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Don’t Terminate Without the Right Policies

Terminations — where the rubber meets the road in HR. The most angst, the most tears (or screams), and the most lawsuits. Your terminations policy is critical. Today, courtesy of BLR’s SmartPolicies® program, we’ll review the key elements your policy should cover.

Pension Plans: Supreme Court Restores Employer Discretion Over Surplus Assets

Because of the huge stock market gains in recent years, many defined benefit pension plans contain more assets than are needed to pay out benefits. Since 1997, however, a ruling from the federal appeals court that covers California has sharply limited employers’ discretion in how to use that “extra” money. But in a recent unanimous […]

Early communication about data mishaps saves employers’ cash and reputations

As the public grows somewhat used to data breaches, simply having to acknowledge one might no longer be devastating to customer relationships, but how and when to communicate remains critical to damage control, a data security expert said in a recent webinar. In 2005 or 2006, when customers would be notified of a breach, “many would […]

Benefits Other Than Health Insurance Survey 2012

Employee benefits other than wages have evolved over the years as companies look for new ways to retain good employees, boost employee morale, and encourage employee loyalty. Each year, we at HRHero and BLR survey our readers to find out what benefits they offer and how their benefits plans are decided and change to fit […]

The Perfect Candidate Has a Résumé Gap, Now What?

One of the most difficult tasks for a job applicant coming off a period of unemployment is to explain that gap in dates on their résumé. This was a common challenge for many jobseekers following the Great Recession.

What We Can Learn from Putting on Our Socks

Clear directions are a critical element in the successful execution of any task. To bake a batch of mouth-watering cookies, you need a recipe that clearly lists the ingredients and how they need to be combined in order to deliver the final result you’re looking for. If you need to travel from point A to […]

Pay Budget Survey Indicates Modest Rises for 2012 and 2013

BLR’s 2012-2013 Pay Budget Survey results suggest modest increases for another year, with 40% of employers awarding merit increases of up to 2.5%, 36.5% awarding increases of more than 2.5% and 2% awarding increases above 5%. Among employers awarding merit increases in 2012, the most commonly cited increases ranged from 2.5% to 3.0%. This corresponds […]

Mississippi passes broad anti-LGBT law

On April 5, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed a bill that provides businesses, religious organizations, and individuals with legal protection for refusing to provide services to LGBT individuals. The new law provides “certain protections regarding a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction for persons, religious organizations and private associations” that refuse services to LGBT […]

The business case for diversity

by Kimberly Williams Recently, my employer, Baystate Health, organized a regional Diversity and Inclusion Conference. While promoting the event on social media, I shared a video clip of one of the conference presenters who was making the “business case” for diversity. One of my Facebook friends asked, “Why are we still making a business case […]

New Mexico pay equity law takes effect

by Robert P. Tinnin, Jr. New Mexico’s Fair Pay for Women Act (FPWA) goes into effect June 14, affecting all employers with at least four employees. The law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex “by paying wages to employees . . . at a rate less than the rate that the employer pays wages […]