Benefit Solutions You Can Trust
It’s typical to have mixed feelings about the annual benefits open enrollment period. Dread for the additional administrative workload and potential benefits cost increases… Anticipation of newer, more attractive, and easier to administer plans… It makes for a fall season that causes many HR professionals and benefits brokers to drown their misery in pumpkin spice lattes. … Continued
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) heard several cases with employment implications during their 2018 session, including the following four cases we covered in detail. (Click the case names to read the full articles.) Encino Motorcars, LLC v. Navarro: Encino shifted the burden of proof in Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime exemption … Continued
NLRB Provides Insight on How it Will Address Employer Policies On July 13, 2018, the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) released three advice memos providing guidance to employers about how the NLRB will evaluate handbook policies and work rules under the new Boeing standard established in December 2017. These … Continued
Question: Are we allowed to ask employees or applicants whether they’re taking prescription drugs? Answer: No. In most instances you are prohibited from asking employees and applicants about any prescription medicines they are taking. This type of medical-related inquiry is considered confidential medical information and is protected under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and … Continued
Incidences of workplace violence are becoming more common and are all over the news. It’s not just high-profile headline cases that are a concern—it’s happening on a smaller scale in all kinds of businesses. Threats to workplaces can take many forms, from cyberbullying and workplace harassment to physical altercations and targeted violence. The Occupational Safety … Continued
Are you having a hard time keeping up with the steady flow of news and information that affects your workplace? Let ThinkHR help! We’ve curated some of the stories from business, news, human resources, benefits, and risk management publications that caught our eye this June. Just Don’t Ask Job candidates are covered by the Civil … Continued
Do you offer coverage to your employees through a self-insured group health plan? Do you sponsor a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)? If so, do you know whether your plan or HRA is subject to the annual Patient-Centered Research Outcomes Institute (PCORI) fee? This article answers frequently-asked questions about the PCORI fee, which plans are affected, … Continued
The 2,232-page budget spending bill that was signed by President Trump on March 23, 2018, included an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) prohibiting employers, managers, or supervisors from collecting or retaining tips made by employees, regardless of whether the employer takes a tip credit. This law essentially blocked the U.S. Department of … Continued
This year’s flu season is a rough one. Although the predominant strains of this year’s influenza viruses were represented in the vaccine, they mutated, which decreased the effectiveness of the immunization. The flu then spread widely and quickly, and in addition, the symptoms were severe and deadly. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … Continued
If you’ve been getting questions from your employees about completing new 2018 W-4 forms to take advantage of the tax reform rules, we’ve finally received some answers. You can continue to rely on the current W-4 forms for now until the new 2018 form is released in late February. The January 29th Internal Revenue Service … Continued
