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EBSA: Deficient Work Tied to Auditors’ Size, Experience

Hiring an auditor with limited experience auditing benefit plans, or experience auditing only small plans … may cost plan sponsors. That conclusion can be drawn from a new assessment by DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration of audit quality after reviewing annual reports from 400 sample retirement plans of various sizes. The agency found a nearly […]

FMLA Notice Requirements: Proper Delivery of Notice

As covered in the last installment of this series, every employer covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is required to post an FMLA general notice explaining the FMLA’s provisions and other various U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) forms and notices. The following article discusses the proper ways to deliver notices.

Exempt Employees: IWC Approves Changes To Rules For Overtime Exemptions

Following a contentious debate, the Industrial Welfare Commission has approved new wage orders that modify the definitions of managerial, administrative and professional employees who are exempt from overtime. The new standards bring California in line with the federal rules defining employees who are exempt from overtime. And supporters of the changes say this will make […]

Workers’ Comp Throws Its ‘Employer’ Nets Wide

A British Columbia Court of Appeal decision has worrisome implications for companies that control elements of the operations of subcontractors or franchisees. Although it was about a franchise situation in B.C., it could have repercussions in other provinces and other business relationships. What happened In 2005, there was a robbery of a Petro-Canada service station. […]

Pension

Largest Defined Contribution Plans Look to Adopt DB Best Practices for The Future

By Jane Meacham While acknowledging that maintaining traditional defined benefit (DB) pensions has become either too expensive or too burdensome, several Fortune 500 company retirement plan sponsors would like to replicate for their defined contribution (DC) plans some of the efficiencies from their DB plans, according to a new survey report from BNY Mellon.

When Good Meetings Go Bad (Hint: It’s Almost All the Time)

Yesterday, we looked at one of author and entrepreneur Jason Fried’s biggest gripes about the modern workplace: Interruptions, including those caused by managers who check in at inopportune times. But those interruptions are small potatoes compared to the most disruptive thing managers tend to do: Call meetings.

Senate Votes Down Health Care Reform Repeal Legislation

On Wednesday, February 2, the U.S. Senate voted 51-47 against a largely symbolic amendment that would repeal the health care reform legislation enacted last year. (The amendment was to an unrelated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding bill.) Senate Republicans unanimously backed the amendment, which would have repealed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), […]

Contracts: How Did We End Up Creating an Oral Contract?

I thought we had an “at-will” relationship with our employees, but recently, we got sued and the court found that the employee had an “implied contract” with us. Now we want to be sure that we’re not creating contracts we don’t want and that we do have contracts we need. How should we move forward? […]