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Supreme Court Upholds Exchange Subsidies

The U.S. Supreme Court in a 6-3 vote affirmed that subsidies may go to individuals in states with exchanges established by the federal government, and the statute did not restrict subsidies to only states that themselves ran exchanges. Such a reading of the statute was not in line with the intent of the Affordable Care […]

Designing a Workplace Drug Testing Policy in California

In a CER webinar titled “Drug and Alcohol Testing in California: Effective Strategies That Protect Your Company and Your Employees,” Marc L. Jacuzzi outlined some guidance for employers who are designing a workplace drug testing policy. The laws still have plenty of gray area, so Jacuzzi advised that be sure to consult with legal advisors […]

Hot List: BusinessWeek’s Best Seller List

BusinessWeek magazine ranks the 15 best selling hardcover and paperback business books for July 2009 and  gives a short summary. 1. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. As you’d expect with Gladwell, there are lots of surprises in his explanation of why some people succeed fantastically. Pluck and smarts get less play here […]

2007 HSA Changes May Hold Down Your Healthcare Premiums

Studies show companies offering HSAs experience lower healthcare premiums. Now Congress has made HSAs more attractive. (See box below for news about a special Audio Conference detailing these changes.) If you haven’t yet had your yearly chat with your company’s health insurer, remember these four words when you do: “Don’t shoot the messenger.” That’s because […]

Nebraskans to vote on minimum wage hike

by Bonnie Boryca After an attempt to pass a minimum wage increase in Nebraska came up short in this year’s legislative session, the issue is set to go to voters in the November election. The Nebraska secretary of state’s office has announced that it has verified enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot. […]

Turn back the clock

Last week, I had occasion to return to Chicago, which was my stomping grounds for nearly a decade in the 1990s and early 2000s. While I was there, I spent time with a former colleague, reminiscing about the good old days. We were both still in our 20s when we began working together nearly 20 […]

Filipino Hospital Workers Sue Over English-Only Rule

A group of 52 nurses and staff is seeking to join an August complaint filed by the EEOC against the Delano Regional Medical Center, an acute care facility in the San Joaquin Valley. The complaint alleges illegal bias in the hospital’s enforcement of an “English-only” rule; the employees claim that Tagalog was banned, but that […]

Social Security Administration No-Match Letters Back On Again

The Social Security Administration (SSA) resumed sending “no-match” letters to employers this month, three years after discontinuing the practice in response to litigation. The SSA posted a notice on its Program Operations Manual System website saying letters are to go to employers for data received for tax year 2010. The SSA won’t send letters it held […]

I'll Stop Exercising for a Pay Increase

There are many factors that influence employee satisfaction and the same factors that influence satisfaction can be used to attract talent to your company, as well. Obviously, one of the first to come to mind is compensation. Whether it’s a salary or bonus, you’d be hard-pressed to find an employee who wouldn’t like a little […]