by Robert C. Nagle
Employers can expect increased enforcement efforts from federal and state labor and tax authorities over what’s believed to be a rising tide of misclassification of employees as “independent contractors.”

by Donald M. Harrison
Will health care reform affect workers’ comp? Even though the term “workers’ compensation” isn’t mentioned in the bill, I anticipate both direct and indirect effects on workers’ comp. Most of the consequences are unknown at this time and may not be known for several years, but two direct results are already clear:

by Stephen Stine
We aren’t getting any younger, and neither are your employees. As a result, employers are increasingly having to confront age-related issues that may lead to legal liability. These issues arise not only in the context of hiring and firing decisions but also in the design of benefit plans. To ensure your benefit plans [...]

Employment law attorney Robert P. Tinnin, Jr., answers an HR practitioner’s question about improving a flextime program that has become unmanageable.

by Sally J. Reynolds
Each year thousands of Americans resolve to quit smoking, but most will be unsuccessful. Some employers have begun implementing financial incentives to motivate their health plan participants to stop using tobacco. One type of reward may be a discount on health insurance premiums for employees who don’t use tobacco or are actively [...]

by Peter M. Panken
Drafting executive employment contracts requires attention to myriad details. The higher up the executive, the more likely there will be detailed negotiation of the terms. And when negotiating with an incoming CEO, CIO, or CFO, an HR executive is faced with tough negotiations with a future boss.
Keep up with the latest changes [...]

by Douglas R. Chamberlain
When facing financial difficulties, employees often look to their retirement plans as a possible source of needed funds. Many plans offer participant loans or permanent withdrawals, the latter generally on a hardship basis. However, plan loans and withdrawals can jeopardize the employee’s retirement benefits, and both are subject to complex rules that, [...]

You can hardly turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper these days without hearing or reading something about the health care reform debate. No matter the political party or industry, nearly everyone seems to agree that the current system is broken, with tens of millions of Americans uninsured and health care costs skyrocketing.
But [...]

When an employee takes unpaid Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, how do you legally manage his share of premiums for group health care coverage under the new FMLA regulations? What are the potential liabilities, and how can you avoid them? What are an employer’s rights? The answers to those questions are provided below.
FMLA [...]

Employers’ HR and benefits teams are facing the question of what to do in response to pending health care reform. Competing health care proposals are being hotly debated by Congress and the White House in Washington, D.C., and by legislators and their constituents around the country. The debate presents the full range of options, from [...]