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SEC Grants Relief to 403(b) Plan Auto-enroll Arrangements

While the focus of late has been on complying with disclosure requirements from the U.S. Department of Labor, the Securities and Exchange Commission has its own set of disclosure criteria that 403(b) plans must follow. Specifically, 403(b) contracts that offer variable investment funds are subject to the jurisdiction of the Securities Act of 1933, the […]

Beware the Undead: ERISA Equitable Relief Ruling Brings Cases Back from the Grave

A landmark Supreme Court ruling on relief available under ERISA in employee benefit cases is bringing cases back to life that we thought were dead and gone. In CIGNA v. Amara, the U.S. Supreme Court on May 16 ruled that ERISA’s enforcement provision allowing for “appropriate equitable relief” — ERISA Section 1132(a)(3) — aka Section […]

HR Query: The Retention Divide—Is the Secret to SMB Stability in the Paycheck or Flexibility?

In the high-stakes world of SMB hiring, the battle for talent has never been more competitive—but new data suggests that men and women are fighting it with very different weapons. According to recent findings from Pipedrive, a distinct gender divide has emerged in retention strategies: while 52% of male hiring leaders are reaching for the checkbook to […]

benefits

Developing a Healthcare Education Campaign Strategy for Employees (Part 1)

By Caitlin Far, senior communications consultant, Burnham Benefits Insurance Services With the unemployment rate now below five percent, workers feeling more confident about leaving their current position in search of a new situation, and job openings expanding, employers are increasingly relying on the power of their benefit packages to not only attract talent, but retain […]

Making a Slam Dunk in Hiring and Promotion Decisions

Here in O’Town, we are thrilled that the Magic made it to the NBA playoffs—and at the time of this post, have won their first game against the Toronto Raptors. In basketball, of course, it’s easy to determine who’s the best of the best—just look at the scoreboard. At your business, however, making hiring and […]

Exempt Employees: U-Haul Faces $10 Million Liability For Misclassifying Managers

A Los Angeles court has ruled that U-Haul International Inc. improperly classified 480 current and former employees as managers and denied them overtime pay. The court found that U-Haul failed to show the employees spent more than 50% of their time on management duties. The company did meet the other criteria for classifying workers as […]

Are all religious holidays created equal?

One might think that the paid holidays an employer chooses to offer its employees is a matter for the employer and its employees. However, when Tyson Foods announced that Labor Day would be replaced with Eid al-Fitr as a paid holiday in its Shelbyville, Tennessee, plant, the response from the public was swift and harsh. […]

Mo’ Money! Statutory Termination Can Lead to Common Law Damages

By Marisa Victor and Sean McGurran Following a recent decision by Ontario’s highest court, employers across Canada may now be on the hook for more termination pay when nonunion employees are laid off for an extended period. In the recent decision of Elsegood v. Cambridge Spring Service (2001) Ltd. (Elsegood), the court concluded that when […]

Holiday Season 2017 Poised to Change the Retail Landscape

For the first time, online holiday spending is expected to exceed in-store spending. So finds the 2017 Holiday Survey from Deloitte, the 32nd annual holiday survey conducted by the professional services firm.