Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Douglas R. Chamberlain When facing financial difficulties, employees often look to their retirement plans as a possible source of needed funds. Many plans offer participant loans or permanent withdrawals, the latter generally on a hardship basis. However, plan loans and withdrawals can jeopardize the employee’s retirement benefits, and both are subject to complex rules […]
A recent U.S. district court decision is the latest ruling over plan fees and may give a legal foothold to participants seeking restitution for investment decisions they deem imprudent. Judge Susan Richard Nelson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota ruled against Ameriprise Financial Inc. in a case concerning allegations that the […]
By Ruth Berkowitz, VP at Liazon Corporation
As layoffs occur nationwide, employers are grappling with how to calm employees’ nerves. But giving an employee false reassurances about job security only to later demote or lay off the person could lead to a costly workers’ compensation claim for stress. A new California Court of Appeal ruling illustrates that acting in good faith shields […]
When Specialty Restaurants Corp. (SRC) hired Alberto Pinero as general manager of Luminarias in Monterey Park, Pinero had an age bias lawsuit pending against his former employer that he didn’t tell SRC about. When SRC’s chief executive learned about the suit, he tried to persuade Pinero to drop it on the grounds that it was […]
by JW Furman With all the attention given to President Donald Trump’s recent removal of the Obama administration’s protection for transgender bathroom access, it’s important to remember that the action applies only to public school students. For employers, the issue remains as unsettled as ever. There’s no reason to believe that the Equal Employment Opportunity […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, we looked at five things you never want to have to say in court; today, three more, and an introduction to the all-in-one solutions website for HR managers. ‘No, really it was performance’ This is the standard “now I’m changing my story” line. Here’s the scenario: you fire someone whose performance has […]
When comparing the United States to the rest of the world, we often hear that American students continue to lag behind much of the rest of the world—and other advanced, industrial nations in particular—when it comes to the so-called STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering, and math.
It’s not that hard to avoid the actions that tempt me and my fellow plaintiffs’ attorneys, says Whitney Warner, SPHR. In today’s Advisor, she shares five things that employers do that “make her day.” Warner, who has shared some of her secrets with our readers before [Go here for other secrets], details five things that […]
As America revs up for the super-spectacle … and bets on the outcome … we wonder what gambling at work costs employers. The answer may surprise you. Sunday marks the biggest game in pro football, Super Bowl XLI, and the action will be hot and heavy … betting action, that is. Gamblers, from $2 small […]