Most Popular

The Secret to Success

What it takes to be successful

When people question what it takes to be successful in business, my response is often, “You should ask someone who is.” The best way to learn about anything is to ask someone who has been successful at it. If you want to learn how to throw a great curve ball, ask someone who throws a […]

Sign of the Times? Minimum Wage Boost Defeated in Maine

What a difference a couple of years makes. Not so long ago, a flurry of states passed legislation or ballot initiatives to increase their minimum wage rates. As recently as 2009, there were minimum wage increases in 24 states. Since then, it appears that changes in the political climate and in the economy have completely […]

Controversial LAWA Upheld by Ninth Circuit

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the controversial Legal Arizona Workers Act (LAWA). Under the LAWA, which took effect January 1, 2008, a business found guilty of “knowingly” or “intentionally” hiring undocumented workers faces suspension or revocation of its business license and is placed on probationary status for a period of time. […]

Is Business Still Fun?

The other day I was having a conversation with a friend and colleague — more friend than colleague. We were discussing the economy, business, and some of the challenges we’re experiencing at our company. As we wrapped up our conversation and I headed for the door, he asked me, “Are you all right?” His question […]

7 Leadership Lessons from World Series Baseball Champions

By HR Consultant and Sports Executive Skip Weisman As baseball season starts, our guest columnist explains how lessons learned by sports teams can help business organizations. He knows because he’s led both. With dreams of a World Series championship dancing in their heads, 30 major league teams have just begun the 2007 major league baseball […]

News Extra: Controversial New Rule Published on Coordination of Retiree Benefits

After much back and forth, the EEOC just last week issued regulations letting companies offer lower health benefits to those age 65 and over than they do to those younger. Here’s the report on this important development, first published on our subscription website, HR.BLR.com. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has published a final […]

Monster®’s Hiring Secrets (Part 2)

Yesterday’s Advisor talked about the approach of Monster’s recently published guide, Finding Keepers, to employment—the “engagement cycle” of attract, acquire,advance. Today: Monster’s tips on how to work job descriptions into effective job ads—and a BLR tool that essentially writes your job descriptions for you. Most job ads, says Finding Keepers, published by Monster, are just […]

Retirement Benefits: EEOC Allows Employers to Coordinate Retirees’ Health Benefits with Medicare

A new U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) rule gives employers some relief regarding their ability to reduce or eliminate retirees’ healthcare benefits once they become eligible for Medicare. Such a reduction or elimination will not violate the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the federal statute that prohibits age-based discrimination, the new rule states. […]

Groups say HIPAA transaction rules would unduly tax self-funded plans

Government requirements for certifying compliance with HIPAA’s transaction standards would impose a significant, unwarranted burden on self-funded group health plans that do not perform these transactions directly, employer groups warned in written comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The proposed rules would lay “significant costs” on self-insured plans that hire vendors […]

Spending Law Brakes Cadillac Tax for Two Years

Employers will have two more years in which to respond to an Affordable Care Act tax on high-cost health plans, which was due to take effect in 2018. On Dec. 18, President Obama signed an omnibus spending package that includes a two-year delay of the Cadillac tax and also reversed the tax’s non-deductible status. The […]