Most Popular

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 […]

DOL Launches Veterans Hiring Toolkit

In August, U.S. combat troops left Iraq, and President Barack Obama has said the military will start pulling troops from Afghanistan in July 2011. With this steady stream of military veterans coming back, inevitably some will end up in your application pools. Previously, we have discussed why hiring veterans makes sense. Now, the U.S. Department […]

FAQs Describe How Plans, Administrators Will Pay Reinsurance Contributions

On May 22, CMS issued guidance (registration required) describing how plans, third-party administrators and insurers will pay reinsurance contributions required under health care reform for the next three years. The guidance says a contributing entity can complete all required steps for the reinsurance contributions process on Pay.gov, including registration, submission of the annual enrollment count and remittance of […]

Fight Continues Against Tax on Private Flights

Employers that operate private airplanes for the use of their executives may want to stay tuned to some controversy over a recent IRS legal memorandum outlining the tax collector’s stance on aircraft management fees. The IRS shared its views on federal excise tax in Chief Counsel Advice Memorandum 201210026, which concludes that the tax applies […]

Retirement Plans: Major Changes to the 403(b) Rules; How to Prepare

Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code is undergoing its most significant changes in decades. The IRS has issued final regulations for retirement plans governed by Section 403(b) and maintained by nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations and public schools for their employees’ benefit. The plans may be funded through annuity contracts issued by an insurance company, […]

News Notes: EEOC Settles Genetic Testing Case

The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Company will pay $2.2 million to settle a genetic testing lawsuit filed by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC charged that Burlington Northern conducted genetic testing as part of a medical exam required of employees who had filed work-related carpal tunnel syndrome claims. Burlington Northern agreed […]

3 Avoidable Errors That Could Upend Your Employees’ Retirement Plans

As older Americans approach retirement, many may be realizing their financial planning isn’t what it should have been. That could mean they need to postpone retirement—or abandon the idea altogether. “Most people don’t spend much time even thinking about retirement,” says Stephen Ng, founder and president of Stephen Ng Financial Group. Ng is also the […]

HR Feud Survey

HRHero is inviting all our HR and business friends to participate in our new HR Feud survey, where you’ll tell your opinion on employment law and HR issues. Then during lunch at the upcoming Advanced Employment Issues Symposium (AEIS), conference participants can see if they can guess the most popular answers to our survey questions. […]

Asset Rallies May Not Stem Soaring Pension Liabilities, Report Says

If it seemed to you that investment and funding decisions for your defined benefit plan in 2012 were at odds with each other, you weren’t alone. In its annual report on DB plans, global employee benefits consultant Towers Watson says that in 2012, once again there were many investment contradictions for U.S. DB plan sponsors: […]

Connecticut Restricts Using Credit Scores in Hiring

By John Herrington On October 1, Connecticut becomes the most recent state to limit employers’ use of credit histories in employment decisions. The state joins Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington in making restrictions. The new law – Public Act No. 11-223 – prohibits any Connecticut employer with more than one employee from requiring “an […]