Day: October 12, 2012

Corporate Plans Lag Behind Public Pensions when Investing in ‘Sustainables’

Corporate retirement plans in the United States are much less likely to employ socially responsible investing strategies in their portfolio investments than are public pension plans, according to a new report by global financial services company BNY Mellon.  Concerns about ERISA and fiduciary roles, along with “lack of interest” and “performance tradeoff,” were most often […]

Majority of Fortune 100 Companies Offer Only DC Plans to New Hires

The latest annual survey of Fortune 100 companies’ retirement plan types confirms the familiar shift to defined contribution plans by most of the largest U.S. firms. As of 2012, 70 of the Fortune 100 companies offered only DC plans to new, salaried employees. Just 11 still offer a traditional defined benefit pension plan to new […]

Federal Officials Discuss Health Reform Duties for Employers Between Now and 2014

When it comes to health reform’s new Summary of Benefits and Coverage, the feds will give some compliance leeway in cases where plan sponsors cannot fit data into the narrow spaces prescribed in the law, a prominent federal official told benefits attorneys in Washington, D.C. Many in the industry say the health reform law was […]

Could Your Trainers Use Some Expert Training Advice?

Q. How can trainers make the most efficient use of classroom training time? A. Trainers are under constant pressure from management to decrease the amount of face-to-face classroom time and to reduce overall training time, says Elaine Biech, president and managing principal of ebb associates inc. (www.ebbweb.com), an organizational development firm. That’s why it’s so […]

Teacher Entitled to Return to Same Job After Difficult Pregnancy

A district court’s refusal to grant an employer’s motion for summary judgment in a fired teacher’s interference and retaliation claim is a clarion call and reminder to employers that the Family and Medical Leave Act guarantees employees that their original job — or its equivalent — will be waiting for them when their FMLA leave has […]

New Oklahoma law allows ammo in locked cars parked at work

by Charlie Plumb An Oklahoma law going into effect on November 1 allows employees to store ammunition in their locked vehicles parked at work. A key aspect of Oklahoma’s Self-Defense Act allows people with valid gun licenses to carry handguns openly as well as concealed weapons in many public places. But another part of the […]

Hardest Challenges in Leave Management? Survey Says …

Employee abuse of leave is a problem for 10% and consistent application is an issue for 7%. A lucky 4% have no or very few issues when it comes to managing employee leave. Survey Highlights As expected, paid vacation time, separately or as PTO, is available to over 95% of those responding to our survey, […]