Tag: benefits

EBSA Reform Compliance Webcast Focuses on 2015 Employer Rules

In spite of the suspension of employer penalties under health care reform, the government strongly encourages employers to:  (1) maintain or expand coverage; and (2) report on minimum affordable coverage under Section 6055 and/or 6056 rules. It’s important for employers to get experience gathering data and setting up systems for that reporting, Rachel Levy, an […]

Good News: HR Degrees Are Worth It

More good news for the HR pros: That degree was worth it. We recently wrote about human resources (HR) making Forbes’ “America’s 15 Most Surprising Six-Figure Jobs” list. Now the HR profession has made another list: Salary.com’s “8 College Degrees That Will Earn Your Money Back” list.

Top 10 Do’s and Don’t’s from FMLA and ADA Court Rulings

Leave policy administration under the FMLA and the ADA presents numerous challenges to employers. Following is a “Do” and “Do Not” list based on the outcomes of 10 interference and retaliation claims by aggrieved employees that the courts have heard in the last five months. Do see if short-term disability benefits are granted or denied to […]

Appellate Court Upholds Pension Plan’s Right to Stand by Employee’s Withholding Choice

A recent federal appeals court decision serves as a reminder that communicating with employees about their options for benefits calculation methods in defined benefit retirement plans is a very important aspect of preparing them adequately for retirement. Some DB plans offer more than one way to accumulate assets, and allow participants to choose the method […]

Practical System for Helping Managers Who Don’t Perform

For Day 1 suggestions, go here. Day 2 (AM): The 1-on-1 Meeting with Wilma and Fred (Poor-Performing Manager and Supervisor) I’ve got three rules I’ll ask you to follow as we begin this meeting. First, don’t hold anything back. This is a once-in-a-career benefit, and the purpose of this meeting is to get it all […]

How Sponsors Can Change Retirement Plans in Wake of DOMA Decision

By Austen K. Townsend The Supreme Court’s decision on Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act in U.S. v. Windsor No. 12-307 (June 26, 2013) raises many issues for employers and other plan sponsors to consider about their qualified retirement plans. Section 3 of DOMA provided that the term “marriage” meant only a legal […]

IRS Streamlines Employer Health Coverage Reporting in Proposed Rules

Self-insured employers may not have to report the portion of the premium they pay, because that is not needed to determine if an individual is covered by “minimum essential coverage.” That’s one of a number of reporting items removed or reduced in IRS proposed health care reform rules detailing and streamlining reports on coverage offered […]

Exempt Employees and PTO: Special Considerations

How do you handle exempt employees and PTO together? Why does an employee’s exempt status matter for the purposes of taking time off? It comes down to the decisions employers make when exempt employees do not work a full day. Can an employer require an exempt employee to take PTO for the hours not worked […]

Q&A on Creating and Administrating a PTO Policy

Do you use a paid time off (PTO) policy in lieu of separate vacation, sick leave, and other leave of absence policies? Doing so can have a lot of benefits, such as increased employee satisfaction and ease in administration. That said, it also comes with challenges. For example, must all accrued PTO be paid out […]

Check Over This Employee Handbook Checklist

Yesterday, attorney Marc Jacuzzi laid out pitfalls in employee handbook writing, and the challenges handbooks and at-will statements may face. Jacuzzi is a shareholder at Simpson, Garrity, Innes & Jacuzzi, P.C., in South San Francisco. Today, Jacuzzi offers his detailed handbook checklist―compare it against your handbook to see how you stack up.