Archived Human Resource Management NetNews™

November 2, 2009 (Click date to view stories in this section)

• President signs National Defense Authorization Act, includes revisions to FMLA military family leave provisions
• Employer H1N1 readiness must abide by legislation that protects employee rights, Pepper Hamilton attorney says
• Employees plan to spend nearly two full work days shopping for the holidays using work computers, which could cost employers more than just lost productivity
• Survey reveals continuing disconnect between employers, employees, finding many workers are dissatisfied
• Most employers making changes to their 2010 medical program expect to increase employee contributions, Aon finds
• New survey reveals 65 percent of U.S. workers now expect to delay retirement
• September sees decrease in mass layoff events

October 26, 2009 (Click date to view stories in this section)

• Plan ahead HR: Be aware of these upcoming effective dates
• IRS issues 2010 LTC, MSA, adoption benefit, transit COLAs
• No COLA increase for 2010 Social Security benefits; lack of increase first since 1975
• According to study, bosses who feel inadequate can turn into bullies
• Poll finds employees avoid each other to prevent flu, yet almost one-third not changing behavior
• One-in-five employers report that missing open enrollment costs workers more than $1,000 in out-of-pocket expenses

October 19, 2009 (Click date to view stories in this section)

• Finance Committee approves health reform legislation
• Attorney reminds employers to think about the legal risks that come with hiring holiday help
• Economic downturn, rising unemployment means more labor and employment litigation, according to survey
• Global analysis of employee leave reveals U.S. falls in the middle of the road when it comes to employee leave entitlement, holidays
• Study reveals critical disparities between employer perceptions and employee turnover intentions
• Consumer prices up slightly in September
• Real earnings took slight dip in September
• Massachusetts health reform has expanded employer-provided coverage, improved quality

October 12, 2009 (Click date to view stories in this section)

• Agencies issue regulations clarifying genetic nondiscrimination rules under GINA
• DHS issues final rule rescinding no-match regulation
• Six steps for avoiding liability nightmare this Halloween
• Survey shows most Americans lacking direction from their employers for the H1N1 flu season
• Survey reveals a majority of companies prohibit social networking on the job
• Employers think more employees are calling in sick with fake excuses due to stress tied to the recession, survey finds
• Costs of health reform failure would be felt in every state, Urban Institute says