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Compensation & Benefits

No duty to warn employees of obvious dangers

03/01/2007

In Texas, employers who don’t opt for inclusion in the workers’ comp system are responsible for their employees’ injuries if they fail to warn employees of hazards. But that duty doesn’t extend to obvious dangers …

New report offers ideas to provide health coverage to Texas’ uninsured

03/01/2007

The Texas Health Institute recently released a report that provides several cost-effective policy solutions for providing insurance to the 5.6 million state residents who don’t carry health insurance …

State legislature examines health care options as well

03/01/2007

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst recently announced that the state legislature is looking for ways to amend Texas’ new business tax to enable more employers to provide health benefits for their employees …

Notify workers’ compensation carrier of potential claims as soon as possible

03/01/2007

Many employment-based insurance policies, including workers’ compensation, require employers to notify their carriers of a potential claim “as soon as practicable.” Insurance companies have been known to refuse to defend a case if the policyholder doesn’t promptly report an accident or injury …

How to comply with state’s new Mental Health Parity Law

03/01/2007

Shortly before leaving office, Gov. Pataki signed New York’s Mental Health Parity Law, which requires insurers to provide mental health benefits in all health insurance policies issued in the state …

FMLA may require reinstatement, even with work restrictions

03/01/2007

The FMLA lets qualified employees take up to 12 weeks of unpaid medical leave each year if suffering from a serious illness. The law also entitles them to reinstatement to the same or an equivalent job when they return. But what if the employee has a lingering work restriction, such as a temporary lifting limit?…

States look to copy San Fran’s new paid-Leave law

03/01/2007

Most states have boosted their minimum wages above the federal $5.15 per hour. Now, several states are exploring the idea of giving employees another plus—paid sick leave …

Communicate payroll-Card benefits to help trim turnover

03/01/2007

When employees are "unbanked"—i.e., they don’t have bank accounts into which your organization can deposit their wages—they’re more likely to quickly jump ship for another job. To serve the nation’s 56 million citizens who don’t have traditional bank accounts, more organizations are using payroll cards, which are being credited with reducing turnover as well …

New state law curbs day-Labor payroll deductions

03/01/2007

Gov. Jon Corzine recently signed a bill that limits the amount of money that temporary service agencies can withhold from temps’ paychecks …

Add some investment advice to 401(k) statements

03/01/2007

t’s not a good idea for employees to invest too big a proportion of their retirement dollars in a single stock—even if it’s your organization’s stock. And the IRS says you have to point that risk out to employees four times a year on quarterly plan statements …