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E-Learning FAQs: Answers May Surprise You (Part 2)

[Part 1 of this article appeared in yesterday’s edition.] Typically, organizations will use an LMS (learning management system) to manage their learning content and employee profiles, among other things. The type of LMS your organization will require will depend on its size and needs.

News Notes: Cash-Balance Retirement Plans Spark Controversy And Legislation

IBM¹s recent announcement that it was converting from a traditional pension plan to a cash-balance plan triggered angry employee protests and age discrimination allegations. Now, government agencies and federal legislators are vowing to take a closer look at the impact cash-balance plans have on older workers. Unlike traditional pension plans in which workers earn most […]

Taming Tyrants: An ‘Essential Function’ for Managers?

Today we continue our look at taming TOTs—Terrible Office Tyrants—and we’ll take a look at an invaluable source for prewritten job descriptions. (Should all HR job descriptions list taming TOTs as an "essential function"?) Dealing with tyrant bosses is "a little like parenting minus the diapers and spitting up," says Lynn Taylor, whose tips were […]

Harassment at work: Do victim’s wishes matter?

by Alexandra Meunier When assessing whether behavior constitutes sexual harassment, Canadian decision-makers usually look at the situation objectively. In other words, they don’t typically put much emphasis on subjective elements, such as the perception of the victim. Recently, an arbitrator in Quebec has done just that.

ERISA Advisory Council Told Most ‘Derisking’ Payouts are Relatively Small

Concerns about the effect of lump-sum retiree distributions on the funded status of defined benefit pension plans with ongoing obligations to future beneficiaries were prominent as members of the ERISA Advisory Council tackled issues of “derisking” at a June 5 open meeting at the U.S. Department of Labor. There was high interest in the topic […]

HOT LIST: Bestselling Business Books on Amazon.com

Amazon.com updates its list of bestselling business books hourly. Here is a snapshot of what books were hot this morning — Monday, August 18. 1. Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson. Following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, the […]

Why Managers Should Get Mobile

Managers are often dynamic in their outlook and forward-thinking, but any new investment, in particular, with training systems that may cost much but do not bring in financial revenue, there is a need for proven practicality.

Dependent Coverage Can Pose Challenges

Many, perhaps most, employers provide some coverage to employees’ dependents under the benefit plans they offer. But an employer needs to be careful when it does so. Many factors can complicate this coverage. Following are examples that highlight complicated situations that can arise for an employer that covers employees’ dependents and how an employer should address […]

Tales from the healthcare exchange portal

by Jason Lacey On October 1, we reached a big milestone for the implementation of healthcare reform: the opening of the public insurance exchanges. OK, so the day was largely symbolic, and nothing really took effect. It just happened to be the first day we could take a look at what’s available through these new […]

Politics, Negative Ads, and Trust

By Stephen D. Bruce, PHR Editor, HR Daily Advisor I’m always intrigued with presidential politics, says business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald. Specifically, he says, I like to watch how politicians, often with track records in a governor’s mansion, Congress or even the White House go about getting elected or re-elected. Maybe it’s the marketer […]