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Health Benefit Costs: Calm Before the Storm?

According to the annual National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans by Mercer employers expect the rate of growth in the per-employee cost of coverage to rebound in 2014. View the infographic below for a summary of the findings.

Social Media: It’s Here To Stay

If your employees aren’t plugged in to social media sites on a regular basis at work, it’s likely because you have (a) a draconian firewall or (b) a workplace entirely free of computers. It’s also possible that (c) you’re in deep denial. Like it or not, social media is here to stay.

Nursing mothers have ‘privacy rights’

by Jeff Hurt On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the health care reform bill ― officially known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Part of the Act that didn’t get much media attention affects nursing mothers in the workplace. Specifically, the Act requires a covered employer to provide an employee who […]

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Behavioral Questions Help Screen Potential Employees

The process of assessing and diagnosing mental health issues in a potential employee is complicated. Certain questions can offer valuable information about an individual’s behavior and reactions to work situations.

CMS Postpones Reform Reinsurance Fee Reporting

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has extended the deadline for contributing entities (or entities reporting on their behalf) to submit annual enrollment counts on which they will base their contribution amounts under health care reform’s transitional reinsurance program. The deadline is now 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 5, 2014. Reporting on that date also […]

MySpace and Facebook: Routing Reference Checks or Dangerous Data Sources?

Are you “MySpacing” and “Facebooking” your applicants? Employers are wondering whether reference checking should include visiting Web 2.0 “relationship” pages. Alas, the advice is mixed. Should your reference checks on job applicants include looking at their “relationship” Web pages, such as those found on “Facebook” or “MySpace”? Some experts say yes. It’s your job to […]

New Year, New HR Ideas

The start of a new year is a good opportunity for you to implement changes in policies and procedures in order to reduce your potential exposure to legal claims and make your business more competitive.

Be Aware: IRS Eyes Join DOL’s on Your Form 5500

If you file the Form 5500, you know what an odious exercise that can be. And you’d better get it right. Not only is the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) examining the form you file — so is the IRS. The DOL wants the forms to be complete and accurate, of course, […]

RIFs: Preparing for the Unkindest Cut

As the economy stagnates, many employers who were hoping to avoid layoffs must now finally consider them. Today’s expert, attorney Michael Rosen, sorts out the key issues. Rosen, a labor and employment partner with the law firm Foley Hoag LLP in Boston, says that any reduction in force (RIF) must be carefully planned and executed […]