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Retirees Win Right to Sue for Fund Mismanagement

In a major ruling, the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that employees who retire and receive lump-sum distributions from their company’s defined-contribution plan, such as a 401(k), have the right to sue the administrators of the plan if they don’t believe their moneys were managed wisely. As our population ages and our economy […]

Stop-loss Restrictions Advance in Several States

Fast-moving events have advanced state-level proposals aimed at regulating stop-loss, which would make it more expensive for small employers to self-insure health benefits, and put power over self-funding in the hands of state insurance commissioners. Utah law now requires stop-loss insurers to cover incurred and unpaid claims if a small employer plan terminates — an unprecedented requirement. […]

EEOC: ‘Interact Before You Act’ on Disability Accommodation

The 2008 ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), which went into effect on January 1, 2009, greatly expanded the number of medical conditions that likely will be recognized as disabilities under the law. More disabilities mean more accommodation requests and more opportunities for employers to be second-guessed by the government and the courts on how they respond […]

Lead With Leadership Training

For 18 years, Brandon Hall Group, Inc., has recognized companies for their learning programs. The organization awards gold, silver, and bronze awards in 48 categories. “This year’s winners should be very proud of their achievements especially based on the rigorous judging process all submissions underwent,” said Mike Cooke, CEO of Brandon Hall Group. “We are […]

Pension Plan Can Use Rate that Reduces Lump-sum Payouts, Court Affirms

Amid historically low interest rates, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals’ recent affirmation of a retirement plan’s choice of discount rate for converting annuities into lump-sum payments to beneficiaries should reassure defined benefit plan sponsors facing similar challenges. In Dennison v. MONY Life Retirement Income Security Plan (No. 12-2407, 7th Cir., March 6, 2013), […]

‘World’s Most Attractive Employers’ Label Is Great for Recruiting College Grads

There’s no time like the present to start recruiting college seniors to your company. However, if your company doesn’t stand out among the rest, you’ll be losing out on top talent. College grads and jobseekers alike are all looking to work for the “World’s Most Attractive Employer.” Does your company have what it takes to […]

Rural counties must reverse Millennial labor drain

by Dinita L. James Hillbilly Elegy: Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis is the nonfiction best seller by J.D. Vance, 31, of Middletown, Ohio, with roots in the hills of Kentucky. He has gained renown since the November 2016 presidential election as a Donald Trump “voter-splainer,” a tribune of the white working poor.  […]

Court expedites appeal of overtime rule injunction

A federal appeals court will review the temporary injunction blocking new overtime regulations on an expedited schedule that wraps things up even faster than the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) had requested. But it still won’t reach a decision until after President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, and that could mean the end of the overtime rule, […]

What Physics and History Can Teach HR about Hiring and Firing

by Boyd Byers In physics, chaos theory is the concept that systems rely on an underlying order and are sensitive to initial conditions. As a result of this sensitivity, a small error or imprecision in the initial conditions grows at an enormous rate over time. Thus, two nearly identical sets of initial conditions applied to […]