Blog

  Congress passed and the president signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act on March 18. The law allows employees time to care for themselves or loved ones and includes provisions for new tax credits to offset employers’ costs. But the immediate need to pay employees on leave may still be difficult for organizations struggling with revenue losses. Immediate time off The law affects employers with fewer than 500 employees....

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March 30, 2020

At the beginning of the year, many people make resolutions about improving their physical fitness. Employers may seek to lend their assistance through an employee wellness program. If your organization is doing so (or considering it), be prepared for the many federal laws involved. You’ll need to know how ERISA, COBRA and HIPAA apply to wellness programs; how the ADA’s rules relate to disability-related inquiries or medical examinations; and how...

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January 07, 2020

A job description may seem like just so many words on a page or website. But those words have power. They can either set an employer and employee on a path toward a positive, fruitful relationship or on a downward spiral into confusion and conflict. To keep your organization on the road to success, review and, if necessary, revise your job descriptions regularly. Clarity and comprehensiveness Job duties often evolve...

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November 24, 2019

Many organizations are adopting qualified transportation plans. Under these arrangements, employers contribute dollars toward mass transit expenses and allow employees to use pretax compensation reductions to pay for any additional qualified transportation expenses. A common conundrum of offering such a plan, however, is how to handle unused balances credited to terminated employees. Must they be immediately forfeited? Are employer and pretax compensation reductions subject to the same rules? Let’s take...

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April 13, 2019

It’s no surprise that 360-degree performance evaluations have grown in popularity. We live and work in an age of data — the more, the better, to avoid inaccurate assessments based on biases or small sample sizes. Under the 360-degree model, an employee is evaluated by not only his or her supervisor, but also by direct reports (if applicable) and peers. Sometimes even vendors or customers, too. The result is a...

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April 08, 2019

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) covers both defined-benefit and defined-contribution retirement plans. If your organization offers its employees either, you may feel like you’re constantly walking on eggshells trying to oversee all the regulatory details involved. One critical way to stay in compliance and avoid costly penalties is to ensure your plan operates consistently with its plan documents. Most important requirementAlthough abiding by your plan documents might sound...

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April 03, 2019