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Same-Sex Marriage Is Established but Benefits Issues Persist

By Susan Schoenfeld, JD It’s been over 2 years since the U.S. Supreme Court effectively legalized same-sex marriage in the case of U.S. v. Windsor and a year since the Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, required states to issue marriage licenses for same-sex marriages and to recognize a same-sex marriage performed in another state. So, […]

How To Get People To Speak Up!

Ever frustrated by the lack of employee engagement? You sense that they want to speak up but, well, just don’t do so. Here are three ideas. Idea No. 1: Do a Pre-mortem on a Project Scientist Gary Klein suggests that every project needs to undergo a pre-mortem. Here’s the process. Take the group that is […]

What is the WARN Act?

Closing down a plant or laying off employees is a big decision for an organization, and it directly impacts the lives of all of the employees involved. Giving employees ample notice of such a transition is the idea behind the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.

Employment contract

Employee May Still Be Entitled to Bonus After Watching Pornography at Work

After being terminated for watching pornography on his work computer during work hours, a former employee sued for breach of contract, and the employer countered by asking the court for summary judgment. The case couldn’t be dismissed without a trial, however, because there is a possibility the company fired him to avoid paying a retention […]

'They Never Told Me'

‘Surely They Know What I Want’ Managers and supervisors don’t like confronting their employees about performance problems so they tend to assume that employees are aware that they are not doing an acceptable job. Unfortunately, employees don’t think that way. They assume that everything is fine unless they are told otherwise. Then if there’s a […]

misclassification

Determining Independent Contractors: Sometimes the Government Loses

There’s been an ongoing battle between employers and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) over when someone is considered an independent contractor versus an employee. A recent decision from the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse summary judgment (dismissal without trial) in favor of the DOL gives employers some guidance and reason for […]

The Role of HR Technology in Controlling Employer Healthcare Costs

Benefits experts have estimated the expected average increase in employer health insurance premiums from 2019 to 2020, and the consensus hovers around a 6.5% year-on-year rise. This is up from recent years when the average year-on-year increase varied from 3%–4%. Why is this?