Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
While voluntary benefits are scoffed at by some as “garbage benefits that never pay,” such benefits may be very attractive to some employees and may help companies currently reviewing their benefits packages in light of the Affordable Care Act, says consultant Mike Miles. Miles is vice president and senior employee benefits consultant at Gregory and […]
Insurers may not modify or customize letters telling policyholders they can have their cheap health coverage back for one more year if it was cancelled due to health care reform. States may customize the letters, but only if the result is a letter that is more consumer protective and detailed than the federal template. That’s […]
Although the Affordable Care Act (ACA) overcame a large hurdle when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld its provisions (including the individual mandate) last year, the Court announced today that it would take another look at the law. This time, it will be reviewing another one of the law’s controversial mandates—the contraceptive mandate. Under the ACA, […]
Gillihan is counsel in the Atlanta office of Alston & Bird LLP. His tips came at a recent webinar sponsored by BLR® and HR Hero®. Reasons for having insurance from employee’s perspective: Risk mitigation Negotiated discounts Reasons to Get Insurance Through the Employer: The income tax/Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) exemption for employer premiums and […]
To read the details of this case, please click here. The Rest of ‘Rose’s’ Story One business day before Rose was supposed to return to work, she was instructed, via a voice-mail message, to contact a supervisor to retrieve her employee badge privately, so she could avoid doing so in front of other employees in […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, attorney Ashley Gillihan offered critical definitions of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) terms of art. Today, his pros and cons of dropping/maintaining coverage, plus an introduction to the all-things-HR-in-one-place website, HR.BLR.com. Gillihan is counsel in the Atlanta office of Alston & Bird LLP. His tips came at a recent webinar […]
by Dan Oswald “He acts like he owns the place!” Depending on the context, that single sentence, when used in the workplace, can either spell disaster or be one of the most positive and flattering things to be said about an employee. If the statement is made out of frustration about an employee who throws […]
BLR has released the results of the new 2013 Holiday Practices Survey, which examines employer practices for providing paid holidays and paying nonexempt employees during the 2013 holiday season and provides information on planned paid holidays for 2014. The infographic below highlights survey findings and links to an article by BLR Legal Editor Susan Prince, […]
Employer shared responsibility or “play or pay” provisions (aka 4980H) of the ACA are effective January 1, 2014; however, no penalties will be assessed until 2015. Nevertheless, says Gillihan, your planning must be ongoing now if you plan to use a 12-month measurement period—that period has already started. Gillihan is counsel in the Atlanta office […]
Cross-training is typically viewed as a positive move by HR, but an HR generalist maintains that her required participation in cross-training amounted to a demotion—allegedly imposed on her in retaliation for reporting discriminatory employment practices to her employer. What happened On April 30, 2007, “Rose” was hired as an HR generalist by Infotech Aerospace Services, […]