Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released the second set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) for retirement plan professionals on the agency’s complex new fiduciary rule just days before the end of the Obama administration in an effort to answer plan practitioners’ questions about how the rule draws lines between fiduciary and nonfiduciary communications, education, and advice.
Designing competitive benefit packages that help you attract and retain top talent can be daunting. While health and well-being benefits may only represent a small portion of your overall compensation plan, they can drive a disproportionate share of your budget. Could the introduction of genetic testing as a covered benefit allow you to better manage your healthcare spend? With the promise of continued increases in your healthcare premiums, perhaps now is the time to seriously consider using genetic testing in order to offer more personalized benefits.
The effect of the recent 21st Century Cures Act on health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) was clarified by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in a new round of frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Employers would be wise to ignore the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) regulations and guidance that permit exceptions timekeeping under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The department says that the practice is fine, but experts warn that it sets employers up to violate another DOL mandate: “complete and accurate” time records.
Navigating the latest tax reporting changes and avoiding filing errors is not always straightforward and can present unique challenges to small and midsized businesses.
In the last installment, we covered the rules regarding Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) intermittent leave. This article will focus on intermittent leave regarding pregnant employees. Curbing abuse of intermittent leave for pregnant employees can be difficult due to the permissive approach taken by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to FMLA leave during […]
On December 16, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters final rule and the final Annual Letter to Issuers for 2018. The primary focus of the notice—risk stabilization—complements recent announcements that are meant to improve the risk pool, including actions to address third-party payments of premiums and improve program integrity for […]
By Bridget Miller No matter how well-documented the problem is—and no matter how carefully considered the decision has been—firing an employee is almost always difficult. It’s a moment fraught with high emotions on all sides. Guest columnist Bridget Miller has some tips for doing it the right way.
When human resources professionals ponder what would make their jobs easier, having effective supervisors is likely high on the list. But what can HR do to help build better supervisors? Author and consultant Sandra Crowe has some ideas to pass along. Crowe, principal at Pivotal Point Training and Consulting, Inc., addressed the issue in a […]
Last month, BLR was involved in a merger that resulted in a new company with four business units being established. The combined company, Simplify Compliance, serves HR, safety, and environmental professionals as well as the healthcare, telecommunications, and financial services industries.