Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
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.
Many members of the military serving our country in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc., do double duty as employees for public and private sector companies. This raises a host of HR issues for them and their family members, as they have taken leave both for military duty and, in some cases, to deal with the impact […]
It’s now official: The effective dates regarding fiduciary and participant fee disclosure regulations for retirement plans have been extended. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a final rule (which becomes effective July 15) providing that: Fiduciary-level Fee Disclosure Regulation: The effective date for the interim final rule is extended from July 16, 2011, […]
Now that the dust is settling over the nationwide class-action disability discrimination lawsuit Verizon settled with the EEOC, we at the SmartHRManager blog wanted to ask HR professionals what this settlement means to their companies. To help you answer that question, take a look at the consent decree’s corporate improvement plan, which highlights what Verizon […]
Employers should tread carefully when deciding not to offer COBRA continuation coverage due to “gross misconduct,” as a recent court case reminds. Here, a federal district court in Ohio held that a former employee’s conviction due to a sex offense, which led to his employment termination, was not yet enough to deny COBRA coverage due […]
In the latest big-ticket enforcement action for alleged HIPAA privacy and security violations, the University of California at Los Angeles Health System (UCLAHS) has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) $865,500 to settle allegations the hospital violated HIPAA’s privacy and security rules. The settlement, announced July 7, resolves two […]
Does your computer’s spelling function auto-correct “HSA” to “HAS”? Mine used to, not recognizing that this abbreviation is no longer an error, but represents health savings accounts (HSAs), one type of consumer-directed health plan that is fast becoming mainstream in the health benefits industry. Health savings accounts couple a tax-favored savings account that is used […]
Editor’s note: For purposes of this article, we are going to assume you know the basics. If you don’t, read BLR’s previous news coverage here and here. Sponsors of 403(b) plans, we really, really hope that by now you know whether or not you need to file Form 5500 for the 2009 plan year and […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, we looked at the DOL’s increasing focus on compensation issues and defending your system against attack. Today, more on defense, plus an introduction to an extraordinary collection of policies. It’s important to recognize that you need to be able to document an employee’s compensation history, not just their current salary, says consultant […]
Industry experts are saying health reform is helping promote the self-funding of health benefits, particularly among smaller employers, which can allow employers to get more of a say over benefits design and payment and help avoid a few reform obligations. Large insurers are, accordingly, betting on self-funding and seeing opportunity in administrative services only (ASO) […]
Special from World at Work total Rewards Conference In yesterday’s Advisor, author Dan Pink showed how money often isn’t the best motivator. Today, Pink on autonomy and an introduction to the popular Job Description Encyclopedia. Pink, author of popular management books including his latest, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, offered examples of […]