Author: Jamie L. Leary, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

disability insurance

Update Your Disability Benefits Claims and Appeals Procedures Before 2018 Deadline

HR employees typically begin planning for next year before autumn of the current year because choices about the next year’s benefits are made months before it begins. Whether you’re making many or few changes to the benefits you offer, your preparations for open enrollment provide a good opportunity to confirm that your benefits plans are […]

flexible work

Is the 9-to-5 Job Done? U.S. Workers Look to Innovative Ways of Working

New research, released by ManpowerGroup, reveals a new era of work in which flexibility and balance are in and the traditional “9-to-5 job for life” is out.  Findings from the report “#GigResponsibly: The Rise of NextGen Work”—a global survey of 9,500 people in 12 countries—identifies a shift towards new ways of getting work done, that works for […]

elders

Do Millennial Managers Respect Their Elders?

Does the old adage, “respect your elders,” take on a new meaning when your elders become your direct reports? According to new survey results, a different “old adage” comes to mind: age is just a number.

age discrimination

7th Circuit: No ADEA Liability for Terminating Retirees Because of Benefit Costs

The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals—which covers Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin—recently decided an interesting and complex case involving allegations of age discrimination. Retirees who continued to work part-time for an Indiana county argued the county violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) when it terminated them to save money on health insurance benefits.

Transgender

Sessions Memo Changes DOJ Position on Transgender Discrimination

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement changing his department’s position on transgender employment discrimination marks a change in the legal landscape, but it doesn’t alter employer obligations under various state and local laws or the position taken by other federal agencies.

Defined benefit retirement plan

DB Plan Sponsors’ Interest in Pension Risk Transfer Accelerating

Interest in transferring pension risk off their balance sheets and on to insurance companies appear to be accelerating among U.S. defined benefit (DB) retirement plan sponsors, according to a recent poll conducted by insurer MetLife. The poll’s results lead MetLife to predict 2017 will be “another very robust year of [pension risk transfer] market activity.”

back injury

New High-Value Approaches to Musculoskeletal Disorders Can Pay Off for Employers

Employers can better manage the health and cost burdens of musculoskeletal disorders by implementing prevention strategies such as ergonomics training and movement-friendly workplace design, providing onsite physical therapy for those with acute or chronic pain, and paying for surgery with bundled pricing, says a new report from Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH).

nurse

Dispute Over Job Requirements Defeats Summary Judgment on Disability Discrimination Claim

The New Jersey Supreme Court recently permitted a disabled nurse to proceed to trial on her claim that the termination of her employment constituted disability discrimination. The court based its decision on a factual dispute over the physical requirements of the nurse’s job, her employer’s apparent failure to consider potential accommodations for her disability, and […]