Most Popular

News Notes: Government Clarifies COBRA Notice Delivery

Meeting COBRA election notice requirements can be tricky – and even a minor oversight can potentially be expensive. A recent opinion letter from the Department of Labor clarifies the process for providing COBRA election notices to households with more than one qualified beneficiary. If several beneficiaries live at the same address, you can send their […]

News Notes: EEOC Approves Proposal To Exempt Retiree Health Plans From Age Bias Rules

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has approved a rule that would allow employers to reduce or cut retiree health benefits once a retiree becomes eligible for Medicare or a comparable state-sponsored health benefit—without violating the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. According to the U.S. General Accounting Office, 10 million retired employees age 55 and over […]

News Notes: Courts Adopt Internet Policy but Won’t Monitor E-Mail

Employer monitoring of employee Internet access is a hot issue. Federal Ninth Circuit judges recently jumped into the fray by shutting off surveillance software that monitored court employees’ Internet use, stating that such monitoring without prior notice to employees could be illegal. Now the body that governs the federal court system is requiring federal courts […]

FMLA Riddle: When is an FMLA Violation Not a Violation?

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) continues to baffle lawyers and HR professionals. But sometimes a riddle brings welcome news, as we see in a recent decision from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (the federal court of appeals covering Texas). Read on. Where’s the Beef? Virginia Adams worked for Columbia/HCA Hospital. She […]