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California Supreme Court Clarifies Termination Pay Statutes

The California Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that for purposes of Labor Code provisions requiring payment of wages immediately upon “discharge”—and imposing waiting time penalties for delays—the term “discharge” doesn’t just mean getting fired or laid off; it also includes when an employer releases an employee after completion of the specific job assignment or time […]

Overtime Calculation: Do You Have to Include Benefits Opt-Out Payments?

By BLR Editor Kate McGovern Tornone The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals—which covers Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington—has given employers another thing to worry about in light of the new overtime regulations. In a  case of first impression, the court ruled that when an employer pays an employee cash […]

Stop-loss Insurers Maneuvered out of Navigator Role in Final Reform Rules

Stop-loss insurers for self-funded health plans are among the entities excluded from assisting consumers and small businesses in researching health insurance exchange options under health care reform. Those insurers, as well as individuals and other entities with too close a financial relationship to such insurers, cannot be “Navigators,” according to final rules issued July 17 from the […]

North Carolina’s unemployment overhaul to take effect July 1

by Richard L. Rainey North Carolina’s law overhauling the state’s unemployment system will take effect July 1, bringing about a small tax increase for many employers and a reduced maximum weekly benefit amount for claimants. It also will change the circumstances in which a claimant is disqualified from benefits. During the economic recession, the state […]

What Physics and History Can Teach HR about Hiring and Firing

by Boyd Byers In physics, chaos theory is the concept that systems rely on an underlying order and are sensitive to initial conditions. As a result of this sensitivity, a small error or imprecision in the initial conditions grows at an enormous rate over time. Thus, two nearly identical sets of initial conditions applied to […]

BusinessWeek’s Bestseller List

BusinessWeek ranks business books that are the most recent bestsellers and provides a short summary. 1. StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths by Tom Rath. Are you unsure where your true talents lie? Do you feel that you are both a person who gets […]

Fiduciaries Cited for Overreliance on Investment Consultant Advice

Fiduciaries of 401(k) plans were reminded by a recent court decision that it’s best not to accept financial consultants’ investment advice for a retirement plan’s assets without careful scrutiny. At the same time the case, which raised other issues important to managing defined contribution plans, resulted in several rulings in the plan sponsor’s favor. Facts […]

‘Fat Bowl’ and ‘Maintain, Don’t Gain’ Spark Wellness Program

When plumbing products’ manufacturer Moen Incorporated opened a fitness center at its headquarters more than a decade ago, it was a “feel-good” type of service for employee morale, retention, and recruitment. Since that time, however, its wellness initiatives have had a significant impact on the company’s bottom line. One internal study found that for every […]

Beating the Heat

Last week, basketball royalty and media-superstar LeBron James was forced to make an early exit from Game 1 of the NBA Finals due to severe leg cramps. The King’s cramps were due in large part to the malfunctioning air-conditioning system at the AT&T Center, home of the San Antonio Spurs. Combined with the Texas summer […]