Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Postcards are designed to provide a brief message, but it will be interesting to learn if such brevity is sufficient to adequately notify an individual of COBRA continuation coverage rights — particularly when the law identifies at least 14 content requirements for COBRA election notices. In a recent court case, an employer/plan administrator faced with […]
Implants — spinal fusion; as well as hip, knee and shoulder replacements — have emerged as major price problems today. Costs are up and so is utilization, which explains the cost surge health plans are undergoing for these procedures, according to three attorneys from The Phia Group in Braintree, Mass., who spoke in a Jan. […]
Four groups — the ERISA Industry Committee, the American Benefits Council, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable — filed an amicus brief July 26 to urge 2nd Circuit judges to support the principle of deference to plan administrators’ decisions over benefit plans. When plans reserve discretionary authority in plan documents, courts must […]
by Jim Brown Sedgwick LLP A new law expanding smoking restrictions in California workplaces is set to take effect on January 1. State law previously restricted smoking in places of employment based on “enclosed space” areas. In addition to requiring signage, California Labor Code Section 6404.5 provided a list of exceptions or exemptions from the […]
by Jay Surdukowski Sulloway & Hollis, P.L.L.C. On Thursday, June 6, the New Hampshire Senate approved a bill to protect the privacy of employees’ social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. But Republicans tacked on an amendment that may doom the bill in the house. Introduced by three Democratic lawmakers, House Bill 414 […]
by Laura E. Innes of Simpson, Garrity, Innes & Jacuzzi, PC
Age bias lawsuits are frequently hitting the headlines these days, oftentimes with big numbers attached. For example, Austrian Airlines has just agreed to pay $500,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) accusing the airline of age discrimination against former sales director William Thoman, age 51. The agency charged […]
Domestic violence is not just a private family problem. It can impact the workplace, sometimes with devastating results. To help deal with the problem, the U.S. Department of Labor recently released a new report outlining how you can protect yourself and your employees in these situations.
“Skills Mismatch: Business Acumen and Strategy Execution” studies the relationship between business skills and organizations’ ability to execute strategy, the critical skills needed at different levels of leadership, and trends in business skills development through 2018. The survey, which is based on responses from more than 300 senior corporate leaders, was conducted by The Economist […]
Today we hear from BLR® CEO Dan Oswald regarding the effectiveness of brevity. With his message, consider this: Would your training have more of an impact if it was shorter and sweeter?