Category: Benefits and Compensation

This topic provides guidance on how to handle compensation issues in a way that attracts and retains the best talent and advances the strategic goals of your business. You get news and tips on what’s going on nationally and in the states, and updates on changes in regulations, possible governmental action, and emerging compensation trends.

Suit Seeking Plan Docs in Spanish Dismissed for Lack of Harm

A federal district court judge on Aug. 12 dismissed a suit by current and former employees of a Maryland construction company who alleged that the company failed to comply with ERISA disclosure requirements and to provide retirement plan documents upon request because the Spanish-speaking plaintiffs couldn’t understand the English documents. ERISA requires that plan sponsors […]

Plan Identifier Rules Not Written for Self-funded Plans

With the HIPAA deadline for obtaining a health plan identifier less than two months away, plan sponsors have encountered major problems trying to get one — if they’ve started at all, according to a poll conducted by the ERISA Industry Committee. “ERIC’s members are really struggling with the requirements for health plan identifiers,” said Gretchen […]

How Attractive Are You to Potential Employees?

For instance, while you may be the greatest employer, if you do not have a company website, chances are that you will appear “antiquated” and some candidates may not consider you as their top choice.  Therefore, the following are areas that you may want to explore in preparation for recruiting candidates.

Building Your Employee Talent Pool—Best Practices

Building a recruitment strategy that can meet the ups and downs of everyday business in a volatile economy is a tough challenge. To compound matters, you are not alone in your quest for the best employees.  Even companies that are not currently hiring are actively building their talent communities and their candidate pools in preparation […]

Workers Put All Their Eggs in CEO’s (Market) Basket

By Jennifer Carsen, JD Writer, HR Daily Advisor If you haven’t been following the saga of Tewksbury, MA-based Market Basket over the past few months, here’s a recap: The Grocery Wars: A Summer of Upheaval In June, Arthur S. Demoulas led a majority group of board members of the family-owned business to oust the company […]

Survey—Background Checks on Social Media? Policy Enforcement?

Policy Focus: Background Checks Multiple states and cities have enacted laws in recent months that govern the use of background checks, so this year’s survey takes a closer look at those policies. We kicked it off by asking how many survey participants have background check policies (74.4%) then moved on to ask how many apply […]

More IRS Guidance on ACA’s Health Coverage Reporting Rules

IRS on Aug. 29 issued two sets of questions and answers about reporting on health coverage for large employers under Section 6056 and for all employers under Section 6055 of the reform law. Section 6056 reporting is required by “applicable large employers” that provide health coverage to their full-time employees and is needed for the government to carry out […]

Policy Survey Results … Who Has Policies on What?

The results of BLR’s 2014 Policy Practices Survey are in; here are some highlights: 89.8% of participants have formalized policies. 77.5% have an at-will employment statement. Employee handbooks are the preferred method of distributing policies to employees for 49.9%. An internal website (intranet) is utilized by 29.3%. Social media background checks are conducted by only […]