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DOL Replaces Q&A to Clarify Brokerage Windows Policy

By Jane Meacham The U.S. Department of Labor on July 30 quickly revised its field assistance bulletin on retirement plan fee disclosures to clarify a contested question’s impact on so-called brokerage windows and self-directed accounts, which allow plan participants to select investments beyond those designated by an employer-sponsored plan. In the clarification, a new question […]

Employer Mandate Delayed: Obama Gives in to Employer Concerns over Reform

In a startling move, the Obama administration delayed the employer mandate (for companies with 50 or more workers) to offer health insurance to workers or pay a penalty, until January 2015 (a one-year delay) while it reassesses employer reporting burdens and gives employers more time to arrange compliance with the health care reform statute and […]

Corporate Wellness—Real World ROI of ‘4 Plus 5’

Wellness is well worth it, says Ron Keen, co-founder and President of PureWellness. That becomes easy to understand when you appreciate that lifestyle is the single largest factor in health, he says.  If your entity is typical, Keen says, probably about 20 percent of your employees have diseases or medical problems that are not preventable. […]

If You’re Just Complying, You Get a “D”

By Clark PhinneyJust My E-pinion “Just meeting the regulatory requirements is like asking your kids to only get a ‘D’ in school,” says compliance expert Clark Phinney. It’s a simple observation he heard a few years ago that seems to say it all about attitudes toward compliance. “…like asking your kids to get a D.” […]

A Peculiar Line of Commerce: Supreme Court Weighs FLSA Status of Rx Sales Reps

The pharmaceutical industry made its case to the U.S. Supreme Court April 16 that pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSRs) are “outside salesmen” under the Fair Labor Standards Act and thus are exempt from the FLSA’s overtime requirements. A lot is at stake in the Court’s upcoming decision, since requiring overtime pay for PSRs could impose billions […]

Another New Jersey city requires paid sick time

by Michael H. Dell Morristown has joined the list of New Jersey cities that require employers to provide paid sick time to employees. Employers in Morristown have until January 11 to come into compliance with the city’s paid sick time ordinance, which was passed in September. Under the ordinance, employers with 10 or more employees […]

As Servicemembers Return to the Workforce, EEOC Reminds Employers of Accommodation Responsibilities

As large numbers of veterans return from Iraq and Afghanistan, employers must remember that their disability accommodation responsibilities have increased in recent months, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in releasing new guidance Tuesday. The commission updated its Veterans and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A Guide for Employers which explains how protections for […]

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 August 24. 1. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. How and why certain products and ideas become fads. 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen […]

Growing Within Boundaries

By BLR Founder and Publisher Bob Brady Contrary as it may sound, the best way to grow might just be to define limits, says BLR’s CEO. Most of my experience as a manager has involved getting a handle on quickly changing processes. During one 5-year period, we grew from 10 people to 150, going from […]

Health Care Outlook for Employers

This week, President Barack Obama brought together Harry, Louise, and all the other major players in U.S. health care to begin focusing heavily on what can be done to reduce health care costs. So what can employers expect from the proposals and potential legislation? Check out the new free HR Hero White Paper, Health Care […]