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Technical Notification Failure Dooms FMLA Defense

In yesterday’s Advisor, attorney Stephen R. Woods presented two recent cases that illustrate the need for careful HR training about what to say and what not to say. Today, another teaching case plus an introduction to a unique online training system. Woods is a shareholder in the Greenville, South Carolina office of law firm Ogletree […]

Can I Toot My Own Horn?

BLR’s CEO Bob Brady invites you in for a “sneak preview” at something he and a lot of other good people have been working on for a long time. This column is about something I’ve been working on for over a year and something that will, I hope, benefit many of you. (And, if you’ll […]

End of 2016 Hiring Expected to Mimic 2015, But with Better Wages

The U.S. hiring outlook for the next 5 months is expected to mirror the same period in 2015—but paychecks will likely become a little bigger—according to CareerBuilder’s Midyear Job Forecast. More than half of employers will raise wages for current employees while two in five will offer higher starting salaries on job offers in the […]

Policies? They’re for the Other Managers, Not Me

Which sounds most like your managers? “Before I make this important decision I must carefully review the HR policy dealing with this situation” OR “Policies? What policies?” Unfortunately, says consultant Robert J. Greene, too often it’s the latter. And to make matters worse, policy-making and enforcing has gotten harder, says Greene, CEO of Reward $ystems […]

State Law—Different Coverage, Expanded Rights

In yesterday’s Advisor, we presented a checklist of the critical areas to where state law often differs from federal. Today, guidelines on how state laws differ plus an introduction to the complete state law guide, “The 50-50.” When considering state law requirements, employers should be on the lookout for the following types of differences: Different […]

Insurers Must Use Standard CMS Letters When Restoring Policies

Insurers may not modify or customize letters telling policyholders they can have their cheap health coverage back for one more year if it was cancelled due to health care reform. States may customize the letters, but only if the result is a letter that is more consumer protective and detailed than the federal template. That’s […]

Higher PBGC Premiums Make DB Plans More Apt to Borrow

Defined benefit plan sponsors have gained a new incentive to fully fund their pension plans – even if that requires borrowing, according to a recent research report. The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act enacted in mid-2012 raised U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. premiums for plan sponsors maintaining an underfunded DB plan, […]

Some HR resolutions for the new year

by Joseph Godwin Happy New Year! I hope the holiday season was a joy-filled one with plenty of time to spend with family and friends ― the most important people in our lives. Now it’s January and time for making ― and implementing ― those dreaded annual “resolutions.” The economy, while slowly improving, remains weak […]