Author: Chris Ceplenski

Obama Unveils ‘Starter’ Retirement Savings Bond in State of Union Speech

A new type of “starter” retirement savings account for smaller balances that’s backed by the federal government but administered by employers was promised by President Barack Obama in his 2014 State of the Union address on Jan. 28. The president said he would use an Executive Order to direct the U.S. Treasury Department on Jan. […]

Health Care Reform: Individual Mandate Penalties Further Refined

In proposed rules issued Jan. 27, the IRS clarifies how participants in employer-sponsored plans are to count employer contributions to HRAs and wellness program incentives when calculating their contributions to employer-sponsored coverage. In those rules, the IRS also allows temporary exceptions to health care reform’s definition of minimum essential coverage for government-sponsored limited-benefit plans, giving […]

Keys for Training Supervisors to Avoid Lawsuits

While you are at it, Schickman adds, make sure that your practices match your policies. Schickman is a partner with Freeland Cooper &Foreman LLP in San Francisco. He offered his tips during a recent webinar sponsored by BLR® and HR Hero®. Supervisor Training Highlights Be sure your training covers the following, says Schickman: Basic rules […]

Company Raffle Sends Employees to Amazon—River, Not Website

A most unusual workplace raffle sends the winners, not to a posh resort, but to a remote part of the Amazon—and not for a vacation, but to work hard! Crius Energy, based in Stamford, Connecticut, told the Hartford Courant that it has been committed to the Amazon Preservation Project, started by Crius’s Viridian Energy division, […]

‘Jobocalypse’ Will Make Most (Human) Workers Obsolete

Robots and androids will replace the majority of human jobs in the next few decades, according to the new book, Jobocalypse: The End of Human Jobs and How Robots Will Replace Them, by British author and futurologist Ben Way.  Where will that leave “human” resources? Even jobs that were considered “safe” from outsourcing may be […]

Yes, It’s Possible to Do Meaningful Appraisals

No Surprises, Please One of the most cited problems with performance appraisals is the blow to morale and productivity in the time leading up to—and for months after—when the information is delivered. Why? Because employees don’t know what to expect and managers are reluctant to deliver bad news. But, to every extent possible, the contents […]

Train Supervisors to Avoid These 10 Sins

For sins 1 through 6, click here. Sin #7. Not Knowing and Not Enforcing Policies We’re busy now. Talk to me about that harassment business next week. If you think the work’s not safe, you’re free to quit at any time. Nobody in this department can talk about salaries or benefits with other employees or […]