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Stay one Step Ahead of DOL’s Misclassification Efforts

What do short stories by O. Henry and independent contractor analysis have in common? You’re left guessing the outcome until the very end, says attorney Deanna Brinkerhoff. DOL is cracking down on classification, and that makes it a good time to evaluate your organization’s classification decisions. DOL estimates that 30 percent of employers misclassify some […]

Employers Must Answer Questions About Revenue Sharing in Their 401(k)s

By Mary Jo Larson    Nearly every 401(k) plan offers its participants some investment options that include revenue-sharing fee payments. For many years, employers were not even aware that their participants’ investments were generating these payments. Today, in the wake of new U.S. Department of Labor disclosure and reporting rules and well-publicized cases attacking employers for […]

Hot List: Wall Street Journal’s Bestselling Hardcover Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the Wall Street Journal with data from Nielsen BookScan on August 2. 1. StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths by Tom Rath. Are you unsure where your true talents lie? […]

Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act passes

The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act passed its last congressional hurdle February 28 when the House voted 286-138 in favor of the Senate-approved version of the bill. President Barack Obama has promised to sign the measure. The original Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed in 1994. The most recent version expired in October 2011, and […]

Spending More on Separation May Cost Less

Employers conducting layoffs often seek the least expensive way. After all, saving money is the whole purpose, right? But recent research suggests that spending some money to do it right may pay off way more than it costs. DBM, a leading outplacement and career management firm, recently released the results of a study titled “Global […]

Announcing a Special BLR Audio Conference: The Challenges of an Aging Workforce

Solving the worker shortage by retaining your older workers brings many benefits, but an aging workforce also raises several challenges. An April 25 audio conference will tell you what you need to know. To anyone charged with filling office seats and production workstations, the numbers are frightening. The Baby Boom generation, just starting to reach […]

FMLA Changes Announced: What’s New, What to Do

In light of important new rules on the FMLA that government announced Monday, we’re foregoing our usual column to bring you this HRDA News Extra. At a recent HR conference, a speaker said, “Let’s talk about how to manage intermittent leave.” He paused, and then laughed, as did the audience. That’s been the prevailing attitude […]

Small Amounts Left in Retirement Accounts Add up to Big Sponsor Costs

As U.S. employment mobility has increased, one result of an estimated 9.5 million job changes a year has been a large number of defined contribution retirement accounts left behind at former employers. These often are small in dollar value, but can become a more costly and “insidious” problem than many plan sponsors realize. Small accounts […]