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2015 Recruiting Survey

Each month, BLR® conducts a nationwide survey of human resources professionals to learn about policies and practices in HR throughout the country. This month’s survey about recruiting is sponsored by SilkRoad.

Iowa: It’s Back to the Past with New Governor

by Greg Naylor, Whitfield & Eddy P.L.C. Twenty-five years ago, Michael J. Fox took us all Back to the Future. On Election Day, however, Iowa went back to the past, returning former Republican Governor Terry Branstad to a gubernatorial seat that hadn’t seen a Republican occupant in three consecutive terms. Republicans also will take control […]

Brinker Decision Pushes Meal, Rest Breaks Top of Conversation

Last week, the California Supreme Court issued an opinion in a closely watched case dealing with meal and rest breaks for employees. Brinker Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court clarified meal and rest break practices for employers in California; however, the case is generating interest in other parts of the country as well because of the […]

Less Employee Compensation Going to Wages

The share of employee compensation going to health benefits has risen substantially, while the share for wages has fallen, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a Menlo Park-headquartered nonprofit health policy organization. Kaiser’s Health Care Costs Snapshot report, “Wages and Benefits: A Long-Term View,” explains that health insurance premiums rose 78 percent between 2001 and […]

EEOC has a banner year

by Edward Sisson The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was very busy in fiscal year (FY) 2012. The agency reported that it finished the year with record-high monetary recoveries for victims of discrimination. Historic monetary recoveries The EEOC issued its first Performance and Accountability Report compiled under the standards of its new Strategic Plan, which […]

Employers Can Write PCORI Fees Off Their Federal Taxes

Health reform fees that health insurers and self-funded plans must pay in order to fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute are “ordinary and necessary business expenses,” and therefore qualify as deductible from federal taxes, a recent IRS memo states. Insurers and health plans will pay the $1 (soon to become $2) per covered life fee […]

Last-minute Tips for Amending HIPAA Business Associate Contracts

As the transition period for amending business associate agreements draws to a close, HIPAA experts have highlighted some issues for plan sponsors to keep in mind. Under last year’s HIPAA/HITECH omnibus rules, all contracts with business associates must be compliant with the rules by Sept. 22. Obviously, group health plans and other HIPAA-covered entities that […]

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 […]

I-9 Rules Relaxed for Hurricane Victims Seeking Jobs

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that for 45 days, until October 21, 2005, the I-9 employment eligibility verification rules will be relaxed for victims of Hurricane Katrina who are seeking jobs but can’t produce the required I-9 documentation. Many victims lack these documents as a result of evacuations, loss or damage, and […]

Nontraditional Candidates: Hire the Unexpected

STEM programs might produce candidates with strong technical skills, but they often lack transferable ones. While it’s vital to know the technical ins and outs of the field, candidates without the ability to communicate efficiently, lead teams, or resolve conflicts are simply less desirable. For instance, costly communication blunders are a major reason new employees might be fired early on, and a lack of strong communication skills during the interview process might make candidates seem less qualified than they are. But a lack of transferable skills in candidates isn’t the only reason HR professionals are struggling to fill positions. Sometimes, the problem is in the hiring process itself.