Month: September 2011

Coverage of Dementia Services Bodes Well for Employer LTC Insurance

Why should a recent tax court decision that caretaker services provided to a dementia patient are qualified long-term care (LTC) expenses be of interest to employers? Well, if you see employee benefits as a way to attract and retain good employees, and don’t yet offer LTC insurance, the ruling —  which means those services could […]

Does PTO Count at Your Company?

A surprising survey shows that many companies simply don’t track their paid-time-off (PTO) programs, even though the cost may be as high as health care. Potential savings from better management: millions.

At Work, Play Nice

In last season’s finale there was the following brief, fiery exchange between Kelly and Gabe. She was interviewing for branch manager, and he was doing a poor job of pretending to take her seriously. Gabe: “What are your weaknesses?” Kelly: “I don’t have any, asshole!” This raises the question: Is civility in the workplace important? […]

Employer That Retaliates Digs Its Own Grave

by Boyd A. Byers The thirst for revenge is among the strongest of human emotions. In fact, the innate desire to “get even” has driven much of history. But acting on vindictive feelings can have dire consequences — particularly in the world of employment law. Mastering HR Report: Discrimination Courts receptive to retaliation Most employment […]

Are You a Manager or a Controller? Hurricane Helps Us Find Out

By Stephen D. Bruce, PHR Editor, HR Daily Advisor For all of us who pride ourselves on being in control of things at all times, Mother Nature recently served up a big reminder —in the form of Hurricane Irene—that we’re not said business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald in a recent edition of The Oswald […]

Tell the IRS What You Think of Changes Affecting LTC Insurance

Do you offer long-term care (LTC) insurance to your employees? If so, and the changes the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) made to the tax and information reporting requirements affecting some LTC coverage apply, you can offer your two cents’ worth to the IRS. The PPA amended the tax rules for qualified LTC insurance, […]

DOL Getting Strict on Child Farm Labor: Proposed Rules Due Sept. 2

Agricultural employers on the lookout for Fair Labor Standards Act’s child labor regulations for their industry can look no more — a new notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would revise those rules will finally be published in the Federal Register tomorrow. Agricultural employers have been awaiting these rules since final child labor rules for […]

Timing of Backaches Justifies Firing, Negates FLMA and ADA Claims

Some people complain about “rheumatism,” backaches and other physical ills when the weather shifts. For a Southwest Airlines employee, his backaches — and resulting requests for Family and Medical Act (FMLA) leave — seemed to follow the same shift as holidays and vacation time. Southwest determined that this was not the whim of nature but […]

Keep That Travel Budget Tight: Feds Issue Per Diems for FY 2012

Policymakers may debate the federal government’s overall spending habits, but federal employees have long had restrictions on how much they can be reimbursed for travel expenses, for example. And each year, the “per diem” travel reimbursement rates are adjusted. In fact, the feds have released per diem rates, adjusted for inflation, for fiscal year 2012, […]

20-Year Sexual Harassment Report Card: Mixed Bag for Employers

Lawsuits are down, but judgments are up. Training is the answer. This fall marks 20 years since the term “sexual harassment” entered the American lexicon in a big way. Americans came to know it through the testimony of Anita Hill, as she complained about alleged unwelcome advances from her ex-boss, now-Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, […]