Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

California Expands Health Insurance Protection for Pregnant Workers

Starting Jan. 1, 2012, employers in California with five or more employees must continue paying their share of health insurance premiums for female employees taking leave under the Pregnancy Disability Leave law for up to four months in any 12-month period. Employers will also be liable for interfering with, restraining or denying the exercise of […]

California Laws Clamp Down on Wage and Hour Violators; Misclassifiers Could Lose Business Licenses

Two new California state laws, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown Oct. 9, raise the stakes for companies that violate the state’s wage and hour laws. Assembly Bill No. 459, among the latest move by feds and the states to crack down on independent contractor abuse, prohibits willful misclassification of employees as independent contractors. The law […]

IRS Increases Tax Breaks for Adoption Assistance, LTC Insurance

Plan administrators and employers that offer adoption assistance and long-term care (LTC) insurance need to adjust their plans for 2012 to account for increased amounts that can be excluded from taxable income. The IRS issued the rates for use in 2012 in Revenue Procedure (Rev. Proc.) 2011-52. Adoption Tax Credit The tax credit under Code […]

Remember the Titans to Build a Cohesive Team

How does the movie Remember the Titans help managers deal with mergers, integration, and other challenges? In today’s epinion, BLR CEO Dan Oswald shows how it’s helping at his recently-merged company. Recently, at a company luncheon, I was asked about my favorite movie. Ask about the business and I’m quick with an answer. But the […]

Early communication about data mishaps saves employers’ cash and reputations

As the public grows somewhat used to data breaches, simply having to acknowledge one might no longer be devastating to customer relationships, but how and when to communicate remains critical to damage control, a data security expert said in a recent webinar. In 2005 or 2006, when customers would be notified of a breach, “many would […]

Up to $3,000 in Monthly Premiums! Why Long-Term-Care Insurance Plan Failed

The Obama administration’s health care reform legislation suffered an apparent casualty last week when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) indicated it wouldn’t pursue implementation of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program (also known as the CLASS Act). In a letter to the U.S. Congress about the CLASS Act, […]

Woolsey Wants Higher Fines on Employers That Misclassify Workers

Companies that wrongly pay workers as independent contractors, rather than employees, strip workers of benefits and protections and put responsible employers at a competitive disadvantage, according to Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., who this week proposed increasing penalties on employers found to have misclassified workers. Woolsey’s bill, The Misclassification Prevention Act, (HR 3178) is the most […]

A Stream of Guidance on Shy Bladder Syndrome

What is HR to do when a job applicant or worker claims to have shy bladder syndrome and refuses to urinate in a cup as part of a drug test? Consider testing the worker’s hair or saliva instead, according to new informal advice from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Shy bladder syndrome, also known […]