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Hostess’ Demise? Due to Sad Lack of Trust

Oswald, CEO of BLR, offered his thoughts on trust (and Twinkies) in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. Twinkies were a part of my childhood. Somehow, on occasion, we could convince my mother to pick up a box of those golden treats with absolutely zero nutritional value. That was no small feat! My mother […]

Mentoring Training for National Mentoring Month (video)

In this video, Dr. Susan Weinberger, an expert on internal and external business mentoring, explains to HR.BLR.com editor Kyle Emshwiller what National Mentoring Month is all about, including events and activities’ how employers can participate; and the benefits for an organization that provides employee-mentors. National Mentoring Month: How Employers Can Get Involved. Unlimited employee HR […]

PCORI Fees–Your Turn to Fund health Care Research

Get ready for one more requirement of the Affordable Care Act—the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Fee. It’s a fee your plan pays to fund government research into the effectiveness of certain treatments. What Is the Amount of the Fee? The fee is: $1 times the average covered lives for policy years ending on or […]

DOL interpretation tackles FMLA rule on caring for adult children

A new U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Administrator’s Interpretation has been issued to clarify who qualifies as an adult “son or daughter” whom an employee may take unpaid leave from work to care for and rely on the job protections of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). An adult son or daughter must meet […]

How 2012 election results will affect HR in 2013, part 1

by David S. Fortney President Barack Obama will be sworn in for his second term Monday. The 113th Congress met for the first time on January 3 with its slightly revised composition. With those players in place, the main question for employers and HR professionals is, how will the 2012 election results affect the federal […]

Immediate Action Required: ACA 2013

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be plaguing employers for many years, but there are a few things that require immediate attention, says attorney Ashley Gillihan: women’s health preventive care, W-2 reporting, and PCORI fees. Gillihan, who is Counsel in the Atlanta office of Alston & Bird LLP, made his suggestions at a recent webinar […]

HR Issues were all ‘Downstairs’ at Downton Abbey

Despite the gripping plotlines, HR pros will be hard-pressed to not notice how workplace practices have changed since the days of Downton Abbey. Los Angeles Times writer and LA radio personality Patt Morrison muses in an opinion piece about the workplace history to be learned from watching the new season of “Downton Abbey,” especially since […]

New law streamlines MSP settlement process with on-line information (starting 2014)

Currently, Medicare beneficiaries who have pending claims with third parties responsible for their injuries face settlement delays. The parties cannot determine how much of the settlement is to be used to reimburse Medicare, because Medicare has not been prompt in providing information on the amounts of the benefits it claims to have paid. The result […]

Short-lived Sale Option Did Not Negate COBRA Small-employer Exception

A former employee argued that her former employer, which employed fewer than 20 employees (and thus was exempt from COBRA) for eight months of the year, formed an affiliated service group with another employer and thus employed more than 20 employees for four months of that year. Thus, she contended the employer became subject to […]

5 Questions for Big-Picture Managers in 2013

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day activities of managing and lose sight of the bigger picture. The beginning of a new year provides a natural break for you to take a deep breath and consider how to make 2013 a success, says Oswald, CEO of BLR, who offered his thoughts in […]