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Time to Terminate At-Will Disclaimers? No! Says Expert

In today’s we-want-to-be-the-employer-of-choice world, isn’t it counterintuitive to be telling each new employee, “We can fire you for any reason or no reason”? In the face of the numerous exceptions to employment-at-will status (see yesterday’s Advisor), why would any company bother with at-will statements? Even though it may seem wrong from a morale standpoint, and […]

Behavioral Health in U.S. Is Improving, Says SAMHSA Report

In its most recent National Behavioral Health Barometer report, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) highlights many important trends in behavioral health across the nation. Results from the report suggest the behavioral health of the United States is improving. The Barometer reports no change in the level of adults seeking treatment for serious mental illness, which […]

Our Best Benefits Bet: Congress Will Extend COBRA Subsidy

Update Dec. 21, 2009: President signs bill including COBRA subsidy extension by Ashley Gillihan In February, President Barack Obama enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Among other things, the ARRA provided a temporary (up to nine months), 65 percent, federally funded, COBRA premium subsidy to any qualified beneficiary who became or becomes eligible […]

New California Employment Laws: Get Prepared

Governor Jerry Brown recently vetoed four of the five bills the California Chamber of Commerce identified as “job killers.” The one job-killer bill signed into law is Assembly Bill 22, which severely restricts a prospective employer’s use of credit reports to screen applicants.

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Paperback Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on January 18. 1. The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The evolving business of football, viewed through the rise of the left tackle Michael Oher. 2. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden […]

Legislation Seeks to Curb Employee Misclassification via Fines, Notice Rules

Adding momentum to federal agencies’ ongoing initiatives to crack down on employee misclassification, the U.S. House and Senate have introduced legislation intended to curtail the misclassification of employees as independent contractors. The Employee Misclassification Prevention Act, introduced April 22, would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to impose additional compliance and record-keeping requirements on […]

Outsourcing and Self-Service HR: Stalled at the Gate?

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady In a poll at the last HR Technology Conference our CEO attended, only 2% at one session said they are considering more outsourcing of HR. But wasn’t outsourcing supposed to be the future of HR? Here are Bob’s thoughts on the matter. Well, guess what! The wave of […]

Family-Care Discrimination Cases On the Rise, and Employees Are Winning Them

Employers of all types and sizes should take note of a new study released by the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. The report, “Caregivers in the Workplace: Family Responsibilities Discrimination Litigation Update 2016,” identifies workplace trends that have led to rapid growth in lawsuits brought by […]

Paying for Health Costs: Basics of the Reimbursement Alphabet Soup

As healthcare costs continue to rise, financial pressure does, too. Your employees are feeling it, especially if you’ve had to shift an increasing share of healthcare costs to them. Higher copays and coinsurance may help control premiums, but they do nothing to rein in employee out-of-pocket costs. To the contrary, in fact.