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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. […]

Holiday bonuses may cause FLSA headaches

by Kara E. Shea Many employers provide bonuses to employees this time of year, including everything from holiday turkeys to annual longevity pay. However, employers that play Santa must be mindful that under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), some bonuses may require additional overtime pay to nonexempt employees. Payments that affect overtime First, […]

6 Essential Guidelines for Harassment Response

It doesn’t matter if your workplace is inherently prone to harassment, or even if the harassment is by someone other than your employees — either way, you’re required to investigate and correct the situation promptly. Here are 6 essential guidelines for harassment response.

Quebec City shootings: What can we learn from this tragedy?

By Brian Smeenk Six innocent men were shot in the back while praying in a Quebec City mosque on January 29. The apparently racially motivated act of violence makes us all pause to reflect. How could this happen? In a peaceful city like that? In a peaceful country like Canada? What is happening in our […]

‘I Quit’: Risks of Assuming Resignation

By Kyla Stott-Jess and Gulu Punia A difficult employee states that he is quitting and walks out the door. Problem solved? Or just beginning? Recent cases illustrate that it’s hard to know when an employee has quit in the eyes of the courts in Canada. And it can be expensive when you get it wrong. […]

The Power of an Authentic You

At a conference earlier this year, I had the honor of moderating a lively, open, and engaging roundtable on women’s leadership. I opened the session by asking the participants whether they felt they were expected, as women, to act or behave a certain way to succeed in business.

Engagement Surveys Might Just Be Lulling Us to Sleep

Organizations have spent decades trying to solve the engagement problem. We survey it. Benchmark it. Measure it quarterly. Build dashboards around it. And yet, despite all the data, many workplaces still feel disconnected, uninspired, or trapped in what I often call the “Me-Cycle” where self-protection, disengagement, blame, and emotional distance quietly shape culture from the […]

Online Training Resources and Learning Styles

For training to be effective, there must be a perfect blend of learning resources that will meet the learner’s requirements and expectations. Highly visual and aesthetically pleasing learning material will engage those with a visual preference, aiding concentration, but all learning styles must be accommodated.