Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Calvin L. Keith Veterans Day is coming up on November 11, and a new law in Oregon makes the day even more significant for veterans who want the day off. The 2013 Oregon Legislature passed a bill requiring employers to provide veterans with paid or unpaid time off on Veterans Day. “Veterans” include those […]
At some point in their career, everybody’s had—or currently has—a bad boss. Businesses, direct reports, and even bosses themselves, deserve better. Becoming a good boss and a respected leader begins with identifying the dysfunctional ones: who they are, the traits they embody, and the interpersonal tics they demonstrate that make you feel like you’re being […]
by Marie-Gabrielle Bélanger In Canada, the criteria for allowing random drug or alcohol testing in the workplace are very limited because these tests are regarded by our courts as an invasion of an employee’s privacy. But what about requiring targeted testing of an employee suffering from an addiction?
Stacey Hoin didn’t take the traditional path to the top of the HR world. She actually started her career in a courtroom. As a corporate lawyer specializing in major business mergers and acquisitions, she learned early on how companies tick from a financial and structural level. But when she pivoted into labor and employment law, […]
Millennials have aged and many have now gained enough experience to be in leadership positions. Therefore, understanding what motivates them—and how to pay them in comparison to other generations—becomes even more important.
In rejecting a qualified beneficiary’s attempt to increase a nearly $3,000 COBRA notice penalty, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals noted that the employer/plan administrator’s efforts to remedy the violation did not warrant any higher award. The court also rejected the individual’s request for the reimbursement of medical expenses and attorney’s fees. But in […]
by Rebecca Hudson Colorado’s new civil union law goes into effect May 1, meaning Colorado joins eight other states that permit civil unions or have similar laws that recognize them. Nine other states and Washington, D.C., allow same-sex marriage. Under the Colorado Civil Union Act, the state will recognize civil unions entered into by same-sex […]
The sponsor of a self-funded health plan cannot escape its responsibility to ensure that only fully eligible people are enrolled. Illustrating this maxim is a self-funded plan’s sad quest to recover gigantic sums from health providers for services it paid on behalf of a non-beneficiary. The plan paid more than $1 million in claims for a […]
Employer-sponsored health plans and insurers got a double dose of compliance advice on May 16 from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services in the form of a set of Frequently Asked Questions. The first FAQ clarifies that insurers in the individual and small group market may not impose waiting periods on specific essential health benefits. […]
What can employers do when a disciplinary suspension is seen as a gift? Today’s expert offers practical discipline techniques. Most companies have progressive disciplinary policies for the right reasons: to provide managers and HR with the tools they need to make fair, consistent, and legally defensible employment decisions, says attorney Allison West SPHR. But sometimes […]