Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The Treasury Department and the IRS have announced that certain over-the-counter (OTC) drugs can be reimbursed through employers’ flexible spending accounts (FSAs). This means that reimbursements by FSAs and other employer health plans allow employees to make their purchases with pretax dollars.
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady BLR founder and CEO Bob Brady says the results of a recent study underscore the vital role of HR in selecting and nurturing your organization’s leaders. Once again well-credentialed academics from an esteemed university (this time the University of California at Berkeley) have spent time and money “discovering” […]
Retirement plan investors will save between $5 billion and $13 billion annually, thanks to new exceptions to DOL’s prohibited transaction rules, DOL estimates. The DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) opened the door to allowing fiduciaries to offer investment advice in a final rule published to become effective Dec. 27, 2011. DOL estimates this new rule […]
After several years of employees being required to meet a very high standard to have their cases heard by a jury, that may be changing in the long term. The U.S. Supreme Court recently cautioned federal judges to be careful in the rules of evidence and legal standards for employment discrimination. The Court’s opinion offers […]
Have you ever noticed how traveling with someone helps you really get to know them? In 1976, my mother, two siblings, and I embarked on a trip across the country with my grandparents. My father, what a wise man he was, somehow avoided this particular trip. The six of us spent two weeks together “on […]
You’re going to find out interesting things about potential employees online, says attorney Eric Meyer—like how often they update FaceBook—and some of what you find is going to be information you would NEVER ask about in an interview. What are you going to find out online? Gender is typically no surprise, says Meyer. It’s likely […]
About 85% of HR managers say they’ve hired people not suited to the work environment, says a recent survey. But one business leader says he has the three secrets to finding “the best people you’ve ever worked with.” It appears that, in spite of advances in Internet job posting, computerized résumé tracking, and electronic résumé […]
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that it has received complaints from thousands of returning military personnel about their reemployment rights under the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). To better educate employees and employers about their rights and obligations under this law, the DOL has released draft regulations designed to […]
It’s now official: The effective dates regarding fiduciary and participant fee disclosure regulations for retirement plans have been extended. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a final rule (which becomes effective July 15) providing that: Fiduciary-level Fee Disclosure Regulation: The effective date for the interim final rule is extended from July 16, 2011, […]
In part one of this article, we discussed how the fight for top talent is requiring employers to invest in keeping their current staff healthy and productive. Comprehensive disability management programs can be a key part of this approach—helping assess employees’ needs, connecting them with workplace resources, and providing accommodation recommendations to help them stay at […]