Month: July 2017

What Happens When Recruiters Get It Wrong?

One common challenge in finding and hiring the best talent is the disconnect between hiring managers and recruiters, which can lead to pricey errors. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates the cost of a bad hire at 30 percent of an employee’s first year earnings. With that type of money on the line, hiring managers […]

Sexual Orientation

DOJ Says Title VII Doesn’t Apply to Sexual Orientation Discrimination

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed an amicus brief in the case of an employee who claimed his employer violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act when it discriminated against him on the basis of his sexual orientation.  The DOJ’s brief asserts that Title VII’s prohibition of sex discrimination does not extend to […]

DOJ says Title VII doesn’t apply to sexual orientation discrimination

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed an amicus (friend-of-the-court) brief in a case in which an employee claims his employer violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against him based on his sexual orientation. The DOJ’s brief asserts that Title VII’s prohibition of sex discrimination does not extend […]

Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment: Was Employee Subjected to Unwelcome Workplace Harassment?

A recent case from the Tennessee Court of Appeals acts as a reminder of the importance of implementing and enforcing policies aimed at preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. The outcome of the case also shows that while you may not be able to prevent all inappropriate behavior by your supervisors, how you respond to […]

COBRA

New Report May Help COBRA Plan Admins Seeking Insight on HCTC Advance Payment Process

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) plan administrators seeking to better understand how the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC)—including its advance payment system and how it will impact COBRA coverage and documentation—may find useful a new report issued by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), as well as corresponding Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recommendations. […]

FMLA

Think You Can’t Terminate an Employee on FMLA Leave? Think Again

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is that it insulates employees from disciplinary proceedings while they are on FMLA-approved leave. Anyone who assumes that taking FMLA-protected leave provides some type of protection from all disciplinary actions would be wise to remember the age-old adage about assumptions, as one […]

401k

401(k) Expenses Lower in 2016 Due to Demand for Passive Funds, Price Wars

Remaining informed and aware of investing trends is one of the many duties that come with being an employer plan sponsor or serving on a plan’s investment committee. As average fund fees continue their slide from investors seeking lower-cost funds and price wars among some providers, it’s useful to understand what’s behind this trend. At […]

Should You Always Go for Top Talent?

In yesterday’s Advisor, we talked about the idea that there may be both pros and cons to always trying to hire only top-level talent. While it may be tempting to think that it makes sense to shoot for the stars and hire top talent all the time, today we’ll outline a few of the challenges […]