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Federal Defense of Marriage Act Found Unconstitutional … Again

Employers with employees who seek coverage under their benefit plans for their same-sex spouses would be justified in wondering exactly what they should do under federal law. The federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is still in force, but the Obama administration will not enforce or defend it. And now another court has found it […]

Tool of the Week: White-Collar Exemptions Report

Are you classifying your white-collar workers correctly? Are you sure? Getting it wrong can trigger costly penalties and fines. In our exclusive Special Report, “White-Collar Overtime Exemptions Are Revised–and Could Mean Higher OT Costs for You,” we explain what you need to know in light of the recent revisions to the FLSA. We also provide […]

‘I Didn’t Know You Wanted Me Here Every Day!’

Yesterday’s issue emphasized the necessity of sharing your attendance expectations with employees. Here are the key points that BLR’s popular 10-Minute HR Trainer suggests you stress in employee training on attendance. 1. Employer Expectations Regarding Attendance Regular attendance is a requirement of every employee’s job. It is important because: High absenteeism rates reduce productivity. Absenteeism […]

Recruiting Online—Your Website or Mine?

What’s the best approach for online recruiting—outside websites or your own career site? We turn to HR Hero’s Technology for HR guidebook for tips on achieving online success. Recruiting on the Internet It is not an overstatement to say that the internet has totally revolutionized how people find jobs. If you are not currently using […]

Governor Daniels Signs “Bring Your Gun to Work” Bill Into Law

On March 18, Governor Mitch Daniels signed into law a bill allowing most employees in the state to bring weapons onto their employer’s property as long as the weapons are kept out of plain sight in locked vehicles. The bill will take effect July 1, 2010. In the signing statement accompanying the bill, Governor Daniels […]

Recent Big-Ticket HIPAA Settlements Drive Home Need for Organizational Commitment

By David Slaughter, JD, Senior Legal Editor The month of July saw two hospitals reach multimillion-dollar Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy and security settlements with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Each case began with that most mundane of data breaches, the stolen laptop, but once HHS investigators started […]

Groups say HIPAA transaction rules would unduly tax self-funded plans

Government requirements for certifying compliance with HIPAA’s transaction standards would impose a significant, unwarranted burden on self-funded group health plans that do not perform these transactions directly, employer groups warned in written comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The proposed rules would lay “significant costs” on self-insured plans that hire vendors […]

News Notes: COBRA Notice To Employee Must Also Go To Spouse

Employers with 20 or more employees who provide health benefits must notify terminated workers of their continuation rights under COBRA. But a new federal appeals court ruling has confirmed you’re required to separately notify the employee and the worker’s spouse of their COBRA rights.7 To protect yourself, Ina Potter, a partner with the San Francisco […]