Most Popular

March 31 Deadline for Medicare Creditable Coverage Disclosure

Employers or group health plans that offer prescription drug coverage to active employees and retirees who are eligible for Medicare must disclose to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) whether the coverage is “creditable prescription drug coverage.” Generally, prescription drug coverage is considered creditable only if its value meets or exceeds the value […]

News Notes: EEOC Backlog Reduced; Race Bias Charges Most Common

Although the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has receivedan average of more than 85,000 charges a year since 1992, the agency recentlyannounced it has slashed its pending caseload by nearly half in the lastthree years, partly by offering more mediation-based alternative disputeresolution. Complaints of race discrimination top the list (36% of allcharges filed), followed by […]

News Notes: Jury Awards $19 Million To Disabled Employee Fired For Absenteeism

A jury in Sacramento recently awarded a staggering $19 million—$15 million of it in punitive damages—to a McKesson Corp. employee who claimed her employer violated disability bias and family and medical leave laws. Charlene Roby allegedly was fired under the company’s no-fault absence policy after several unexcused absences because of a panic disorder. She also […]

California Employers Need to Adjust Plans to Accommodate Same-sex Spouses

Employers in California need to adjust their benefit plans, plan documents, and corporate and human resources policies to accommodate employees’ same-sex spouses. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on June 28 lifted its stay on an injunction against enforcing Proposition 8, which had amended the California state constitution to define marriage as occurring between […]

The Top Stories of 2009—So Far

It’s hard to believe that we’re in July already. As we head into the second half of the year, we thought it might be helpful to look back at the articles that have resonated with our readers this year. So, without further ado, here are 10 of our most popular articles from the first half […]

Need a Political Activity Policy? (Here Are Two)

In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered what employers can do about heated political discussions in the workplace. Today, sample policies regarding political activity plus an introduction to the indispensible 50×50 (50 Employment Laws in 50 States). Here’s sample Political Activity Policy number one: Employees are not to participate in election activities while working and are not […]

Sell CFO with Consulting Approach and SPIN

Yesterday’s Advisor featured consultant Karl Ahlrichs, SPHR on how to talk about turnover. In today’s issue, his strategy for convincing the C-suite plus an introduction to a new leadership training system called Training Today. What skills would a good consultant need to sell turnover? Here are the key four, says Ahlrichs, who is owner of […]

Improving Employee Benefits: New IRS Guidelines May Increase Popularity Of Tax-Free Transportation Plans

If you’re looking for a free or low-cost way to boost your employee benefit package, a transportation spending account may be the way to go. These programs involve some administrative burdens, but they can result in income tax savings for employees and FICA tax savings for both you and your workers. Until now, many employers […]

News Notes: FMLA Leave Did Not Affect Employee’s Exempt Status

Doris Rowe, an exempt supervisor at Laidlaw Transit Inc., was restricted to part-time work after suffering an on-the-job injury. Laidlaw paid her by the hour while she was on the reduced schedule and resumed paying her salary when she returned to work full time. Rowe sued Laidlaw for back overtime, arguing that by paying her […]