Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Companies that are characterized by a diverse, respectful, and dignified workplace invariably enjoy the benefits of improved employee morale, higher productivity, larger market share, and a strong bottom line. And that’s good news, because your organization IS going to be characterized by diversity–demographics alone guarantee it. But as we saw in yesterday’s Advisor, addressing diversity […]
The long-awaited regulations implementing the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order—often called the “blacklisting” rule—were made final on August 24, even though change may be on the way as a result of litigation and legislation. The final rule, announced by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, will take […]
The truth is, not everyone will be well-suited for your leadership programs. And the more challenging your leadership program is, the better each candidate on your roster needs to be. So, how do you know if a candidate is ideal for one of your leadership programs? Start by asking them the questions below.
Target-date funds’ popularity over the last 10 years has soared, among both plan sponsors and participants, so odds are your plan offers these as an investment option. Their wide acceptance after being designated an eligible qualified default investment alternative for automatically enrolled new participants seems likely to guarantee their ultimate presence in most plans. A […]
Voters in Massachusetts approved a law in the November 4 election that requires certain employers to provide paid sick leave. The law takes effect July 1, 2015. Under the law, Massachusetts employers with at least 11 employees must provide paid sick leave. Employees will accrue paid sick leave beginning July 1, 2015, at the rate […]
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision in Ricci v. DeStefano, the high-profile discrimination case involving firefighters employed by the city of New Haven, Connecticut. In a 5-4 decision, the Court reversed the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision in favor of New Haven. Essentially, the Supreme Court said the city improperly threw […]
We’ve been taking a humorous look at dysfunction in the workplace. Today, more indicators of trouble, and a look at a checklist system that can be HR’s “dysfunction detector.” Yesterday, we reported on 10 signs of a dysfunctional workplace, as cataloged by blogger Scarlett Pruitt on HRWorld.com. Here are three more: 1. Top managers are […]
The information in today’s Advisor is adapted from BLR’s 10-Minute HR Trainer session, “Time Management for Supervisors.” One big obstacle to efficient time management is dealing with interruptions, which are inevitable and unpreventable. Remind your supervisors and managers that dealing with people and problems is part of their jobs, so they have to expect interruptions—but […]
Internal Revenue Code Section 409A regulates deferred compensation plans and other arrangements, including severance plans, annual bonus payments, long-term incentive arrangements, stay bonuses, and settlement agreements upon termination. Section 409A rules govern compensation that was deferred or became vested after Jan. 1, 2005. Because employers have faced many difficulties trying to comply with these rules, […]
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 […]