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Compensation & Benefits

Any negative comments about work injury may lead to lawsuit

01/01/2008

It’s frustrating when an employee you don’t think is seriously injured files a workers’ compensation claim, especially months after the alleged injury. However, you must resist the temptation to react negatively—for example, by bad-mouthing the employee …

No simultaneous challenges in state and federal courts for workers’ comp cases

01/01/2008

A recent federal trial court decision means employees can’t sue to challenge the constitutionality of a Michigan workers’ compensation ruling in both state and federal courts. That’s good news for employers that now won’t have to fight it out in both courts at the same time …

Is it time to encourage employees to shop for own health insurance?

01/01/2008

If employee health care costs are hitting your organization hard, consider a tactic increasingly used by employers: Encourage workers to shop for alternative insurance plans on the private market …

Caught on camera! Public employers can snoop on employees during fraud probes

01/01/2008

California has a tough statute that protects celebrities against the paparazzi. But California law doesn’t necessarily shield the privacy of public employees. Government agencies can order and conduct intrusive investigations if they suspect public employees are committing workers’ comp and benefits fraud …

Changing benefits plans? Make transition accurate, timely

01/01/2008

Benefits are increasingly expensive to provide, and sometimes employers have to make changes to remain competitive. Be aware, though, that you need to implement any benefits changes with great attention to detail. Make certain the summary plan description is accurate, and that the underlying insurance documents are also correct …

Ensure doctors are fully credentialed for workers’ comp duty

01/01/2008

If you self-insure your workers’ compensation liability or otherwise directly control how your employees go about getting treatment for work-related injuries, make sure the medical professionals involved in your employees’ care are properly licensed and meet all requirements of their licenses. Otherwise, you may face liability for the negligent mistakes of health care practitioners …

Health insurance surcharges mean you’ll pay for bad habits

01/01/2008

Starting in 2008, Tribune Co., owner of the Chicago Tribune, began applying a monthly surcharge of $100 to the family health insurance premiums of workers who use tobacco or whose insured dependents do. Employees who kick the habit through the company’s smoking cessation program lose the surcharge …

Unemployment insurance tax rates to decrease in 2008

01/01/2008

Many Texas employers will see lower unemployment insurance (UI) taxes this year, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. The minimum tax rate, which 62% of Texas employers pay, decreased to 0.22% from 0.29% for the 2008 calendar year …

Require use of vacation time if you know FMLA doesn’t apply

01/01/2008

Employers don’t have to allow employees to take sick or FMLA time just because they claim minor health problems. If you are certain that an illness or injury doesn’t amount to a serious health condition as defined by the FMLA, then there is no reason to run the time against FMLA or sick time …

Have a sick leave bank? Make it accessible to all who qualify

01/01/2008

If, like many employers, you maintain a sick leave bank for employees who exhaust their available leave time, remember this: You’ll risk a retaliation lawsuit if you deny the use of banked time to an employee who has filed a discrimination claim …