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Compensation & Benefits

Carrots and sticks: 5 ways HIPAA limits wellness programs

05/01/2008
Since it is clear that better health translates into lower health care costs, employers increasingly embrace the concept of financial incentives to persuade employees to make healthier lifestyle choices. Thus the rise of wellness programs—a great idea, but one that can run afoul of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) …

AAM strike rocks GM operations across North America

05/01/2008
A strike by workers at five American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings (AAM) plants in New York and Michigan led to temporary closures at more than a dozen General Motors plants in February and March …

Excessive absences justify firing—And bar unemployment compensation

05/01/2008
Ohio employers can fire chronically absent or tardy employees without worrying that unemployment compensation will be the reward for missing work. That’s true as long as the absences weren’t covered by the FMLA or other leave laws …

Teach employees how to bargain-Shop for medicine

05/01/2008
The cost of prescription drug coverage is growing even faster than spending on health care coverage. Don’t run the risk that your workers won’t fill needed prescriptions because they can’t afford to. They’ll stay healthier and save money if you teach them how to hunt for bargains on prescribed drugs, just as they do for clothes and groceries …

Bite down on dental plan costs by managing coverage

05/01/2008
You’re already managing your organization’s ever-growing expenditures for medical and prescription drug coverage. Now it’s time to manage the cost of dental coverage. A new report from The Segal Co., an HR consulting firm, offers six ways your organization can curb spending on dental coverage …

Cutting back on health coverage?

05/01/2008
A new web site by GlaxoSmithKline (www.CenterVBHM.com) allows employers to merge health and productivity data to determine which of their health benefits have the most value to the organization …

You can require absent employees to follow call-In process

05/01/2008
To manage the workload, employers have to know who will be at work and who will not. After all, when an employee isn’t at work, someone else has to step in and get the work done. Of course, employees sometimes do get sick or have emergencies. A well-crafted call-in policy can help employers cope with unexpected absences …

Legal considerations in eliminating sick pay benefits

05/01/2008
Q. Is it legal in the state of Colorado for an employer to take away paid employee sick leave? If sick leave is a benefit, can the employer suddenly decide that it’s going to take it away, or does it have to pay you for the hours? Can the employer be required to freeze it for you to use if you need it? Can it be forced to pay accrued sick leave if you leave the company? …

New state law adds ‘Military status’ to protected classes

05/01/2008
The recently enacted Ohio Veterans Package amends the Ohio Civil Rights Act to bar discrimination based on “military status.” As a result, Ohio employers now face new legal requirements on both the state and federal fronts for how they treat military employees and their families …

Mandated sick leave: Coming to a state or city near you?

05/01/2008
Washington, D.C., has become the second city to guarantee employees paid sick leave to care for themselves or a sick child. More than a dozen states are weighing legislation to mandate paid sick leave for employees …