Most Popular

Can You ‘Bribe’ Employees Not to Smoke?

Yesterday’s Advisor talked about smoking bans. Today we’ll discuss antismoking “bribes”—more politely, incentives–and a guide that has helped thousands of companies to develop wellness programs of their own. Under federal law, employers may establish employee health assessment and promotion programs as long as the programs meet the following requirements: Employee participation is voluntary; Information obtained […]

Affirmative Action: OFCCP Sends Out Wave of EO Surveys

In connection with affirmative action regulations that were revised in 2000, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs annually sends out what’s known as an EO survey to randomly selected federal contractors. The mandatory survey—which has stirred much controversy among federal contractors who claim that it’s burdensome—asks contractors to submit a […]

DOL appeals overtime rule injunction

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced on December 1 that it will appeal a court’s injunction temporarily halting its new overtime regulations. A federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas blocked the rules on November 22, calling the regulations “unlawful” and noting that the changes in the rules […]

New DOL Rules Require More Disclosure to Workers with 401(k) Retirement Plans

Forty years ago, very few U.S. employees were personally affected by what happened on Wall Street. Six in 10 Americans were covered by a pension that they could count on regardless of the stock market. Today less than 2 in 10 workers in the private sector have a pension and most workers only option is […]

News Notes: More Employers Having Difficulty Administering Family Leave

A new Department of Labor study reveals that employers are generally less positive about the Family and Medical Leave Act than their employees. Although a majority of employers reported that the FMLA is easy to administer, the figure dropped sharply from 85% in 1995 to 63% in 2000. More employers in 2000 than in 1995 […]

News Extra: Controversial New Rule Published on Coordination of Retiree Benefits

After much back and forth, the EEOC just last week issued regulations letting companies offer lower health benefits to those age 65 and over than they do to those younger. Here’s the report on this important development, first published on our subscription website, HR.BLR.com. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has published a final […]

E-Alerts: Sexual Orientation Bias: $11 Million Verdict for Gay Manager of Upscale Hotel

A jury in Manhattan, New York, has awarded $11.2 million to the former general manager of Leona Helmsley’s luxury Park Lane Hotel. The worker claimed he was fired because his is gay. Former manager Charles Bell charged that Helmsley embarked on a campaign of harassment against him—and ultimately discharged him after just four months on […]

Rise in religious bias claims forces analysis of a multitude of sins

by Rodney L. Bean Claims of religious discrimination are on the upswing, leaving many employers scrambling to avoid liability for failing to properly manage the complicated interplay between faith and work. Of all the classifications protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, religion perhaps presents the most diverse range of issues […]

Curbing FMLA Abuse

Ask most HR managers what their biggest headache is, and about 90 percent say “FMLA.” From eligibility to notifications to managing intermittent leave, it’s an ever-present problem.