Compensation & Benefits

Supreme Court to decide: Is health care reform law constitutional?

11/15/2011

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge to the sweeping federal health-care reform law enacted in 2010, deciding the constitutionality of the Obama administration’s signature domestic policy achievement. No matter how the High Court rules, its decision could affect HR and employee benefits for years to come.

Health care reporting: What you need to do now

11/15/2011

If dealing with year-end 2011 hasn’t caused enough anxiety, lurking just around the corner is W-2 reporting of employees’ health benefits. If you’ll be filing at least 250 W-2s for 2012 and don’t have a self-insured plan that’s not subject to COBRA, you’re on the hook for health care reporting, beginning next year.

Health premiums rose 9% this year; average family plans top $15,000 for first time

11/14/2011

Health insurance premiums paid by employers this year rose by 9% from 2010, much faster than workers’ wages (2.1%) and general inflation (3.2%), according to a Kaiser Family Foundation annual report.

That’s not fair! Equity requires more than fair pay

11/10/2011

Conventional wisdom says that paying employees well goes a long way toward making them feel like they’re treated fairly. Not necessarily. Employees don’t consider pay or salary increases as the top factor in determining whether they are rewarded fairly, according to a new study.

Feds take over Minneapolis hotel’s retirement plan

11/09/2011

Using its power under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefit Security Administration has taken over the 401(k) plan of the Northland Inn in Minneapolis after the hotel’s owner ceased operations in 2009.

State agencies slapped with age discrimination suits

11/09/2011

Three state agencies—the Minnesota departments of Commerce, Public Safety and Natural Resources—face nearly identical EEOC lawsuits claiming they discriminated against workers based on their age.

Get ready for 2011’s glut of holidays

11/08/2011

Is anyone going to be at work during the next few weeks? Almost all employees will get a day off on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, but plenty will be taking it easy on other days, too, according to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management.

Misclassification could cost Dayton cable firm $1.6 million

11/07/2011

A federal judge has sided with the U.S. Department of Labor in an employee misclassification lawsuit against Fairfield-based Cascom, which lays fiber-optic lines for Time Warner Cable in the Dayton area.

Watch those pension funds–or watch the feds swoop in

11/07/2011

The federal government is suing the owners of a Columbus printing company and their pension plan administrator, claiming they all failed to execute their fiduciary responsibilities to employees. At issue is more than $400,000 in funds missing from two pension accounts set up for employees of Clark Graphics.

Work is close to home for spirits maker’s employees

11/04/2011

Execs at Diageo North America encourage their employees to live near work as part of its effort to help workers balance their jobs with their home lives. The company also allows employees to job share, flex or compress their hours and telework.