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2013 Holiday Plans Revealed—How Do You Stack Up?

Most employers offer the “standard six” holidays, but after that, it’s quite a mish mash, say respondents to BLR’s Holiday Survey. For example, for 2012, 93 percent of respondents will offer December 25 off; however, only 43.6 percent will offer December 24. The survey, conducted by BLR’s HR Daily Advisor and HR Hero, was conducted […]

Race Bias: $1 Million Punitive Damage Award For Employee Subjected To Racial Slurs; Avoiding Lawsuits

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California, has upheld a $1 million punitive damages award to an employee who was subjected to repeated racial slurs and jokes with his supervisor’s knowledge. The new ruling, one of the largest of its kind, serves as a reminder that it’s imperative to take steps to prevent—and […]

Health Insurance: New Health Savings Accounts–What They Are And How They May Impact Benefits Plan Choices

When the sweeping new Medicare law was recently signed into law, bundled within it was an unrelated but key provision for employers—the creation of tax-free Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). We’ll explain what HSAs are, who’s eligible, and what they could mean for you and your employees. We’ll also highlight a few potential downsides you should […]

Businesses Pessimistic About Filling Open Roles, Raising Wages

The tight labor market has employers shaking in their boots. While many industries report steady hiring initiatives for 2019, the optimism about filling these open roles, and being able to offer the salary and wages workers want, continues to decline.

Severance Programs: ERISA Traps For The Unwary

Your voluntary separation incentive plan may involve even more paperwork and expenses than you think. According to a new federal government opinion, severance programs that aren’t directly linked to retirement can still be considered pension plans covered by detailed ERISA compliance requirements. 400+ pages of state-specific, easy-read reference materials at your fingertips—fully updated! Check out […]

Not so fast—Judge strikes down Pittsburgh’s paid sick leave ordinance

by Gregory J. Wartman In November, we reported that Pittsburgh had enacted a paid sick time ordinance for employees working in the city that was scheduled to take effect January 11, 2016 (see “Pittsburgh passes ordinance requiring paid sick time”). On December 21, 2015, a Pennsylvania judge struck down the ordinance, ruling that it is […]

New Info Security Weapons—Paper and Ink

It’s like going from spaceships back to the horse and buggy or smartphones back to the telegraph. Is the world actually on the brink of going back to saving documents as hard copies? The recent Wiki leaks, the Snowden disclosures, and reported snooping at the recent G6 have the Russian government examining ways to protect […]

Congress Members Introduce More Paid Sick Leave Legislation

U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut) and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut) introduced legislation yesterday that would guarantee paid sick leave for employees infected by the H1N1 virus (also known as “swine flu”). The legislation would take effect 15 days after being signed into law but would end after two years. According to Dodd and DeLauro’s […]

The Summer Hiring Survey Results Are In

Yesterday we began to look at a survey by Harris Poll® that explores what the summer of 2017 will look like for recruiters. Today we’ll look at the rest of those results.

Survey Report: What’s Really Happening with Telecommuting, Flextime, Dress

By Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR Just My E-pinion For years, BLR® has surveyed compensation and benefits professionals. This year, we have expanded our program with a series of brief, targeted benefits surveys. In today’s Advisor, we’ve got the results of the recent Telemarketing, Flextime, and Dress Code survey. What are other organizations doing in these […]