The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the nation’s healthcare reform law, was signed into law on March 23, 2010. It is now commonly referred to as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Even before the ink dried on President Obama’s signature, analysts, politicians, lawyers, and reporters...

A surprising survey shows that many companies simply don't track their paid-time-off (PTO) programs, even though the cost may be as high as health care. Potential savings from better management: millions. Employee: "Boss, I don't feel well. I'd like to stay home but I'm not sure...

Yesterday , we looked at 8 trends that make class actions a real danger for every HR department in 2011. Today, more key issues to consider — and an introduction to a unique resource that will help you avoid wage/hour class actions altogether. Seyfarth Shaw, LLP's Annual Workplace Class Action...

Fatherhood advocates maintain that widening work/life balance programs to address more of fathers' needs has payback for both families and employers. Fathers make tremendous contributions to the future through the way they raise their children, according to the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI...

Yesterday , Kristen Allison, president of Orange County-based Burnham Benefits Insurance Services, explained 5 of the top 10 benefits trends in 2011. Today, the rest of her top 10, and a new resource for 2011 that you'll be turning to over and over throughout the year. ( For trends 1-5, click here...

In a time of economic uncertainty, employers are looking for innovative ways to balance the needs of their workforce with the realities of the post-Healthcare Reform era. Kristen Allison, president of Burnham Benefits Insurance Services, a leading employee benefits consulting and brokerage firm based...

Yesterday , we looked at the large margin by which employees underestimate the amount it costs you to provide them with various benefits. Today, we'll look at the one benefit employees refuse to give up — at nearly any cost. I'd rather cut my pay than ... While employees may underestimate...

Surveys show that workers greatly underestimate your cost of providing their various benefits – which, ironically, originally stemmed from an effort to reduce total compensation. Health insurance ... life insurance … disability ... vision care ... dental ... the list goes on. Did you ever...

Getting the notice requirements right is one of the trickiest aspects of CFRA compliance. ERI's new White Paper, Notice Requirements for CFRA and FMLA: California Labor Laws , explains what you need to know, courtesy of Marjorie Fochtman, Esq. and Deborah Schwartz, Esq., attorneys at the San Francisco...

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the nation's healthcare reform law, was signed into law on March 23, 2010. It is now commonly referred to as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Even before the ink dried on President Obama's signature, analysts, politicians, lawyers, and reporters began...

Late last year, the California Division of Workers' Compensation finalized its amendments to regulations on medical provider networks (MPNs) and the information employers must provide employees. New Requirements The amended regulations require all California employers to: Post a new "Notice...

Sales compensation should be easy, but it's often done wrong, says Alan McAnally, president of SalesComp America. He highlights the compensation mistakes that actually encourage the best salespeople to leave. Is your sales compensation program actually sabotaging your results? It probably is, if...

Wage/hour seems pretty basic (pay workers for time worked), but the people who find it easy tend to be the people who pay out million-dollar suits. In yesterday's CED , we featured three million-dollar wage and hour lawsuits. Today, two more suits and an introduction to a unique source of wage/hour...

From the CED mailbag: Can you require employees to use accrued paid time off while receiving SDI or PFL if they are on FMLA leave? We'll explain the rules below. We recently received the following question from a subscriber: Has the law changed regarding whether an employer can require employees...

In yesterday’s CED , we talked about the 3 different job descriptions most jobs have. Today, we’ll look at 10 specific factors you can evaluate as you work to unite those 3 job descriptions into 1. These 10 elements describe the specific job requirements in terms of "compensable factors...

Many employers are now making the unhappy discovery that their finance and operations people made aggressive exempt-status and other wage and hour-related determinations that are coming back to haunt their organizations in the form of big wage and hour lawsuits and payouts. Attorney Kurt A. Franklin...

Today, another question from the CED mailbag: What to do when a brand-new employee wants to take family leave? Our answer below, along with a special deal on a resource that no California employer should be without. Yesterday, we looked at the question of severance pay. Today, another question from the...

A subscriber to CEA Online recently wrote us with the following question: A member of our senior management staff is leaving. She's given us one month's notice, but we'd actually prefer that she stop working immediately. Do we have to pay her one month's severance, as that was the amount...

Leaves under CFRA and FMLA in California are particular challenges for even the most experienced HR professional. Today’s newly updated Compliance Guide to CFRA and FMLA will explain everything you need to know. Download your free report here Here's an excerpt from today's free report,...

Yesterday , we reviewed the first 5 factors of the "Borello test," which California courts use to determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor (click here for yesterday's issue). Today, we'll look at the remaining 6 factors and tell you about a wage/hour resource...