Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
A self-insured employer that explicitly excludes same-gender spouses from health plan coverage did not violate ERISA’s benefit interference or fiduciary breach provisions by having such exclusionary language, a federal district court in New York ruled. A same-gender couple had argued that, in light of U.S. v. Windsor, because the plan declined to cover the spouse, the employer interfered […]
9 Thinks You MUST NOT Include in Your Documentation Yesterday’s Advisor presented Attorney Franck Wobst’s key things you should include in documentation. Today, 9 things not to include, plus an introduction to Employee Compensation in Your State. Crimson Tide Coach Offers Seven Lessons for Every Manager Some of you might get tired of my use […]
The end of Oregon’s ban on same-sex marriage means employers need to take a look at their benefits policies and what laws require in terms of married couples. U.S. District Judge Michael McShane ruled on May 19 that the ban on same-sex marriage, which was added to the state constitution after voters passed Measure 36 […]
Your HR metrics say what’s important to HR, but is that what’s important to the C-Suite? HR professionals need to be keenly aware of the information they are providing to top management. Is it information that is useful in strategic decision making? If not, how can that be changed? Metrics let people make decisions based […]
Employee wellness plans have been gaining popularity in recent years, and with good reason: they can benefit both employees and employers. An employee wellness program is simply a program that intends to promote the health and well-being of employees. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, but the key is that the program […]
The jury’s still out on the impact of health care reform on employment‐based health benefits, but predictions of mass instability are certainly not materializing, reform experts said May 15 at a policy forum sponsored by the Employee Benefits Research Institute in Washington, D.C. The Affordable Care Act will not trigger a rapid exodus from employer-sponsored […]
When using contingent workers, defined as non-traditional and non-employee workers (often either independent contractors or workers leased from temp agencies or professional employer organizations), employers remove a lot of the hassles associated with managing a workforce internally. However, they also introduce some risks, especially since the decisions are often out of their hands.
The first thing to recognize about compression is that there are no secrets at work, says consultant Brown. People are going to find out what other people make. They may talk openly or it may be relatively innocent, he adds. For example, your life insurance is half of salary, and employees are sitting at lunch […]
Payments by qualified retirement plans for accident or health insurance will be taxable distributions to participants in most cases, starting with the 2015 tax year, according to new IRS final regulations. Retirees are excluded from having to pay tax on plan payments for medical benefits, however. IRS on May 6 approved amendments to 26 C.F.R. […]
Vacation time and paid holidays may be a relatively standard benefit to offer to full-time employees, but in the United States, it’s not actually legally mandated. While many employers are well aware of this, it’s important to make a note of, since employees often treat it as a right. In fact, vacation time is typically […]