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.

Reform Rule on Maximum Waiting Period Details Some 90 Day-plus Scenarios

Employer group health plans must eliminate waiting periods of more than 90 days before enrolling otherwise eligible employees (or dependents) into health coverage, under proposed rules issued on March 18 by the federal agencies implementing health reform. For Clear Full-time Hires, It’s 90 Days Group health plans and health insurers in the group plan setting […]

Post-Recession Compensation: Attract and Retain Top Talent

Your organization may be at risk of losing top talent and may face future recruiting challenges as employees weigh their employment options more carefully in a recovering economy, says Daniels, who is senior consultant at Keating Advisors, LLC. Hiring Is Heating Up Recent BLS data, says Daniels, show that there is an increase in hiring. […]

Workers’ Comp 101: When Can You Discipline an Injured Worker?

"Even if we’re talking about an injured worker is in a protected classification, the employer can generally discipline that person as long as they can show good cause." David Schmit told us in a recent BLR webinar. Good cause can be defined as "a fair and honest cause or reason, regulated by good faith on […]

The 4 Approaches to Pay Structure

For companies that have cut back on pay for a few years (who hasn’t?), it’s time to take a look at your status, says Daniels, who is senior consultant at Keating Advisors, LLC. You may well have fallen behind or your structure may no longer align with your strategies. Review Your Current Base Pay Structure […]

Parental Leave Now Mandated Under Military Exigency FMLA

The Final FMLA rule makes four changes (or clarifications) to the listed qualifying exigencies, says Schoenfeld, Senior Legal Editor on BLR’s human resources team. Clarifies that, for the purposes of leave for childcare and school activities, the child must be the military member’s child or a child for whom the military member stands in loco […]

Women Closing Retirement Balance Gap but Still Need Long-term Strategy

Data from late 2012 show women in the United States closing the gap in defined contribution plan balances and savings rates compared with their male counterparts, but gaps remain in women’s retirement funding strategies that plan sponsors can help address. Although female plan participants long have been known to save less than men for retirement, […]

Will New Litigation Risks Proliferate Because of Health Reform?

With thousands of pages of new laws and rules, there must be thousands of new reasons for employees to sue for health benefits not delivered properly in the wake of near-complete enactment of health reform starting in 2014, one could be forgiven for thinking. Health reform certainly does appear to be somewhat of a litigation […]

FMLA: DOL Throws Surprise Birthday Party—Final Regs Issued

Just what we were hoping for—more complicated regulations. The Final Rule, says Schoenfeld, which addresses family military leave and airline flight crew rules, will change the way in which covered employers administer family leave for servicemember caregivers and employees with family members in the military. Schoenfeld is a Senior Legal Editor on BLR’s human resources […]

6 Bucks Back for Every Buck Invested in Wellness? Get on Board

Furthermore, Morris adds, your wellness program may get way more important under the Affordable Care Act. Morris, who specializes in benefits, is a member of the firm Epstein Becker Green in its Washington, D.C., office. Wellness Is Popular, But Hard to Define A recent survey found that 70.3 percent of 539 employer respondents reported offering […]