Author: Chris Ceplenski

Lessons on Life and Leadership from MLK, Jr.

Recently, we celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Inarguably, he accomplished much during his lifetime, and there certainly are lessons we can learn from his approach to life and leadership. Oswald, CEO of BLR, offered his thoughts in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. King was a man who developed a […]

Supreme Court: Time Steelworkers Spent Donning and Doffing Protective Gear Is Not Compensable

On Jan. 27, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that time U.S. Steel Corp. employees spend donning and doffing protective gear is not compensable under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The ruling affirmed a 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Sandifer et al v. U.S. Steel Corp. (No. 12-417). Sandifer dealt with whether time steel workers spent […]

Lessons on Life and Leadership from MLK, Jr.

Oswald, CEO of BLR, offered his thoughts in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. King was a man who developed a followership that numbered in the hundreds of thousands—if not millions—made up of people compelled to follow his example of nonviolent civil disobedience to bring attention to the civil rights movement in the 1950s […]

Compensation Litigation: Low-Hanging Fruit for Plaintiffs’ Attorneys

Wage/hour litigation is heating up, partly because attorneys have figured out that even for small cases, in which the client-employee may get $1,000, the attorney can collect $15,000 in attorneys’ fees, says Attorney Deanna Brinkerhoff. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) litigation is heating up, and partly for that reason—it’s low-hanging fruit for plaintiffs’ attorneys. Brinkerhoff, […]

Vegas Trip with Terminally Ill Mother Excuses Absence, Per FMLA

Absences to care for a family member with a serious health condition do not need to be connected to medical treatment — nor do they depend on a particular location — to qualify as leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in Ballard v. Chicago Park […]

Train Employees to Protect Themselves from Identity Theft

Here is an effective Q&A presentation on the basics of identity theft and how employees can protect themselves. What Is Identity Theft? Identity theft is the use of personal information, such as your name, credit card number, Social Security number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. How Can Thieves Access Information? There […]

TPA Faces ERISA Benefits Denial Claim for Improperly Raising COBRA Premium

A third-party administrator that poorly communicated a COBRA premium rate increase ­— which in any case was likely prohibited under COBRA’s rules — is being sued for ERISA benefits denial and state-law promissory estoppel claims. The TPA instituted the premium change but did not provide clear written notice of it as required under plan terms. […]

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Climbing Trees on WC Not a Great Idea

A Texas man who reported he sustained a job-related injury while driving a truck and received income benefits from an insurance company was found driving a truck while collecting. Not a huge surprise. What was surprising was that he was also found to be climbing trees as part of a side business! Texas Mutual Insurance […]