Archives

Three Strikes and He’s Out—Of a Job!

Joseph Neubauer had not missed a Yankees home game in 38 years. He would book his vacation days and days off to correspond to the Yankees’ home schedule. But a rainstorm ended his streak—and his job! CBS NewYork/WFAN reports that the city employee had, as usual, taken September 18, 2013, off to go to the […]

Hottest Workplace Perk a Cut Above the Rest

Sure, Silicon Valley workers are used to superior perquisites, from gourmet dining to concierge services. But the hottest workplace perk, says Marketwire, is a cut above the rest—subsidized haircuts. Companies do want their employees to look well-groomed at work (hence all those dress code and personal hygiene policies). So companies are working with vendors to […]

Want to ‘Clarify’ or ‘Authenticate’ an FMLA Cert? Strict Definitions

In yesterday’s Advisor, we offered guidance on FMLA certifications; today, we’ll cover when you can “clarify” or “authenticate” those certifications, and we’ll introduce the unique checklist-based audit system that lets you find problems before the feds and the lawyers do. Authentication and Clarification of Medical Certifications Employers are entitled to authenticate or clarify information received […]

Medical Certs—Necessary FMLA Evil

How can you know if your comp program is meeting organization goals? You have to maintain metrics, says consultant Terry Pasteris, CCP, GRP. But there are metrics, and then there are metrics. Under the FMLA, employers may request medical certification of the need to take leave for the employee’s own serious health condition or the […]

How You Can Ensure the Success of Your Diversity Training Program

Today’s Advisor is adapted from the Ask the Trainer feature on BLR’s hr.blr.com. The training question is, “How can trainers ensure the success of a diversity training program?” Here is how our training expert responded: Paul Lawrence Vann, a motivational speaker, author, and trainer, recommends providing diversity training to all employees—from top management to rank-and-file […]

Supervisor Training: Preventing Sexual Harassment

Supervisor training about preventing sexual and other harassment isn’t just a smart move—it’s one that’s required by law in many states. What should supervisors be taught? Supervisor Training on Harassment: What to Include A best practice would be to use this time when supervisors are together to cover not just sexual harassment, but also all […]

Health Care Reform Spurs Government Shutdown

House Republican efforts to postpone, block and repeal Obamacare were key reasons for the federal government-shutdown crisis, under which 800,000 federal employees stayed home beginning Oct. 1. The House Republicans, whose opposition to Obamacare paralyzed spending bills, demanded that the administration acquiesce on two demands: postpone the “individual mandate” that individuals have federally approved minimum […]

Target-date Funds’ Popularity Heightens Transparency’s Importance

Nearly every defined contribution plan sponsor now offers target-date funds in its participant investment menu, as these funds, often named for the year a participant expects to retire, eliminate the need for employees to construct their own investment portfolio. A recently released white paper about TDFs examines plan fiduciaries’ uncertainly regarding what TDFs should contain […]

Green Circle Means Danger, Red Is Just Expensive

Red Circle employees indicate you are spending too much on compensation relative to the value of the jobs, says consultant Terry Pasteris, CCP, GRP, but Green Circles may set you up for a lawsuit. Pasteris’s comments came at a recent BLR-sponsored webinar. Red Circle employees are those who are paid over the maximum for the […]

More Delays in Health-reform Implementation; Oct. 1 Start for Exchanges Compromised

The federal agencies implementing health reform continue to delay aspects of roll-out, especially as they relate to state-based health insurance marketplaces (also called “exchanges”), which are supposed to be up and running on Oct. 1. The Obama White House announced on Sept. 27 that federally run health-insurance exchanges, required by health care reform, will not […]