Author: Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR

Coping with ‘I-Deals’—Managers’ Special Arrangements with Individual Employees

In yesterday’s Advisor, consultant Robert J. Greene offered his take on the state of compensation in the new normal. Today, the particular problem of i-deals—plus an introduction to a new 24/7 leadership training system. I-deals are idiosyncratic “deals” that managers make with individual employees. They’re hard to stop, but it’s worth trying, says Greene, who […]

Not Again: SIIA Refutes ‘Misinformation’ About Self-funding

It’s like the Hollywood movie Groundhog Day all over again. The Self Insurance Institute of America (SIIA) wakes up and has to face the same “anti-self-funding” arguments about adverse selection, insolvency and inferior benefits that it refuted last year … the year before … and the year before that. Again in damage-control mode, this time the […]

Small Employer Self-funding Must ‘Stop’: NAIC Adviser Touts Stop-loss Limits

Employers that want to self-fund their health benefits (and the vendors and attorneys who want to serve them) have yet another (as they see it) unreasonable opponent to self-insuring health benefits. An adviser to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners has told NAIC that it should amend its model stop-loss coverage law to prohibit the […]

TRICARE Suffers Texas-sized Data Breach

Stop me if you’ve heard this one — a car is burglarized, and hardware goes missing that turns out to have sensitive personal data on thousands of beneficiaries, employees, patients and customers. Same old story — but in the millions this time. Medical information on nearly 5 million military clinic and hospital patients was on backup […]

Gross Misconduct—Can You Deny COBRA?

Gross Misconduct Means No COBRA, But … Termination for gross misconduct is not a qualifying event under COBRA, so COBRA continuation coverage does not have to be offered to an employee and his or her spouse and dependent children if the employee was terminated for gross misconduct. Unfortunately, the term “gross misconduct” is not defined […]

YouTube: A Surprisingly Effective Training Tool

We’re not actually talking about training your managers with YouTube videos (though that’s an interesting idea). We’re talking about hammering home the concept that, in this highly plugged-in age, managers could well see their worst workplace moments broadcast worldwide if they’re not careful.   Lawsuit-avoidance expert and PleaseSueMe.com founder Hunter Lott, who spoke recently at […]

Policies? They’re for the Other Managers, Not Me

Which sounds most like your managers? “Before I make this important decision I must carefully review the HR policy dealing with this situation” OR “Policies? What policies?” Unfortunately, says consultant Robert J. Greene, too often it’s the latter. And to make matters worse, policy-making and enforcing has gotten harder, says Greene, CEO of Reward $ystems […]

What’s New in Incentive Compensation? Let’s Find Out

Incentive comp is certainly on the front burner these days as companies struggle with strapped budgets and weary employees. It’s not getting easier for comp professionals. But what’s happening in the real world? Who’s paying what to whom? Let’s find out. Please participate in this brief survey and we’ll determine just what employers are offering […]

What’s New in Incentive Compensation? Let’s Find Out

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady For years, BLR has surveyed HR and benefits professionals to find trends in benefits. We appreciate your participation in our monthly series of brief, targeted benefits surveys. Today’s survey topic: Incentive Compensation. (We’ll publish the results in a future issue.) Incentive comp is certainly on the front burner […]

City’s Delay in Meeting Overtime Obligations Results in Court Order of Liquidated Damages

A federal court has ordered the City of Pittsburgh to pay $825,000 in liquidated damages alone to more than 900 municipal police officers. (O’Hara v. City of Pittsburgh.) The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania made the award following a five-year delay by the city in implementing a 2006 letter of understanding […]