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4 Pitfalls of Improper FMLA/CFRA Tracking

It is generally in your best interest to capture all absences that are Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)‐related, says consultant Kristi McKinzey, PHR. She offers four common hazards employers face when they don’t track all absences.

health

2017 Health Insurance Premium Increases Higher Than Average

A new survey conducted among over 20,000 health plans and over 11,000 employers of all sizes-representing over 2.5 million employees—reports that premium renewal rates for employer sponsored health insurance rose an average of 6.6% in 2017. According to the 2017 United Benefit Advisors (UBA) Health Plan Survey, this is a significant increase over the previous […]

Training for Soft Skills: A Critical Post-Pandemic Mandate

In recent years, discussions around the importance of soft skills in the workplace have become much more common, and soft skills are starting to seem increasingly less “soft” and increasingly valuable. The ability to work well with teammates, to lead groups, and to communicate effectively are seen by many as equally important to the ability […]

4 Steps to Thaw Pay Freezes

“I think what we’re going to see is that where there were takeaways or freezes, the money is going to be given back, but not across the board,” says Dorf, who is Managing Director of Compensation Resources, Inc. “Companies are doing it on a much more discrete basis, targeted to those employees who have really […]

No-Nonsense HR for a No-Nonsense World

If a 3-year-old child can spot when someone’s being fake, why risk being fake to your workers? They’re just as likely to know when you’re not being genuine, and this fakeness has lasting repercussions on your organization. I recently spoke with one expert who shares her “secret sauce recipe” for clearing the corporate clutter in […]

Medicare

What Employees Don’t Know About Medicare May Hurt Them

For employees, today’s healthcare environment is a little like squeezing a balloon: when health insurance premiums are affordable, then the side with the out-of-pocket costs inflates. If that side is more reasonable, monthly premiums expand. Either way, health care coverage and insurance costs are likely to drain the budgets of those they are designed to […]

Claim by Worker’s Estate Against Employer’s Uninsured Motorist Policy Is Barred

The New Mexico Supreme Court recently responded to a certified question from the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico in a lawsuit filed by the family of a worker who was killed in an accident at a salvage yard that was likely caused by a coworker. The supreme court’s answer turned on the resolution of a conflict between language in the New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Act (WCA) and the uninsured motorist (UM) statute.

Publish Your Political Activity Policy Now! (Here Are Two Samples)

Here’s sample Political Activity Policy number one: Employees are not to participate in election activities while working and are not to use company facilities to engage in election activities. When not on company premises, representing the company or using company resources, an employee’s personal conduct is his or her own to regulate. Employees are encouraged […]

Equity Out, Civility In?

After the surprise move that sent shockwaves through the HR industry when SHRM removed “equity” from its IE&D program, SHRM President Johnny C. Taylor Jr. cited people’s “confusion” around equity’s meaning as the reason for removing it, in a recent Forbes article. He insists the move wasn’t politically motivated and maintains it was made to […]

Criminal Background Checks: Cautious Employers Could Cost Their Company

As a cautious employer, let’s say you run a criminal background check on all of your applicants. Your latest candidate’s report comes up with an arrest record from just a few months ago for theft but no conviction. What do you do? In a situation like this, it is best to call counsel because the […]