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Q&A on How HR Can Handle FMLA Leave and Suspected Abuse

Must an employer grant FMLA leave to an employee to care for a child’s serious health condition after the child is an adult and no longer lives with the employee? Can an employee take intermittent FMLA leave for baby bonding? What should an employer do who suspects FMLA leave abuse? These questions and more were […]

Can You Use Pinterest for Recruiting?

In a world where more and more people have digital personas and social media is used by millions, is it any surprise that nearly every social media platform – including Pinterest – has a recruiting angle?

Heads They Win … Tails You Lose (Mitigating Measures)

In yesterday’s Advisor, Attorney Patricia Eyres briefed us on accommodating depression. Today, her take on mitigating measures—a lose/lose proposition for the employers—and we introduce the new leadership training system from TrainingToday®. What’s a Mitigating Measure? According to the Job Accommodation Network, a mitigating measure is a treatment, therapy, or device that eliminates or reduces the […]

Creating a Sales Compensation Philosophy

Sales compensation philosophies should be in alignment with company objectives while still motivating the sales team—all without going over budget. This can be a challenge, but there are some tips to help employers get it right. The 5 ‘Rights’ of Sales Compensation “When we’re talking about sales compensation objectives, we define them as the 5 […]

Mitigating Measures—Heads Employee Wins … Tails Employer Loses

What’s a Mitigating Measure? According to the Job Accommodation Network, a mitigating measure is a treatment, therapy, or device that eliminates or reduces the limitations of a disability. Medications, including widely prescribed depression and anxiety medications Medical supplies, equipment, or appliances, low-vision devices (defined as devices that magnify, enhance, or otherwise augment a visual image, […]

As Wellness Rule Deadline Approaches, Questions Remain

As the 2014 plan year nears, plan sponsors are still sifting through the recently finalized changes to HIPAA’s nondiscrimination rules on wellness programs. The rules, issued June 3 (78 Fed. Reg. 33158), legally took effect Aug. 2 and must be met for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2014. Along with raising the […]

Same-Sex Marriages Legally Recognized: How Do Healthcare Benefits Change?

With the DOMA ban on same-sex marriage being ruled unconstitutional, what does this mean for healthcare benefits—will a same-sex marriage be recognized in the same way as other marriages, thus allowing the same-sex partner to receive spousal healthcare benefits paid for at the pre-tax rate? This is just one of the many questions employers are […]

Do Your Supervisors Need “Back-to-Basics” Training?

The information in this issue is adapted from the Ask the Trainer feature on BLR’s HR.BLR.com®. The training question is, “How can back-to-basics training help supervisors develop a proactive, hands-on approach?” Here is how our training expert responded: Since many supervisors don’t receive training in basic supervisory skills, they tend to manage employees only when […]

Payroll Taxes Went Up in Smoke

Smoking is a nasty habit, especially when it results in a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation and a $67,000 penalty from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)! The owner of a New York City construction company and several related companies recently pleaded guilty of willfully failing to pay payroll taxes. Prosecutors for the IRS and the […]