HR Basics

Labor Dept. Proposes Expanded FMLA Rules for Military, Airline Flight Crews

by Eric B. Meyer on Jan 31, 2012, 10:30 AM | No comments yet

By Eric B. Meyer

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that it is issuing proposed rules that would expand military family leave provisions under the Family and Medical Leave Act and incorporate a special eligibility provision for airline flight crew employees.

The DOL press release describes the two proposed changes as follows:

The proposed language would extend the entitlement of military caregiver leave to family members of veterans for up to five years after leaving the military. At this time, the law only covers family members of “currently serving” service members. Additionally, the proposal expands the military family leave provisions of the FMLA by extending qualifying exigency leave to employees whose family members serve in the regular armed forces. Currently, the law only covers families of National Guard members and reservists. Read more…

Benefits, HR Basics

How You Can Help Employees Cope With Their Medical Bills

by Linda Robertson on Jan 23, 2012, 12:27 PM | No comments yet

Flying home last week from the wintry Northwest, I heard lots of sneezing and sniffles from my fellow travelers.

Although we’ve been lucky to have such a mild winter so far, cold January weather usually brings with it the onslaught of cold and flu season. In a typical year, 5 to 20 percent of the population in the U.S. will get the flu, according to www.flufacts.com , and some of your employees may end up with flu complications that may require a trip to the doctor or even hospitalization.

With the increased popularity of Consumer Driven Health Plans (CDHPs) that have a high deductible, many employees face out-of-pocket costs due to these flu complications or other medical expenses. Some employers have chosen to offset the high deductible found in a CDHP by funding a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) or a Health Savings Account (HSA) with an employer contribution. Other employers offer their workforce the ability to set aside tax-free dollars in an HSA or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) through payroll deduction. Read more…

HR Basics, Legal Issues

2011 OSHA Recordkeeping Annual Summary Must Be Posted By Feb. 1

by Edwin G. Foulke Jr. on Jan 20, 2012, 9:30 AM | 1 comment

By Edwin G. Foulke Jr.

All employers maintaining the Occupational Safety and Health Administration‘s 300 Logs for workplace injuries and illnesses pursuant to OSHA’s recordkeeping standard must post their 2011 annual summary by February 1, 2012.

Employers must utilize the annual summary form (form 300A) when complying with the posting requirements. The form is available for downloading from the OSHA website.

Here are some details about the form that are frequently misunderstood or overlooked and which can cause trouble. Read more…

HR Basics, Legal Issues

Protecting an Employee’s Pre-Eligibility FMLA Request: What You Need to Do

by Eric B. Meyer on Jan 17, 2012, 10:45 AM | No comments yet

By Eric B. Meyer

Back in 2005, a Pennsylvania federal court recognized in this opinion that an employee’s FMLA rights become sacrosanct upon requesting FMLA — even if the employee is not yet FMLA-eligible — provided that the employee has satisfied all FMLA service requirements when the FMLA begins.

Where would this most likely arise? Why with pregnancy, of course. Something like:

Female employee starts work;
A few months later, she gets pregnant and requests FMLA to comment upon childbirth; and
She gets fired before giving birth. Read more…

HR Basics, HR Management

HR Roundtable: Just What is Effective HR Communication?

by Steve Browne on Dec 19, 2011, 9:00 AM | 1 comment

Everyone on the planet thinks they are amazing communicators.

In fact, most people put how incredible they are as communicators on their resumes. Ironically, when you ask people what the number one problem is at companies today, the answer would be poor communication.

So, the HR Roundtable in Cincinnati gathered in December to discuss, “Just what is “Effective Communication?” To get the troops started in their small group discussions, Steve posed the following questions: Read more…

Benefits, HR Basics

Use It or Lose It: 5 Things Employees Can Still Do With FSA’s This Year

by Nancy Anderson on Dec 12, 2011, 12:19 PM | No comments yet

As the year comes to a close, many people are decorating their homes for the holidays and stocking up their pantries for company. But others who have Flexible Spending Accounts — like many of your employees — are scheduling colonoscopies instead!

What gives?

Since the FSA has a “use it or lose it” clause, the funds must be used for health purposes by the end of the year (however most plans give an extension for 6 – 8 weeks into next year). So to take the full benefit of the funds set aside in the FSA, the funds must be spent soon.

If you or your employees have funds left in the FSA, here are some ideas on how to spend them: Read more…

Benefits, HR Basics

The Ugly Little Secret About 401(k) Fee Disclosures

by Dennis Ackley on Nov 22, 2011, 12:10 PM | 1 comment

If you’re an HR leader who believes that continuing to earn and strengthen the trust employees have in the organization’s leaders is essential to the organization’s success, you may have a problem.

The Department of Labor’s required 401(k) fee communication next summer could be an employee-trust damaging event. That’s because more than 70 percent of employees, according to a recent AARP survey, believe 401(k)s are free.

If employee trust is highly valued, and if fees haven’t been communicated clearly, it’s time to talk with your CEO. Read more…

HR Basics, Recruiting and Staffing

Hiring Wisdom: The Top 10 Interviewing Mistakes

by Mel Kleiman on Nov 21, 2011, 8:55 AM | No comments yet

The best candidates are well-prepared for the interview. They’ve studied, they’ve researched, they’ve rehearsed.

How about you? Are you ready to make the kind of first impression in the interview that will make the best candidates eager to join your team?

Are you on time? Just as you expect the applicant to be on time, you need to have the same respect for the applicant. When you’re late, the message is the job and the applicant are not that important. (If you must be late, apologize.) Read more…

HR Basics, Legal Issues

Job Descriptions Are Not Exemption Descriptions

by John E. Thompson on Nov 18, 2011, 7:40 AM | No comments yet

By John E. Thompson

Among the famous last words in the federal Fair Labor Standards Act Hall of Infamy are, “Let’s write the job descriptions to make them exempt.” The problem is this: Job descriptions do not “make” employees exempt.

Instead, most FLSA exemptions apply, if at all, only on an employee-by-employee basis according to the nature of each individual’s actual work as judged against specific and often-detailed requirements (See * Note below).

Moreover, in any U.S. Labor Department investigation or in a lawsuit, the legal burden of establishing that a person is exempt rests with the employer, who must prove that each exemption requirement is met as to any individuals whose exempt status has been challenged. The Labor Department and the courts construe FLSA exemptions very narrowly, and doubt is often resolved against the employer. Read more…

Benefits, HR Basics

6 Ways to Effectively Communicate Wellness Programs During Open Enrollment

by Jennifer Benz on Nov 8, 2011, 11:57 AM | 1 comment

You can’t just casually slip in a mention about biometric screenings during open enrollment. Those are sensitive topics. Oh, and they also just might change your entire approach to benefits.

More and more companies are aggressively pushing wellness programs and many link the results of biometric screenings — and not just participation — to big-dollar incentives, making the stakes even higher for everyone, especially employees and families.

Such an important piece of your benefits strategy deserves a prominent place during open enrollment. Communication is always key to driving employee engagement. This is even more important with wellness programs, because they are so personal. Read more…

HR Basics

Labor Dept. Proposes Expanded FMLA Rules for Military, Airline Flight Crews

How You Can Help Employees Cope With Their Medical Bills

2011 OSHA Recordkeeping Annual Summary Must Be Posted By Feb. 1

Protecting an Employee’s Pre-Eligibility FMLA Request: What You Need to Do

HR Roundtable: Just What is Effective HR Communication?

Use It or Lose It: 5 Things Employees Can Still Do With FSA’s This Year

The Ugly Little Secret About 401(k) Fee Disclosures

Hiring Wisdom: The Top 10 Interviewing Mistakes

Job Descriptions Are Not Exemption Descriptions

6 Ways to Effectively Communicate Wellness Programs During Open Enrollment

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