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Another Boon for Wellness Benefits: Revealing Employees’ Unanticipated Disease Risks

Employers — and employees — may find wellness benefits an even more welcome offering, a recent study suggests. A Quest Diagnostics study found that more than 1 out of 3 employees who took employer-sponsored lab-based wellness tests were unaware they were at high risk for a serious medical condition. The study, Value of Laboratory Tests […]

DOL Gets Serious About Federal Contractor Compliance; Slaps Companies with $1M in Back Wages in November

Companies that violate the federal government contractor laws risk not just fines and citations from the U.S. Department of Labor, but also debarment that prevents them from bidding on any other federal contracts for a specified period. For a company that relies predominantly on federal contracts, or that was depending on a financial infusion from […]

News Notes: Free Guide To New Privacy Law

Last year, Gov. Davis signed new privacy legislation, S.B. 168, that prohibits California businesses from printing Social Security numbers on ID cards or badges and from requiring people to use a Social Security number to log onto a website without a password. To help businesses implement the new law, which took effect July 1, 2002, […]

Your HR Department 2011 Survey Results

Each year, HRHero surveys its readers about their HR departments and what has changed in the last year. This year, 820 people took the online survey. The following are highlights of the results. 37% of respondents have been in HR for six to 15 years. 28% have been in HR for 16 to 25 years. […]

IRS Issues Alternative Per Diems for 2013

Employers and plan administrators have more options now in choosing a way to reimburse the expenses their employees incur for lodging, meals and incidentals during business travel. The IRS in Notice 2012-63 issued per diem rates that are an alternative to the CONUS per diem rates the U.S. General Services Administration issues. The notice also […]

6 Health Reform Issues Loom over Plan Sponsors in 2012

After so much ink spilled and heartache over health reform, plan sponsors might think the dust has settled and say: “The coast is clear. We can come out of hiding.” But if you thought that all this effort has totally clarified health reform (and if you think you know just what to do to comply), […]

NLRB at It Again: New Posting Requirement Prompts Anger

A new rule from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is being touted by the agency as a moderate measure aimed at ensuring that workers understand their rights, but it’s drawing fire from some employers who call it a “punitive new rule” from a federal agency overreaching its authority. The NLRB issued a final rule […]

Are your retirement plan’s fees excessive? Failed participant suits may inform plan sponsors

Federal courts on numerous occasions in the last two years have dismissed plan participant allegations that their employers charged excessive retirement plan fees. The rulings taken together say: If a plan is not enriching itself at participants’ expense — or operating with a conflict of interest in relation to its investment company — then it’s […]