Archives

Managing intermittent leave: Q&A on tracking hours

How many hours of intermittent leave is an employee entitled to if they typically only work 32 hours a week? How does overtime factor in? What if an employee works a different number of hours every week—how many hours of intermittent leave is that person eligible to take? FMLA questions are seldom simple, but Marylou […]

Discovering the perks of perks: Creative little extras can bring payoffs

Tammy Binford Imagine a workplace where employees are eager, engaged, motivated, and loyal. Now think of what an employer can do to create such employees. Part of the formula will focus on rewards, recognition, and even a little fun. When considering what perks to offer employees, the sky seems to be the limit. Paid time […]

FLSA Lawsuits Show Steep Learning Curve for Employers Offering Unpaid Internships

Employers using unpaid interns need to be wary as lawsuits challenging the structure of these unpaid jobs continue to crop up. In recent years, several high-profile lawsuits — primarily in the publishing and entertainment industries — have highlighted the exposure employers can face. Plaintiffs generally allege they were doing the work of employees and were […]

Plan Participants Again Sue Fidelity for Alleged ‘Self-Dealing’

Current and former 401(k) plan participants have sued Fidelity Investments on behalf of thousands of other plan participants and retirees to recoup account losses they say resulted from “self-dealing” by the huge asset manager. The case is worth plan sponsors’ attention because it closely resembles a widely watched 2012 ruling against Fidelity, Tussey v. ABB […]

Karma in the C-Suite? Readers Respond

Does “what goes around come around”? BLR® CEO Dan Oswald shared his thoughts on the subject in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. Many readers agreed with Oswald; others were concerned about his state of mind. Oswald’s original column concluded: “Don’t spend your time thinking about how unfair life is because some people seem […]

Reform’s Essential Health Benefit Rule Clarifies Employer Plan Obligations

Health reform’s final essential health benefits rule makes it clear that self-insured and large group health plans do not need to comply with limits on growth in employee cost-sharing, offer all 10 categories of essential health benefits, or meet actuarial minimums like small-group and individual policies. However, the regime explained in the rule is still […]

Merit Increases—Performance or Place in Range?

Neelman, who is principal and senior consultant with Compensation Resources, Inc., in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, shared her tips at a recent webinar sponsored by BLR and HR Hero. Working with Salary Ranges Neelman’s charts below describe the segments of the range and who is typically in each segment. Below Incumbent’s salary falls below […]

Feds Focus on Cost-Sharing, Preventive Services in Latest Reform FAQs

Along with newly issued health reform rules finalizing essential health benefits provisions comes a new series of FAQs from the U.S. departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Treasury. This guidance addresses specific questions raised about the scope of reform’s cost-sharing and preventive services provisions, and provides some transition relief for large group and self-insured […]

ACA May Push Employers to Strengthen Wellness Programs

Your wellness program may get way more important under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), says Morris, a member of the firm Epstein Becker Green in its Washington, D.C., office who specializes in benefits. There are already many benefits to wellness programs, but Morris is convinced they will become even more crucial as the ACA unfolds […]

3 steps to effective HRIS system implementation

HRIS systems can be critical in managing employee data. An HRIS – human resource information system – is an integrated system providing information to be used by HR and management in decision making. HRIS typically use one or more interrelated databases to track employee info. In order to get the most out of HRIS systems, […]