Day: January 15, 2013

How 2012 election results will affect HR in 2013, part 1

by David S. Fortney President Barack Obama will be sworn in for his second term Monday. The 113th Congress met for the first time on January 3 with its slightly revised composition. With those players in place, the main question for employers and HR professionals is, how will the 2012 election results affect the federal […]

Immediate Action Required: ACA 2013

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be plaguing employers for many years, but there are a few things that require immediate attention, says attorney Ashley Gillihan: women’s health preventive care, W-2 reporting, and PCORI fees. Gillihan, who is Counsel in the Atlanta office of Alston & Bird LLP, made his suggestions at a recent webinar […]

HR Issues were all ‘Downstairs’ at Downton Abbey

Despite the gripping plotlines, HR pros will be hard-pressed to not notice how workplace practices have changed since the days of Downton Abbey. Los Angeles Times writer and LA radio personality Patt Morrison muses in an opinion piece about the workplace history to be learned from watching the new season of “Downton Abbey,” especially since […]

New law streamlines MSP settlement process with on-line information (starting 2014)

Currently, Medicare beneficiaries who have pending claims with third parties responsible for their injuries face settlement delays. The parties cannot determine how much of the settlement is to be used to reimburse Medicare, because Medicare has not been prompt in providing information on the amounts of the benefits it claims to have paid. The result […]

Short-lived Sale Option Did Not Negate COBRA Small-employer Exception

A former employee argued that her former employer, which employed fewer than 20 employees (and thus was exempt from COBRA) for eight months of the year, formed an affiliated service group with another employer and thus employed more than 20 employees for four months of that year. Thus, she contended the employer became subject to […]

5 Questions for Big-Picture Managers in 2013

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day activities of managing and lose sight of the bigger picture. The beginning of a new year provides a natural break for you to take a deep breath and consider how to make 2013 a success, says Oswald, CEO of BLR, who offered his thoughts in […]

New requirement to offer jobs to predecessor contractor’s workers takes effect January 18

by Judith E. Kramer An Executive Order issued nearly four years ago dealing with employees of federal contractors is set to take effect on January 18. President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13495—Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts—on January 30, 2009. The order requires that contractors and subcontractors acquiring contracts that succeed contracts for […]

2013 Best Practices in Recruitment and Recognition

Our previous Advisor began BLR’s annual summary of 10 HR Best Practices; today, best practices 6 through 10. [Go here for Best Practices #1 to #5] #6 Health and Wellness Ideas that employers can use in their wellness programs are as varied as the employees in an employer’s workforce. It may take some trial and […]