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News Notes: High Court Extends Deadline For Some Race Claims
The U.S. Supreme Court has clarified that employees have four years rather than two to file bias claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1866, 42 U.S.C. Section 1981, which prohibits race bias in employment relationships. The decision makes it easier for employees to file such claims. The case involved a group of African-American […]
Defined Contribution Plans: Socially Responsible Investment Options on the Rise
By 2010, 60 percent of defined contribution plans will offer a socially responsible investment (SRI) option, according to a study released this past summer by Mercer Investment Consulting, a global provider of HR and related financial advice and services, in conjunction with the Social Investment Forum, a nonprofit organization that promotes responsible investing. Nineteen percent […]
New York State Human Resources Administration Employees Steal $8 Million
Three employees of the New York City Human Resources Administration are accused of taking part in a scheme which robbed $8 million dollars from the federal food stamp program, said the New York Times. The individuals had all either worked, or were currently working for the city, where the food stamp program was being administered. […]
Managing The Workplace: Manager’s Nightmare—Reprimanded Employee Becomes The Boss
While Joni Grand was the acting jail administrator for the city of Glendale, she warned a subordinate, Marvin Quarles, about his inappropriate conduct toward female employees. She reported Quarles’ actions to her superiors who cautioned him as well, but ultimately decided that his actions didn’t amount to sexual harassment. A year later, Quarles became Grand’s […]
E-Alert Item: Family Leave: Employee Wins Half-Million-Dollar Award
Kim Pesky, a marketer for Stamford, Conn.-based Cendant Corp., took time off under state and federal family leave laws to care for her new baby. The project she was working on at the time her family leave began was purchased by another company, so the job she had left in effect no longer existed. Management […]
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 […]
Productivity Up, Lawsuits Down–More on Managing RIFs and Realignments
Yesterday’s Advisor discussed planning for reductions in force (RIFs), selection of people, and communication with employees and managers. Today, more tips on RIFs, and an introduction to the “HR Red Book®,” BLR’s popular HR problem solver. First, more tips from Diana Gregory, senior human resources specialist at the Walnut Creek office of Administaff, a professional […]
Garamendi Recommends Further Pure Premium Rate Cut
Last week, California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi recommended a 15.3 percent drop in the pure premium rate for policies incepting Jan. 1, 2006. The commissioner’s recommendation was just shy of the 15.9 percent decrease that the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) recently recommended to the commissioner.
Sept. 23 Is the Key Date to Know the ABCs of SBCs
In some years, Sept. 23 represents the Autumn Equinox, but in 2012 for health plan sponsors and administrators, it triggers the compliance date for a key disclosure requirement under health reform: the distribution of summaries of benefits and coverage, beginning with open enrollment periods and/or plan years that begin on or after Sept. 23. Here […]