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4 Factors for Effective Safety Training

The “Trainer’s Corner” experts in our sister publication, OSHA Compliance Advisor, suggests that, to teach adult trainees, four factors are key: Motivation. Like a door, the mind has to be opened before any new information can enter. The key to getting it open, say our experts, is relevance. What you’re learning about has to be […]

ACA Challenges–What’s ‘Affordable’ and What’s ‘Minimum’ Coverage?

Under what circumstances will an employer owe an Employer Shared Responsibility payment? In 2014, says Simon, senior legal editor at BLR®,  if an employer meets the 50 full-time employee threshold, the employer generally will be liable for an Employer Shared Responsibility payment only if either: The company doesn’t provide coverage to substantially all (95% or […]

Pay-for-performance management: Assessing your program

After implementing a pay-for-performance program, how do you ensure it is effective? How do you assess it? Can you improve its effectiveness even with a tight budget? These are just a few of the considerations for HR professionals after a pay-for-performance system has been implemented.

IRS Finds High Percentage of Errors on W-2 Reporting of 401(k) Elective Deferrals

Many employers that sponsor 401(k) retirement plans make mistakes in the way they report elective deferrals on Form W-2, the federal tax agency’s Wage and Tax Statement sent to employees. IRS on Feb. 13 said on its website that its Employee Plans Compliance Unit sampled filings from employers that provided Forms W-2 and found 75 […]

Risks of Noncompliance with Employment Law Increase Say BLR Editors

BLR’s HR editors recently shared their insights about challenges in 2013. In today’s Advisor, why compliance is going to get tougher in 2013, plus an introduction to the guide especially geared to smaller or one-person HR departments. For 2013, it’s likely that the risks of noncompliance with employment-related laws are just going to get higher, […]

New Bill Would Require DOL to Follow its Own Rules

A newly introduced bill would require the U.S. Department of Labor to follow a rule it wants to impose on federal contractors. DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is in the final stages of a rulemaking that would require federal contractors to aim to have workers with disabilities make up 7 percent of their […]

Phoenix bans sexual orientation discrimination

by Dinita L. James On February 26, the Phoenix City Council voted to amend its human relations ordinance to include lesbian, gay, and transgender persons as well as disabled individuals among the groups protected from employment discrimination. The 5-3 vote came after a nearly five-hour public hearing before an estimated 500 people in the city’s […]

OFCCP toughens rules on compensation audits

by David S. Fortney and Judith E. Kramer Effective February 28, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is changing its approach to compliance audits and enforcement proceedings related to how contractors pay their workers. The changes effectively open nearly every federal contractor’s actions, policies, and practices on compensation to […]

Do Safety Trainers Need Training on Training?

These tips were reported on in our biweekly sister print publication, OSHA Compliance Advisor, whose ongoing “Trainer’s Corner” feature specializes in training trainers to be better at what they do. Today, and in the next Advisor, let’s look at some of these pointers. First, Preparation In training, as in so many other pursuits, “the speed […]

ACA: Expect Flex, Delay, and Some Hassle in 2013

In fact, the delays have already started, says Simon, senior legal editor at BLR. The health insurance exchange notice distribution requirement has been delayed. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has stated that the March 1, 2013, deadline for employers to distribute notices about the availability of health insurance exchanges has been delayed until […]