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Insurance

When in doubt, add a stamp

12/08/2008

When Medical Mutual Insurance of Ohio learned that 11 computer disks mailed to state retirement groups in Columbus had not arrived, the insurer contacted the U.S. Postal Service. There was reason for concern: The disks contained personal information on 36,000 Ohio retirees …

Employers see first UI tax increase in 25 years

12/07/2008

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth notified more than 40,000 businesses that they will pay higher unemployment insurance taxes in January.

Act quickly to fix safety violations

12/04/2008

Employers that take OSHA and state agency safety violations seriously probably won’t face additional legal troubles outside the workers’ compensation system if an employee is later hurt or killed. Ignore those reports, and employees can sue for unlimited damages …

Audit calls for executive oversight of state health plan

12/04/2008

An executive body should administer the health insurance plan that covers some 650,000 North Carolina teachers and state employees, not the legislative committee that currently oversees it, says an audit report released by State Auditor Leslie Merritt.

A few bright spots in an otherwise bleak economy

12/04/2008

One piece of reassuring economic news for North Carolina state workers: The pension kitty is fully funded and continues to outperform other government pension funds, despite a bleak economic year.

Can we charge higher premiums for smokers’ health insurance?

12/04/2008

Q. I know North Carolina has a smokers’ rights law. Does this law, or any other law, prevent our company from charging smokers and nonsmokers different group health insurance premiums?

Lufkin Industries workers ratify 3-year labor contract

12/04/2008

Members of three unions recently ratified a new three-year contract with Lufkin Industries. The agreement will give 1,200 workers at five Texas plants wage increases totaling 11% over the term of the contract.

Are we responsible for repairing employee’s car damaged on company time?

12/04/2008

Q. Are employers responsible for fixing an employee’s car if it is involved in an accident while traveling to conduct company business on company time?

Benchmarking your cuts: How low can you go?

12/02/2008

As the impact of the global financial crisis seeps into the roots of the American economy, employers and HR are being forced to make tough decisions. So far, one-fifth of U.S. employers have instituted layoffs, and another 26% expect to shed jobs in the next 12 months …

Court: Local governments can create benefit-spending requirements

11/25/2008

Many California employers are viewing a recent decision by a federal appeals court as a setback. The court upheld the right of local governments to pass ordinances that essentially force employers to provide a certain level of funding for employee benefits.