Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Please participate in our brief survey and see how what you are doing stacks up against what other successful companies are doing. We’ll get answers to these questions and more: What kind of paid leaves are offered? PTO or separate vacation and sick leave? How much time off for what length of service? Is donating […]
Handling an employee termination meeting is dreaded from both sides—they’re no fun for anyone involved. But with ample preparation you can take steps to help the meeting go as smoothly as possible.
Retirement saving rightfully gets a lot of press, since it affects all of us. One of the most widely talked about retirement vehicles is the 401(k) plan, in which employees can make tax-deferred contributions to plans administered through their employer. It’s become the default retirement savings scheme for most people, replacing pensions, and there are […]
We all know the cost of employee turnover is high. It only gets higher as the unemployment rate drops since it can take longer to fill a vacant role—thus increasing the time to regain productivity. Keeping good employees onboard is key to an organization’s success—but how can an employer increase employee satisfaction and thus increase […]
The first direct federal challenge to an employee wellness program’s legality under the Americans with Disabilities Act was filed Aug. 20 by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The employer’s program did not qualify as “voluntary” under the ADA because the one employee who refused to participate was forced to bear the entire cost of […]
Keating encourages the boys to embrace their individualism, think independently, and pursue their passions. This leads them on a path of self-discovery that clashes with the rigid culture of the conservative institution they attend. Keating’s methods ultimately cost him his job, but they win him the respect and affection of his students. In watching the […]
An appeals court decision coming on the heels of a recent Supreme Court stripping the presumption of prudence for fiduciaries may raise the stakes even higher for plan sponsors. A panel of judges in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals required that fiduciaries make a decision about company stock in their retirement plan based […]
The U.S. Department of Labor on Aug. 14 issued a new set of guidance for plan sponsors about tracking missing defined contribution retirement plan participants and distributing their assets. It takes into account vastly improved Internet search capabilities that have emerged in the decade since its last instructions about obligations to missing participants. Field Assistance […]
In a decision that overlooked key COBRA guidance, a federal district court ruled that an employer/plan administrator fulfilled its notice obligation by verbally providing a notice of COBRA rights and accepting premium payments — which apparently the qualified beneficiary had to pay a few days after her employment termination. In dismissing a COBRA notice claim, […]
Fidelity Investments agreed to pay a class of its own employee 401(k) plan participants and beneficiaries $12 million to settle ERISA violation allegations of excessive fees and committing prohibited transactions with their retirement accounts. The settlement, filed July 3 with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, ended two lawsuits brought by employees: […]