Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Under federal employee benefits law, fiduciaries of employee benefit plans must administer and manage their plans prudently and in the interest of the plan’s participants and beneficiaries. In carrying out these important duties, plan fiduciaries often rely heavily on pension consultants and other professionals for help. But sometimes these consultants fail to disclose potential conflicts […]
Employer-sponsored plans that are secondary to Medicare are not subject to health reform’s expensive transitional reinsurance fee, nor are health flexible spending arrangements, health savings accounts and most health reimbursement arrangements. On March 11, 2013, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published its final regulation on the transitional reinsurance fee, which takes effect […]
A bill just signed by Gov. Davis significantly raises the stakes in harassment cases by making all employees who harass co-workers potential targets of a lawsuit. We’ll focus on how the law has changed and the impact it may have on you and your workers.
A new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation reports that during the first five months of 2002, health insurance premiums for employer-sponsored plans rose by 12.7%. This represents the fastest rate of increase since 1990, when rates jumped by 14%. The study showed that employers are bearing the brunt of the recent increases, and that […]
Yesterday’s Advisor offered take-aways from Littler Mendelson’s recently released Annual Report on EEOC Developments—Fiscal Year 2012; today, data on charges and investigations, plus an introduction to HR Dept One. Review of Charge Activity, Backlog, and Benefits Provided On November 19, 2012, the EEOC announced the publication of the FY 2012 Performance and Accountability Report. During […]
Employers take many steps to try to prevent the loss of trade secrets. You ask employees to sign nondisclosure agreements, implement security systems and train your workforce on how to keep information confidential. Despite your best efforts, a breach sometimes occurs and your trade secrets end up in a competitor’s hands. In a new case, […]
By Judith E. Kramer Fortney & Scott, LLC Update: November 1, 2011: The U.S. Department of Labor has extended the comment period until December 1, 2011. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is accepting comments through November 1 on revisions to its proposed regulations aimed at strengthening safety requirements for young workers employed in agriculture […]
Does pregnancy leave have to be paid? Our HR Management & Compliance Report: How To Comply with California and Federal Leave Laws, covers everything you need to know to stay in compliance with both state and federal law in one of the trickiest areas of compliance for even the most experienced HR professional. Learn the […]
The Department of Transportation has begun enforcing a rule that prohibits motor carriers from placing extraneous information on placards or in placard holders reserved for hazardous materials information. The measure, which took effect Oct. 1, 2001, bans signs, advertisements and slogans such as “Drive Safely” that reduce the ability of emergency responders to immediately recognize […]
The federal Department of Labor has found that Sun Microsystems in Santa Clara failed to comply with a rule requiring posting notices regarding hiring workers under the H-1B visa program. The DOL has now ordered Sun to display the notices, but hasn’t assessed any penalties or fines because it found that the posting violations weren’t […]