Author: Todd Leeuwenburgh

Disenrolling Dependents Was Proper After Member Ignored Document Requests

A plan participant’s disregard of health plan requests to verify dependent eligibility was a proper basis of a plan’s action to remove his dependents from coverage and garnish wages to recover about $23,000 in benefits overpayments, a federal court ruled in Muhammad v. Ford Motor Co., 2012 WL 95298 (E.D. Mich., Jan. 12, 2012). The […]

Reemployment Rights of Returning Vets

USERRA Reemployment Rights In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered eligibility for military leave under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA); today, the specifics of reemployment rights for returning vets, plus an introduction to BLR’s “audit-before-the-feds-do” program.In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered eligibility for military leave under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act […]

DOL proposes rulemaking to implement statutory amendments to FMLA

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis  announced on Jan. 30 that the U.S. Department of Labor is issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking to implement new statutory amendments to the Family and Medical Leave Act that would expand military family leave provisions and incorporate a special eligibility provision for airline flight crew employees. The FMLA, […]

Stay One Step Ahead of the Misclassification Police

What do short stories by O. Henry and independent contractor analysis have in common? You’re left guessing the outcome until the very end, says attorney Deanna Brinkerhoff. The federal Department of Labor (DOL) is cracking down on classification, and that makes now an excellent time to evaluate your organization’s classification decisions.

Welcome Home, Soldier: Your Obligations to Returning Troops and Their Families

Most every employer can expect to welcome returning veterans. Obligations (legal and moral) are many, and there won’t be any sympathy for employers who fail to honor their responsibilities. There are two primary laws that will come to bear, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), the subject of this article, and Family […]

Washington Could Be Seventh State to Allow Same-sex Marriage

Legislation is wending its way through both chambers of the Washington State legislature that if enacted would make Washington the seventh state where same-sex marriage is legal. It could happen: a sufficient number of Senators for passage in that chamber have said they would vote for it if it reaches the Senate floor, and Gov. […]

10 Dogooder Acts that Drive Good Salespeople to the Competition

Stevens is Vice President of R&D at Chally Group Worldwide, a global leadership, sales potential, and performance measurement firm. [Go here for Mistakes 1 to 6] MISTAKE 7: Being a Do-Gooder Since most sales managers enjoy influencing other people, they tend to pride themselves on improvements they see in their sales forces. They have a […]

Want to Discourage Your Best Salespeople? Here’s How

Even with the best of intentions, you can incentivize your best people to leave, says Stevens. Chally Group Worldwide is a global leadership, sales potential, and performance measurement firm. Here are Stevens’ top 10 mistakes in incentive contest design that drive the best salespeople away: MISTAKE 1: Trying to Keep Everybody Happy Poor performers needn’t […]

Novartis Agrees to Pay Drug Reps $99 Million to Settle Long-standing Overtime Dispute

The New Jersey drug manufacturer Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation has reached a $99 million settlement with its drug sales representatives. The agreement, announced jointly by management and plaintiff representatives Jan. 26, resolves overtime pay disputes pending since 2006. “We believe this settlement is in the best interest of our employees and the company,” said Novartis President […]