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HHS Kicks Off HITECH Privacy Audits

A wave of HIPAA privacy audits far more comprehensive than anything attempted to date was officially launched Nov. 8 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). While their official purpose is not enforcement, these audits are likely to cast a broader net than HHS scrutiny has to date — including possibly group […]

Could IRS Dialogue With Governmental Plans Lead to More Draconian Retirement Plan Guidance?

The IRS and Treasury Department want to “initiate a dialogue” with the governmental plan community about how to better define when a retirement plan becomes a government plan, but while dialogue is good, will it result in burdensome regulatory requirements? On Nov. 8, the IRS and Treasury Department issued proposed rules on determining governmental plan […]

3 Tips for the Last Paycheck, Complying with Final Pay Laws – Part 1

Immediately upon termination of an employee, employers in California must hand over the last paycheck, paying all wages earned and unpaid at the time of discharge. Since the employer is the one initiating the termination, it is their responsibility to ensure this happens immediately. Otherwise, there will be consequences under final pay laws.

Appraisals: Not Legally Required, But Legally Recommended

Don’t tell the CEO who wants to terminate without documentation, "You can’t terminate." Say, "If there is a legitimate non-discriminatory reason for this termination, you can do it, but in the absence of documentation, there is substantial risk. I would prefer not to be married to this employee in lengthy litigation. Maybe if we do […]

Yes, You Can Recruit on LinkedIn

Special from BLR’s Advanced Employment Issues Symposium Fifty percent of Fortune 100 companies use LinkedIn for hiring, says expert Dan Ryan of Ryan Search and Consulting in Nashville. And you should be using it, too, he told attendees at the Advanced Employment Issues Symposium in Nashville, Tennessee. Need more reasons to use LinkedIn? It’s the […]

Reformed Benefit Summary Will Make Comparison Shopping Easier, Regulators Claim

The summary of benefits and coverage (SBC), while still a work in process, will improve plan participants’ ability to comparison-shop for coverage. That fills a currently unmet need, federal regulators told a recent conference. They were responding to concerns that the SBC — mandated by the health reform law — is redundant, confusing or even […]

Huddle House Franchisees: Egg on Their Faces?

Huddle House, Inc. has agreed to pay more than $60,000 to 128 employees and to step up compliance with wage and hour laws. In addition, Labor Department officials assessed $48,317 in civil money penalties for repeat and child labor violations. The Labor’s wage and hour investigations were initiated under a multiyear enforcement initiative focused on […]

Sorry, You Didn’t Get the Promotion

If Mike (less successful as a salesperson but more qualified for sales manager) gets the promotion, how do you minimize the risk that Sara (the superstar salesperson who was less qualified to be manager) will be upset? (Go here for the first part of the story.) Janove, author of the  The Star Profile, suggests that […]