Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Ebola may be grabbing headlines, but it’s the old familiar flu that’s more likely to cause headaches and chills for employers this winter. Flu.gov reports that nearly 111 million workdays are lost as a result of flu each season. That puts the tab at approximately $7 billion per year in sick days and lost productivity. […]
In a May 18, 2009, decision, the U.S. Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether women who took maternity leave decades ago (before discrimination based on pregnancy became illegal) can sue to have their pregnancy leave time count toward their pensions. The Court reversed the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling and held that […]
Yesterday we discussed the importance of a solid, year-round communications plan for discussing health benefits with employees. Today let’s dig deeper and explore what to do when introducing an entirely new benefit, such as a health savings account (HSA).
Special from the Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, Las Vegas In yesterday’s Advisor, BLR CEO Dan Oswald offered tips for getting a seat at HIS table. Today, more on how to interact with the C-Suite, plus an introduction to the all-HR-in-one site, HR.BLR.com Show Me the Money Oswald, author of the Oswald Letter, suggests that HR […]
The U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear a case to resolve whether an ERISA health plan can recover money it spent on a plan participant’s care from his or her personal injury settlement, even if the participant has already spent those particular funds. To settle this question, the Court granted certiorari March 30 in Montanile v. Bd. of Trustees […]
By Stefan Kimpton It’s almost election day in Canada. On October 19, Canadians will head to the polls to elect the new federal government. Employers with employees in Canada should be aware of their obligations on election day.
by Cathleen S. Yonahara Freeland Cooper & Foreman LLP California’s equal pay law will provide protections for race and ethnicity as well as gender as of January 1, 2017. Since 1949, California law has prohibited gender-based wage discrimination, and in 2015, that protection was expanded to require equal pay for men and women who perform […]
The amount of back wages and overtime pay collected by the U.S. Department of Labor for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act is down slightly — but don’t assume that means DOL is no longer on the warpath. According to data provided to Smart HR Manager, DOL collected almost $130 million in back wages […]
A special issue of HR Hero Line, a free weekly e-zine from HR Hero and employment law attorneys who are part of the Employers Counsel Network, took an in-depth look at the new FMLA regulations that go into effect January 16 and what they mean to employers. “10 key changes in new FMLA regulations” by […]
Retirement plan sponsors that have agreements with service providers should be aware of a recent appellate court decision that absolved such providers of fiduciary duty — if a plan trustee exercised final control over the terms of their agreement. Background In Santomenno v. John Hancock Life Insurance Co., 2014 WL 4783665 (3rd Cir. Sept. 26, […]