Strategic Planning

ACA SHOPs postponed one year, HHS urges using brokers instead

12/02/2013

Small business owners won’t be able go online to buy health insurance for their employees until November 2014. Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services suggests doing it the old-fashioned way—through a broker.

Accommodating religion in the 21st century workplace

11/27/2013

Employers are often reluctant to raise concerns over the impact of an employee’s religious practices. Those issues generally aren’t considered to be job-related, and the fear is that addressing them might cause a discrimination lawsuit.

Penalties rival incentives as work health tactic

11/27/2013

Employers will use both carrots and sticks to keep workers healthier and stem the tide of higher health care costs, according to the 2013/2014 Towers Watson Staying@Work Survey.

Top 10: The basic rules every HR pro must follow

11/26/2013

While lawsuits may be practically inevitable in today’s litigious society, losing them is not. Ten rules to follow:

Beware subtle age-bias peril: Don’t assume older employees are ready to retire

11/05/2013

Employees in this day and age often want or need to keep working despite advancing age. If you force out those workers, you’re asking for trouble.

Two new California laws will cost employers in two ways

10/29/2013

California has two new laws affecting employers in the state. The first, signed into law in August, applies to employers that prevail in wage-related lawsuits. It limits their ability to obtain attorneys’ fee awards. The second, signed in September, raises California’s minimum wage to $10 per hour by January 2016.

GSA saves $24 million by reducing office space

10/28/2013

The U.S. General Services Administration is saving $24 million a year in real estate costs since it moved its 4,000 Washington, D.C.-based employees from three buildings to one.

Get ready! Older workers delaying retirement

10/25/2013

As much as 18% of the U.S. workforce could retire within the next five years, says a new study from ADP. That’s assuming the average retirement age is 61. But more workers are pushing retirement age past the traditional timeline. That presents HR pros with two big challenges.

Sometimes it’s best to settle drawn-out cases

09/10/2013

Some lawsuits seem to drag on forever, especially when an employee’s lawyers endlessly demand access to company documents. Settling those cases for a modest sum may be the best approach if litigation is taking over and HR is so busy responding to discovery requests it can’t get other work done.

This is NPR HR: 3 ways to rebuild & rebrand your culture

09/06/2013

Whether we represent a start-up or an organization that’s over 100 years old, HR professionals must stay aware of the ways in which their organization’s culture is changing, says Jeff Perkins, Chief People Officer, National Public Radio.