a)(9) prescribes rules for a qualified trust under which the […]

EEOC Finalizes Employer Recordkeeping Rules Under GINA

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has long required employers subject to Title VII and the Americans With Disabilities Act to retain employment records, and now the same is required for those subject to the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. In final rules released Feb. 3, the commission amended its recordkeeping regulations to include employers covered by […]

Welcome Home, Soldier: Your Obligations to Returning Troops and Their Families

There are two primary laws that will come to bear, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), the subject of this article, and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the subject of a future article. Besides those legal responsibilities, many employers will also consider that they have a broader ethical obligation to those […]

EBSA Releases Final Rule on Fee Disclosures (extends effective date to July 1)

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued the final rule for pension and 401(k) plan fee disclosures on Feb. 2. The announcement was jointly made with the U.S. Department of Treasury, which issued a proposal at the same time to reduce regulatory burdens on retirement incomes. Secretary of Labor Hilda […]

HRHero 2012 Health Insurance Benefits Survey Results

Nearly 65 percent of respondents to a recent HRHero survey on health insurance benefits said they expect their health insurance costs to rise because of health care reform. Half of respondents said they were not sure if their organizations would eliminate health care plans in 2014, when it may be easier for workers to get […]

10 Keys to Market Pricing

In today’s Advisor, Rizzuti, who is a principal at PHR Compensation Resources, Inc. in Upper Saddle River, NJ, shares her 10 keys for effective market pricing. 1. Collect Good Job Information Ensure that job descriptions accurately portray the job duties and responsibilities. Many jobs have changed in the past few years. Pay special attention to […]