Insurance

Obama signs COBRA subsidy extension; workers—and HR—breathe easier

12/22/2009

Just in time for the holidays, President Obama on Dec. 21 signed legislation to extend the government’s popular 65% subsidy of COBRA benefits. Laid-off workers are breathing a little easier—and so are HR pros, who would have had to untangle a logistical knot if the extension hadn’t been enacted.

Will Congress bite on COBRA subsidy extension?

12/15/2009

With federal COBRA subsidies for laid-off workers set to expire Dec. 31, Congress is getting ready to consider an extension—and HR pros are getting ready for administrative headaches. Timing is everything on this issue, and when Congress decides to act will affect laid-off workers and benefits administrators alike.

Side by side: How the House and Senate health care reform bills compare

12/08/2009

The Senate is burning the midnight oil and working weekends to pass its version of health care reform legislation. The House has already approved its own package. Here’s SHRM’s analysis of how the two bills stack up, along with its take on the relative merits of each provision.

Is paid ‘paternity leave’ required?

11/24/2009

Q. I run a small company with fewer than 50 employees. I was recently approached by a male employee requesting “paternity leave.” Must I provide him paid or unpaid leave upon the birth of his newborn child?

Do your health assessment questions violate new GINA law?

11/19/2009

It’s time to take a fresh look at the health questionnaires you hand out to employees as part of your wellness program. New federal regulations that prohibit discrimination against people with congenital medical conditions mean you must review health risk assessments to make sure they don’t ask employees to reveal protected information.

Women are keeping jobs, but still losing on pay and benefits

11/12/2009

If the Great Recession has an upside, it’s that women have experienced far less job loss than in previous downturns. Yet dark clouds could obscure the silver lining. According to a new report, women still earn just 77 cents on the dollar compared to men, and their jobs often come with paltry benefits.

The New York State Labor law amendments you need to know

11/09/2009

Despite a summer of political circus distractions in Albany, the New York Legislature continued to crank out laws that further regulate New York employers. Here are some recent changes to New York State laws that you need to take into consideration.

Offering extra leave beyond FMLA? You don’t have to extend job return rights

11/09/2009

Employees who take FMLA leave are entitled to be reinstated to their jobs if they return to work when their 12 weeks off expire. But many employers provide additional time off. But if employers grant that additional leave, they don’t have to reinstate the employee to the same or an equivalent position when she returns.

Your compensation & benefits questions answered

10/20/2009

Here’s a roundup of timely questions posed by readers of HR Specialist’s Compensation & Benefits newsletter. You’ll find answers on such hot topics as health insurance opt-out bonuses, differing pay structures for similar work, unemployment benefits for furloughed workers and paying for travel time.

‘Invisible Bracelet’ is Oklahoma’s newest benefit

10/16/2009

During open enrollment in October, state employees in Oklahoma had a chance to register for a new benefit that shares their health information with medical providers during an emergency via an "Invisible Bracelet." A handful of Oklahoma businesses are also signing up employees for the Invisible Bracelet as part of their health benefit.