Most Popular
Des Moines Returns to Self-funding Health Benefits After 8-year Hiatus
Here’s a testament to the power of lower stop-loss attachment points. The City of Des Moines returned to self-funding health benefits for city employees, after an eight-year hiatus, the Des Moines Register reported today. The city council approved the move in a unanimous vote. The primary reason: Stop loss with far lower attachment point: previously […]
Should You Be Offering Benefits to Domestic Partners? Let’s Find Out
By Stephen D. Bruce, PHREditor, HR Daily Advisor For years, BLR has surveyed comp and benefits professionals to find trends in benefits. We appreciate your participation in our monthly series of brief, targeted benefits surveys. Today’s survey topic: Domestic Partner Benefits. (We’ll publish the results in a future issue.) The rise in acceptance of domestic […]
Labor Union Numbers Remain Steady
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released figures showing that in 2005, 12.5 percent of wage and salary workers were union members, the same percentage as in 2004. Note that while the percentage remained steady, the actual number of union members increased by 213,000. Union membership was at a peak […]
Harassment Allegations Require Immediate Action
As soon as an employee comes to you and says, “I’m being harassed,” you need to address that allegation immediately. It may be that no harassment has actually taken place, but it’s your job to launch a prompt, thorough investigation to find out.
News Notes: Contractor Responsibility Rule Revoked
The Bush administration has thrown out a Clinton-era rule governing contractor responsibility. The rule had banned the award of federal government contracts to businesses that had criminal or civil violations of federal labor and employment, safety, environmental, tax, antitrust or consumer protection laws in the preceding three years. Enforcement of the rule—which the business community […]
Financially Stressed Employees–Neither Happy Nor Productive
Businesses aren’t the only ones stressed and anxious about these difficult economic times. Employees (and their families) are also feeling the effects—and many employees are facing very serious financial problems such as burdensome debt, lost income, bankruptcies, and foreclosures. Employees experiencing increased financial stress at home are likely to have a hard time keeping their […]
Nearly 18 Percent Of Employers Don’t Pay Severance To Non-Executives
Latest Data Shows Rise in 401(k) Assets; Equities Still Dominate
The average 401(k) account balance at the end of 2012 was 8.4 percent higher than the year before, but increased assets weren’t typical for all defined contribution plan participants studied, according to a December 2013 brief by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. While equity investments through stock mutual funds comprised the bulk of 401(k) assets […]
Discrimination: Massive Wal-Mart Class Action OK’d by Ninth Circuit
Last year, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court’s decision to certify a sex discrimination class action lawsuit filed against Wal-Mart on behalf of up to 2 million current and former female employees. Last month, the Ninth Circuit has now reaffirmed its ruling, thus putting the suit one step closer to […]