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Reductions in Transitional Reinsurance Fee Are Possible but Unlikely

Employers might pay less than $63 per covered life per year under health reform’s transitional reinsurance fee rules, but that would require a surplus in the fund, a U.S. Department of Labor official told an employer plan industry group on April 18 in Washington, D.C. Even though possible, such a reduction would be contingent on: […]

IT

New Oregon data security law takes effect January 1

by Joanna Perini-Abbott Oregon’s expanded data breach law will take effect January 1, making two significant changes to the old law—a notification requirement and a change in the definition of “personal information.”  Like the old law, the new law requires businesses that maintain personal information digitally, including information about employees, to notify Oregon residents whose […]

Is Your 401(k) Plan Out of Date?

Like an old house that was cutting-edge when it was built but hopelessly archaic today, your 401(k) may have fallen behind the times. Is this true of yours? And, if so, what can you do about it?

Take Time to Recognize Accomplishments In 2017

I’ve said before on these pages that I don’t do a great job of celebrating our company’s successes. It seems that as we achieve a goal, I immediately look to the next opportunity or focus on a problem area that needs attention when I should be recognizing and congratulating everyone involved in our success.

Zombies, unicorns, and employment law―oh, my!

by Boyd Byers My 15-year-old daughter is an avid reader. She also has an offbeat sense of humor (which she must get from her mother). So perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised to find a book titled Zombies vs. Unicorns lying around the house. “It’s a question as old as time itself: Which is better, […]

Joint Employer Not in Compliance? You’re Not in Compliance!

Your organization may be in compliance with wage and hour laws, but are your “joint employers” in compliance? If they’re not, you could end up liable. Two or more employers may be deemed to be “joint employers” of an employee under the FLSA. If either employer violates the FLSA, they will both be liable. Some […]

Has Your Company Considered Youth Mentoring?

Many companies across America and internationally have embraced the concept of engaging in youth mentoring programs. Larger companies include Eli Lilly, Allstate Insurance Company with its extensive Helping Hands project, and General Electric Corporation. Much smaller companies such as Webster Bank with branches in CT, RI and MA are involved in releasing employees to serve […]

Human rights complaint can hurt your reputation AND your bottom line

By David G. Wong Until recently, the damages awarded by Canadian human rights tribunals, courts, and arbitrators across the country for human rights violations were relatively modest. In the past few years, we have seen those awards increase, although not to an outrageous level. But that might all be changing, as two recent decisions out […]

Laws That ‘Ban the Box’ on Job Applications Keep Trending

“Ban the box.” It’s not just a catchy phrase, but represents a law that restricts employers from asking a job applicant about his or her criminal history during the initial employment application. The ban-the-box law — a state, county and city mandate that requires employers to remove the criminal record disclosure box from job applications […]

O—What an Employee! And for Only $10,000 per Year

By Elaine Quayle She was 46 years old. She had worked before her first marriage, held a high-profile, “nonprofit” job, and endured some traumatic and turbulent years. Maybe a job was just what she needed. But Jackie Kennedy Onassis certainly was no ordinary applicant! She was Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, a former First Lady, but […]