Benefits Telephone Seminars

International Payroll Compliance Issues ...BenefitsThe emergence of the global economy has created opportunities for a large number of companies to expand internationally. This has resulted in an increase in cross-border transfer of their employees, thereby creating a host of challenges for companies that must administer payrolls in different jurisdictions with a myriad of reporting and tax withholding rules. Companies must find a way  more...

Wellness Programs: Rewards, Penalties, Legal Risks, and Legal Developments ...BenefitsWellness programs played a central role in the health reform debate. Health care reform clearly demonstrates the desire of Congress and the President to encourage wellness programs and healthy lifestyles to control the cost of health insurance. Much of their interest is based on success stories from the private sector. Despite regulatory uncertainties, rising health insurance costs have  more...

Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation ...BenefitsThis live audio conference 'Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation,' presented by John W. Valente, Esq., will discuss some of the solutions and strategies used by employers to both prevent and control common workplace injury claims. A review of common injuries employers face every day in the workplace injury realm, ranging from slip and fall claims to back injuries from lifting, and  more...

Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation ...BenefitsThis live audio conference 'Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation,' presented by John W. Valente, Esq., will discuss some of the solutions and strategies used by employers to both prevent and control common workplace injury claims. A review of common injuries employers face every day in the workplace injury realm, ranging from slip and fall claims to back injuries from lifting, and  more...

Flexible Spending Accounts ...BenefitsMany employee benefit plan sponsors are unaware of all the complex rules governing flexible spending accounts. In this session you will receive a thorough overview of the numerous plan design considerations and legal requirements of flexible spending accounts. This knowledge will enable you to avoid running afoul of rules that could jeopardize the tax-favored status of your plans. This  more...

Medicare Secondary Payer Act: Protecting Medicare's Interest In Insurance Settlements ...BenefitsPursuant to 42 USC Section 1395y(b)(2), commonly known as the Medicare Secondary Payer Act, Medicare may not make payment for medical benefits where payment has been made or can reasonably be expected to be made under a workers' compensation law or plan of the United States or a state, or under an automobile or liability insurance policy or plan (including a self-insured plan), or under  more...

Using Social Media in Banking ...BenefitsSocial media has become a hot topic for bank boards and senior managers as hundreds of millions of consumers have congregated to social networks, blogs, and other social media platforms. The widespread use of social media has resulted in structural changes in commerce, politics, and now, banking. Banks are being forced to adapt to changes created by social media. Specifically, banks  more...

Domestic Asset Protection Trusts: Fundamentals and New Approaches ...BenefitsThis live audio conference will focus on the uses, benefits, requirements and differences among the various Domestic Asset Protection Trusts ('DAPTs') permitted under state law and the reasons why one state law may be preferred over another. There will also be a discussion of the most recent applications involving trusts for protection and other uses. Examples include the use of a DAPT  more...

Domestic Asset Protection Trusts: Fundamentals and New Approaches ...BenefitsThis live audio conference will focus on the uses, benefits, requirements and differences among the various Domestic Asset Protection Trusts ('DAPTs') permitted under state law and the reasons why one state law may be preferred over another. There will also be a discussion of the most recent applications involving trusts for protection and other uses. Examples include the use of a DAPT  more...

Intellectual Disabilities and Employer ADA Obligation ...BenefitsWith the dramatic expansion of the American With Disabilities Act (ADA) by the ADA Amendment Act of 2008 (ADAAA) and the EEOC's ADAAA final regulations effective as of May 24, 2011, ADA claims are skyrocketing. A great many of the burgeoning claims concern matters formerly called mental disabilities and which are now called intellectual disabilities. Intellectual disabilities, which may  more...

Portal to Portal Act: Determining Hours Worked at the Start and End of the Work Day ...BenefitsEmployees and their counsel continue to pursue class action claims for off-the-clock work and unpaid overtime wages at a fever pitch. Thousands of wage and hour class actions asserting violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act or parallel state laws are filed each year and the costs of defending these matters and the damages claimed and paid, whether through trial or settlement, are  more...

Portal to Portal Act: Determining Hours Worked at the Start and End of the Work Day ...BenefitsEmployees and their counsel continue to pursue class action claims for off-the-clock work and unpaid overtime wages at a fever pitch. Thousands of wage and hour class actions asserting violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act or parallel state laws are filed each year and the costs of defending these matters and the damages claimed and paid, whether through trial or settlement, are  more...

Insurance Coverage Disputes and Construction Defects ...BenefitsThis live audio conference has been prepared by two nationally recognized experts in construction law and insurance coverage. You will gain knowledge and insight based on practical experience of handling both the construction and insurance components of construction defect claims of all sizes, and implicating all types of insurance coverage, both first and third-party. Receive updates  more...

Insurance Coverage Disputes and Construction Defects ...BenefitsThis live audio conference has been prepared by two nationally recognized experts in construction law and insurance coverage. You will gain knowledge and insight based on practical experience of handling both the construction and insurance components of construction defect claims of all sizes, and implicating all types of insurance coverage, both first and third-party. Receive updates  more...

Social Security Benefits: Is It Worth It to Delay? ...BenefitsSocial Security has been the American workers' greatest investment and has been labeled the third rail of politics, and perhaps rightly so. However, dire predictions have recently been published about the collapse of the system. But are those predictions really warranted? This live audio conference will take you from the beginning of Social Security to the present day and probable  more...

Creating and Using a Salary Increase Matrix ...BenefitsThis live audio conference will discuss the concept, implementation and best practices associated with a merit matrix. Implementing a merit matrix is one of the easiest and most direct ways to link pay with performance and manage turnover. Sharing of pitfalls that many companies encounter when implementing a matrix and how to avoid them will be addressed. The live audio conference will  more...

E-Verify Requirements and Best Practices ...BenefitsE-Verify is an online system that allows employers to check the work status of new hires by comparing information from an employee's Form I-9 against Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security databases. Although initially implemented as a voluntary program, many states now require the use of E-Verify. Additionally, many federal contractors are also required to  more...

Workers' Compensation Benefits: Who is Eligible, How are They Calculated, When and How Can They be Settled ...BenefitsWorkers' compensation benefits are a continuing and significant expense to employers. This live audio conference will address who is eligible for workers' compensation benefits, how these benefits are calculated and what employee benefits may be offset with the payments of workers' compensation, and most important, how to resolve or settle a claim without creating additional liability  more...

Implications of Medical Marijuana in the Workplace ...BenefitsAn applicant takes a pre-employment drug screen and tests positive for marijuana but tells you that he is a registered user of medical marijuana to treat his medical condition. Can you refuse to hire him? An employee tells you that he needs to take a daily break in order to consume medical marijuana to treat his cancer. Do you have to accommodate this request? How is this request  more...

Intermittent Leave Under FMLA ...BenefitsMany employers are confronted with various issues related to intermittent leave under FMLA. This live audio conference will help front line personnel identify and handle intermittent leave issues. The program will address the legal and human resources issues confronted by employers and provide practical steps and procedures for employers to follow. This live audio conference is  more...

Health Savings Accounts ...BenefitsThis live audio conference will explain the basic rules for eligibility, contributions and use of an HSA with a high deductible plan. It will also review current studies on whether HSAs are achieving the goal of reducing total health care costs through consumerism. Focusing on the final comparability rules for employer contributions and updates on the new contribution limits and IRS  more...

Water Audits and Nonrevenue Water Reduction Methodologies ...BenefitsThere are many recent issues affecting the importance of uniform, accurate and effective water utility auditing. The largest urban growth areas of the United States are in the southwestern portion of the country, including Phoenix, Las Vegas and southern California. Water resources available to the areas are fully allocated and becoming more expensive to obtain and deliver. In addition,  more...

Tips and Techniques for Writing Effective Legal Briefs ...Benefits Effective writing is one of the most important tools in the legal trade. No matter the strength of your case or your knowledge of the facts and the law, your ability to communicate concisely and powerfully is crucial to your success. With a particular focus on writing legal briefs, this live audio conference will show you how to focus your writing to a specific audience; streamline and  more...

FLSA New Fluctuating Workweek Regulatory Guidance ...BenefitsOver the last two years, the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has placed the employer community on notice that it intends to be very assertive in its enforcement of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Consistent with this philosophy and its current modus operandi, the DOL recently concluded rulemaking that, among other  more...

Successful PTO Programs ...BenefitsPTO programs have become quite popular over the years as an alternative to traditional vacation, sick leave and other policies. Done right, PTO can be a powerful recruiting and retention tool. Done wrong, PTO can negatively impact morale and productivity and be a trap for the unwary employer. This live audio conference helps those persons responsible for designing and implementing  more...

Response to Intervention: Addressing Emerging Issues ...BenefitsResponse to intervention is promoted as an important framework through which school staffs can improve the outcomes for all of their learners and more accurately identify those learners with disabilities. On the other hand, to achieve these benefits school staffs must have a high fidelity of implementation. Since RTI is not just a technical solution of new tests, curricula or  more...

Understanding the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Employee Family Leave Laws and Return-to-Work Issues ...BenefitsThe Pregnancy Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of 'pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.' But what does this mean? The Family Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act may provide protections for employees with certain medical conditions due to pregnancy or who have recently given birth. But how do you know who is covered and what  more...

Tax Diligence, Representations, Covenants and Indemnifications in Business Acquisitions ...BenefitsBuyers and sellers of businesses typically are focused on getting the deal done and the relative economic benefits to each. They often fail to consider potential undisclosed tax liabilities resulting from pre-closing operations, and rarely want to hold up negotiations thinking about the 'what ifs.' However, when the 'what ifs' turn into 'what now,' it is important that potential tax  more...

User Requirements and Specification Fundamentals ...BenefitsPoorly written requirements often result in the customer not getting what the customer wanted or needed. In worst case scenarios, the final product doesn't solve the problem or produce anything of value for the customer. The result is money and time wasted. This live audio conference helps those responsible for purchasing products or getting the right thing built generate requirements  more...

Workers' Compensation: Return to Work Issues ...BenefitsBy attending this program you will learn the fundamentals of managing the employee returning to work from a compensable injury. In addition to an understanding of the interplay between federal laws prohibiting discrimination against health conditions and state workers' compensation laws, you will learn strategies to make the most of functional capacity evaluations and rehabilitation  more...

Weight Loss At the Workplace: Legal Issues For Employers Seeking To Reduce Health Care Costs ...BenefitsLearn the issues used to identify and address when formulating and implementing a corporate wellness program that is aimed at weight loss reduction. The number of potentially applicable federal and state laws requires careful consideration of the potential issues raised with drafting and managing a corporate wellness program. The multiple relevant laws and regulations only heighten the  more...

Telecommuting: The Next Wave of Wage and Hour Litigation ...BenefitsTechnological developments have resulted in a substantial increase over the last several years in the number of employers offering telecommuting as an alternative work arrangement, and the number of employees who choose it. Although telecommuting arrangements can be beneficial to employers and employees, many employers have failed to adequately meet many of the legal compliance and  more...

Employment Law Compliance: Disciplining or Terminating a Workers' Comp Claimant ...BenefitsThis live audio conference will address many of the difficult issues that arise when considering whether to discipline or terminate an employee who is also a workers' compensation claimant. The program will cover the core concepts underpinning workers' compensation statutes and the primary types of anti-retaliation provisions found in workers' compensation statutes. The live audio  more...

Americans With Disabilities Act - The Reasonable Accommodation Process ...BenefitsThis live audio conference will review practical issues you have to handle when it comes to the Americans With Disabilities Act. This audio conference will review what employment policies should be contained in your employee handbook, when you can make a medical inquiry, what is a disability-related inquiry, how you should handle a reasonable accommodation request under the Americans  more...

Satisfying OFCCP's Internet Applicant Rules ...BenefitsThe Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs continues to clarify the definition of an Internet applicant and the evolving guidance gives employers additional direction and assistance. Moreover, the OFCCP has initiated a systematic process for monitoring adherence to the Internet Applicant Rule. This live audio conference will review the continuously developing OFCCP guidance and  more...

Extensive Green Roof Design ...BenefitsThe market for green roofs in North America has grown dramatically in the last 10 years. Green roofs, while still only a tiny fraction of the overall roofing and landscaping market have become increasingly important in the green building marketplace. As with many young markets there are common misconceptions, and like many other green building techniques there is a lot of hype  more...

Is a Benefits Portal Right for Your Company? ...BenefitsIn this session, you will get an overview of the latest trends in benefit portals and how a benefits portal can improve employee engagement, drive employee self service and streamline benefits administration. Demonstrated by best practice models and live examples, you will leave with a real-world understanding of benefit portals and 'next step' ideas to introduce or further advance this  more...

Understanding Your Summary Plan Descriptions ...BenefitsEmployers who sponsor ERISA-covered health and welfare plans are required to communicate the terms of the plan to participants in a summary plan description. The SPD is an important disclosure document that describes, in understandable terms, the rights, benefits and responsibilities of participants and beneficiaries in ERISA-covered health and welfare benefit plans. The SPD must  more...

Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits: Using Tax Incentives to Develop and Invest in Historic Properties ...BenefitsThe federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit (HTC) has grown into a key financing tool for economic development, historic preservation, and neighborhood revitalization. Combined in many areas with available state historic rehabilitation tax credits, HTCs have been used to rehabilitate historic city centers, theatres, warehouses and other historic buildings across the country. This  more...

Tax Benefits and Considerations for Contributions of Inventory and Other Assets by Business Entities ...BenefitsMany business entities and individuals wish to support the mission and programs of important charitable organizations with gifts of inventory and other assets. This live audio conference will review the unique considerations and rules governing the tax benefits for gifts of inventory and other assets. Applicable IRS publications and forms will be shared and explained. This live audio  more...

Control Costs and Increase Efficiency With P&C Claims Predictive Models ...BenefitsNearly every P C insurance company has a latent 6 to 8 loss ratio point improvement available to them through better claims handling with predictive models. Up until recently, insurance companies have focused the vast majority of their analytics horsepower on the front end of the insurance equation - underwriting predictive models. However, with the soft market continuing to adversely  more...

Problems and Risks Associated With Green Construction ...BenefitsThe public hears many benefits of pursuing environmental building, aka green or sustainable design and construction, as this emerging market segment continues to expand. Diverse owner/developer groups are embracing these modern technologies, design elements and operational models. However, when packaged together, green design strategies and systems can present unique new challenges in  more...

Advanced Applicant Tracking Strategies For Government Contractors: Effective Tools To Avoid Claims of Discrimination ...BenefitsFederal contractors and subcontractors are required to track applicant data for their affirmative action plans. However, even companies who properly track applicant data treat the process as a purely recordkeeping exercise. Failure to maintain proper and robust information regarding applicant disposition is the most common error employers can make which results in Office of Federal  more...

Why Everything You Know About Roth Conversions May Be Wrong ...BenefitsLearn to capture your share of the multi trillion dollar IRA rollover marketplace. Most advisors have been ambivalent at best about the Roth conversion. This live audio conference will give you clarity so that you can recommend specific, accurate advice to your prospects and clients. This live audio conference is designed for accountants, presidents, vice presidents, controllers, CFOs,  more...

Considering Medicare's Interest in Future Medical Expenses While Avoiding MSA Overfunding ...BenefitsThis live audio conference will focus on Medicare compliance in workers' compensation and liability cases in which future medical expenses are likely to be incurred. We will explore the legal obligations of injured persons, insurers, and employers in compliance with the Medicare Secondary Payer Act when settling workers' compensation and liability cases. Explore alternatives to  more...

Special Needs Trusts: What, Why and How ...BenefitsA thorough knowledge of planning for disabled individuals is important for providing full service to a practitioner's clients and avoiding serious malpractice liability. Unfortunately, the government benefit programs involved and the options available for obtaining and preserving such benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid, are highly complex. Furthermore, the  more...

Curbing FMLA Abuse: How to Manage Manipulative Employees ...BenefitsAbout 62% of workers nationally qualify to take leave under the FMLA, and over 50 million employees have taken advantage of leave under the Act. Managing FMLA leave can be extremely challenging for employers, especially in the face of rampant employee abuse. However, there are tools available to employers seeking to minimize abuse of the protections provided by the FMLA. While there is  more...

COBRA: A Little of Everything is Changing ...BenefitsThis live audio conference is for agents and new employee benefit specialists or the seasoned specialist that want to double check the basics and the most recent changes in the COBRA law. We will discuss who has the compliance responsibilities and what an employer must do every day to be in compliance! How do all of the employee benefit laws work together - when do they work separately.  more...

Tax Consequences of Gifts, Prizes, Fringe Benefits, Business Expenses, and Other Payments To Employees ...BenefitsPaying employees is not just about wages. Today there are a myriad number of taxable and nontaxable benefits, such as gift cards, moving expenses, educational expenses, meals and travel expenses, that employers provide as part of employee's total compensation. Particularly in difficult economic times, employers are looking to provide such benefits to employees with the least cost, both  more...

Construction Management At-Risk Fundamentals ...BenefitsProject delivery systems continue to evolve as owners and contractors continue to look for better ways to manage the risks associated with the time and money it takes to get from project concept to project completion. The adversarial nature of the traditional design-bid-build approach has led many to look for ways to create more collaborative approaches. Construction management at-risk  more...

Alternative and Controversial Land Use Regulations ...Benefits(Problem) Sometimes, we ask that zoning do more than it was intended to do, as when we force on zoning the job of business regulation. Whether a convicted felon should ever run a massage parlor or not is simply not a subject for zoning. Sometimes, local governments don't live up to the expectations and the needs of their sovereigns - the federal and state governments. When that happens,  more...

Why Is This Guy Still on My Health Plan? ...BenefitsWe have encountered many situations where an employee remains on the company's health benefits as an active employee for many years past the date in which the employee was actively at work for the company. This live audio conference will answer a common problem employers experience, what date should an employee be treated as a terminated employee when he/she is on a leave of absence, or  more...

Employee Discipline for Conduct Outside of Work ...BenefitsIn this informative live audio conference, you will learn the legal rights and responsibilities of employers in disciplining employees for conduct outside of work. You will hear about recent legislation and court cases involving some of the hottest topics in employment law, including employee discipline for blogging, web-based 'employer trashing,' workplace dating and extramarital  more...

Everything You Wanted to Know About Drug and Alcohol Testing but Were Afraid to Ask ...BenefitsMost companies that care about safety in the workplace have implemented a drug and alcohol testing program. An added benefit to companies is a reduction in their workers' compensation insurance premiums. What makes an effective program? What kind of safeguards should there be to ensure accuracy? What does a drug test really measure? What is the best sample: urine, hair or oral fluid?  more...

Responding to an EEO Charge ...BenefitsThe most effective way to avoid an EEOC charge is to make sure you have appropriate anti-discrimination policies and procedures in place and that all employees understand those policies. Prevention and awareness are areas employers should focus on when dealing with employee discrimination issues. If the worst case scenario happens, this live audio conference will tell you how to protect  more...

The Open Enrollment Challenge: Strategies for Success ...BenefitsIs your benefits information often greeted by a yawn? Are you viewed as the enemy because you tell your employees how much more they have to pay for benefits every year? And why does the good news always get lost in the mix? Sometimes, it's not so much what you say as how you say it - and how often. Communications should never be an afterthought. Make sure employees appreciate all your  more...

Bikeway Design Principles, Planning, and Best Practices ...BenefitsBicycling is gaining popularity in the United States as a recreational activity and a utilitarian mode of transportation. By expanding their bikeway networks, cities throughout the US have increased bicycle ridership and broadened the transportation options available in their community. However, significant barriers to bicycling keep many could-be riders off of their bikes.  more...

Writing Job Descriptions ...BenefitsA frequent challenge for many employers in launching compensation initiatives, or completing organizational re-design, is a general difficulty in collecting and delivering accurate and timely job documentation. The focus of this live audio conference is to reinforce the importance of proper job documentation and provide strategies on how to build and maintain a library of accurate job  more...

Self-Auditing Your Employee Benefits:A Guide to What May Need Fixing ...BenefitsStaying in compliance with the numerous complex requirements and the specific terms of your employee benefits plans is a monumental task. It is easy to have your time consumed by the day-to-day issues and questions that arise under your benefit plans and the typical annual processes and compliance requirements already in place. It is difficult to take the time to step back and ask what  more...

Bankruptcy Section 363: Purchasing Distressed Assets ...BenefitsCurrent and expected future economic conditions portend an increase in the sale of distressed assets out of bankruptcy due to the increase in financially distressed and overleveraged companies. Lower valuations for both public and private companies, the limited access to growth capital for potential sellers and the build up over the last couple of years of 'dry powder' at investment  more...

Commonly Encountered Sales and Use Tax Audit Issues and Strategies to Defuse Them ...BenefitsStates are becoming more aggressive as falling tax revenues constrain expenditures and force budget cuts. Business structures, products and services are increasingly complex with outcomes that don't always fit neatly into vaguely worded and outdated statutes. Heightened audit activity, the states' shifting tax policies and a new wave of proposed sales tax legislation all serve to  more...

Changes to Cafeteria Plans: What You Need to Know to Prepare ...BenefitsThe IRS recently issued new rules which replaced portions of the old regulations. These new rules are exciting but require you to review and act on your old documents. The information provided in this live audio conference will assist you in decisions for the upcoming plan year and how to prepare for the changes. This live audio conference is designed for human resources and benefits  more...

Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives for Residential Builders and Commercial Building Owners ...BenefitsThere are a number of energy incentives available for builders and owners of residential and commercial real estate. These federal tax incentives are available for projects ranging from relatively simple building upgrades to the implementation of new electrical systems. The types of tax incentives available to taxpayers include tax deductions, tax credits, and payments of cash grants in  more...

Screening Unemployed Job Applicants: Pros and Cons to Consider ...Benefits(Problem) Many employers struggle to balance their need for information about potential applicants, given the high costs of even a single 'bad hire,' with understanding their legal obligations and the risks of using certain available tools to screen job applicants. Unemployed applicants pose unique issues and are more likely to bring a failure to hire discrimination claim. (Solution)  more...

The Trickle Down Effect of Health Care Reform: A Potpourri of Payroll, Benefits, Income Taxes, and Other Changes ...BenefitsThe phased in requirements of health care reform require that you continually monitor the landscape to spend your benefit dollars effectively, while remaining compliant. This is an opportunity for employers to reassess their decisions and consider the future impact of this legislation. Attend this live audio conference and stay current on your compliance obligations, planning  more...

GASB 45 Strategies ...BenefitsThis live audio conference is critical for any governmental employer with other post-employment benefits (OPEB) liabilities. The program will provide vital information and planning techniques that will enable employers to avoid the potentially disastrous consequences of failing to identify, control and fund its OPEB liabilities. Most states, municipalities and governmental agencies are  more...

Municipal Finance Fundamentals ...BenefitsThe global economy has endured tremendous stress and fluctuation during the past three years. Investors are seeking investments that will provide them with a favorable rate of return and yet afford them a higher degree of security. Increasingly, investors are looking to the United States tax-exempt municipal market to obtain those two objectives. As a result, the volume of the  more...

Workers' Compensation Metrics: Assessing and Reporting on the Success of Your Program ...BenefitsEmployers struggle with finding a way to measure the effectiveness of their occupational health programs and crafting reporting packages that are relevant and action-focused. Often data is difficult to collect, or overwhelmingly detailed. Vendor-supplied reports are generally focused on tactics, not strategy outcomes. This leaves many employers unable to answer some of the most critical  more...

Planning for Renewable Incentives in 2011 and Beyond ...BenefitsThe grant in lieu of tax credits under section 1603 of the ARRA has been both a lifesaver and a game changer. However, section 1603 is likely to disappear after 2011 unless construction has begun on a project before then. This live audio conference will focus first on what is required to 'begin construction' under section 1603, and will feature Victoria McDowell of the Treasury  more...

Closing Budget Gaps With Asset Sales ...BenefitsThe lingering Great Recession and slow recovery have diminished the growth of state and local government revenues while expenses continue their increase causing structural budget gaps. A new source of revenue is the sale or conversion of government assets into revenues. These revenues may be one-time proceeds of asset sales, leases and franchise fees, redevelopment of existing  more...

Florida Employment Law Update ...BenefitsThis audio conference will provide you with working knowledge of the most prevalent issues facing Florida employers. The speakers, experts in management labor and employment law, have identified three areas of utmost concern. You will gain insight and the tools necessary to avoid and combat these common workplace problems. This audio conference is designed for human resource  more...

2011 Affirmative Action Compliance Update ...BenefitsWhen was the last time you updated your narrative plan documents, your applicant self-identification forms, and your statistical and adverse impact analysis? As you update your plan documents for 2011, take an hour for an in-depth review of recent changes to the regulatory requirements and best practices that affect each aspect of your plan and related forms. If a letter from the OFCCP  more...

Understanding Massachusetts' Exemptions to Employment at Will ...BenefitsMany Massachusetts employers feel overwhelmed by the number of laws and regulations that govern the employee-employer relationship. Often, employers feel restricted in properly dealing with employee issues, especially when employees claim they have rights or they are being harassed at work. Massachusetts law, however, recognizes at-will employment, which provides you with significant  more...

The Essentials of Wastewater Grit Removal ...BenefitsWastewater treatment plant personnel and consulting engineers have a common desire, select a grit removal system to remove as much grit as possible from their operations. A properly designed and operated grit removal system prevents grit build up in unit processes, scouring and plugging in lines, and fouling of diffusers and membranes, all while preserving the intended service life of  more...

Managing Employees' Pre-Existing Conditions: Strategies for Reducing Injury Losses ...BenefitsAttend this audio conference to learn the fundamentals of managing employees with pre-existing health conditions. In addition to an understanding of the interplay between federal laws prohibiting discrimination against health conditions and state workers' compensation laws, you will learn the nuances of distinguishing between pre-existing conditions and new work-related injuries. You  more...

Using Human Capital Analytics to Maximize the Value of Your Workforce ...BenefitsMeasuring and maximizing the contribution people make to the bottom line is a critical issue for organizations, and analytics are the key to those insights. The challenge is using analytics to understand where making a change would improve engagement and performance. This audio conference addresses how to integrate the business and HR perspectives when conducting human capital  more...

Reduce Unemployment and Turnover Costs With Decision Making Leave ...BenefitsThis audio conference will teach you about decision-making leave - a concept offering several potential advantages for employers. These benefits break down to immediate and long-term legal benefits when properly implemented. Practical considerations for implementing decision making leave, including a case studies involving decision making leave will be discussed. This audio conference  more...

How Can End-of-Life Planning Resources Benefit Your Workplace? ...BenefitsEnd-of-life issues can be a major distraction for employees. MetLife estimates that U.S. businesses lose between $17 billion and $33 billion per year in productivity of full-time workers with caregiving responsibilities. Employers need to place a priority on addressing end-of-life issues. These issues affect their employees who serve as caregivers to aging parents, children and other  more...

Best Practices for Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair of Small to Medium Size Dams ...BenefitsDams provide many benefits, such as water supply, flood control and recreation. Like all infrastructure systems, dams require upkeep. Without the proper inspection, maintenance and repair the benefits provided by a dam can be diminished; or in the worst case a dam can fail, resulting in loss of life and/or property damage. With proper maintenance and repair dams can function well and  more...

Positive Strategies For Dealing With Problem Performers ...BenefitsAre you still experiencing problems with employees even though you've tried progressive discipline? Is your company still using punishment as a means to discipline employees? Are you wondering why your disciplinary strategies don't seem to work? If you have these questions, attend this audio conference and learn about more positive strategies and approaches in dealing with problem  more...

Legal Issues Surrounding Domestic Partnerships in Washington ...BenefitsThis audio conference will provide you with an overview of domestic partnership law in Washington and how different jurisdictions are recognizing same-sex relationships. Attend this program and you will learn how to register domestic partnerships, the benefits that registration confers, the responsibilities that come with these benefits and the complexities of dissolving these  more...

Behavioral Based Interviewing: The Next Evolution ...BenefitsBecause your organization can never be greater than the sum of its parts, your success is determined by one key decision: Who gets hired? Yet fewer than 30 percent of hiring managers nationwide have had any real training in applicant interviewing skills (a fact supported by a University of Chicago research study concluding that basing a hiring decision on an interview is only 8 percent  more...

Requirements for Providing E-Forms W-2 and W-2c ...BenefitsMany organizations recognize the benefits of electronic W-2 and W-2c form distribution, but do not understand the IRS regulations and internal business elements surrounding this online implementation. Several online W-2 projects have failed and were delayed due to not knowing all of the essential information regarding online form distribution. This audio conference will explore all the  more...

SBA Loan Guarantees: Current Purchase Issues and Complexities ...BenefitsIn the current economy, many lenders are looking to the credit enhancement offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration's government guaranteed lending programs to keep capital flowing to America's small businesses. While the many benefits of the programs may be appealing to lenders an understanding of the guaranty purchase process and the pitfalls which lenders fall victim to,  more...

Legal Causation and Disability in Workers' Compensation ...BenefitsThis audio conference is designed for everyone who needs an understanding of the workers' compensation system, and what is required of employers and their insurers. We will provide an overview of the issues and what steps you can take to minimize your workers' compensation expenses. We will discuss what injuries are covered by workers' compensation and what benefits employees receive  more...

HR Time Lines: The Complex Integration of FMLA, WC, Disability and COBRA ...BenefitsHow do workers' compensation, FMLA, disability and COBRA laws work - together, independently or concurrently? What can run together? What cannot? When can we cancel the health plan, for what reason and is it a COBRA qualifying event? During this audio conference we will pull all of these together to explain the employer's liability. When can coverage be canceled? What laws protect  more...

Form 5500 Reporting Update ...BenefitsEmployers who offer an employee benefit plan must file an annual report regarding the plan's financial condition, investments and operations, unless specifically exempt by law. Filing the Form 5500 will satisfy this requirement. This audio conference will help you understand when you need to file a Form 5500 and what you need to file, and will focus on some recent changes that may  more...

Legal Aspects in Representing Clients with Dementia ...BenefitsAttend this audio conference and be able to understand why preplanning measures are important to avoid crisis situations upon medical incapacity. The topics covered include everything from simple advanced directives and estate planning, to complex planning for the purpose of VA and Medicaid benefits. You will understand the process of legal crisis intervention if preplanning measures  more...

Family Limited Partnerships in Estate Planning ...BenefitsMany estate planners who are asked about family limited partnerships or family limited liability companies do not understand the reasons for forming these entities in the planning process. They also are not clear on what is the current status of statutory and case law concerning the continued use of these entities. This audio conference will help you learn to identify when the use of  more...

Phased Retirement in The New Economy ...BenefitsThe concept of phased retirement first gained popularity in the 2000s, primarily based upon the shrinking labor force and employers' concerns regarding the loss of valuable talent to retirement. As a result, Congress enacted certain legislative and regulatory rules regarding phased retirement arrangements. These rules seek to provide flexibility for older workers desiring to take part  more...

Brownfield Redevelopment and LEED in 2010: What Happens When You Mix Green and Brown? ...BenefitsA survey by the Northeast-Midwest Institute indicated a trend that large-scale, community transforming brownfields redevelopment in the United States is going green. This audio conference will help you understand the contributing factors to ROI of the maturing green building practices on brownfields. Many professionals in the real estate investment business have witnessed how the  more...

Essentials of Florida Garnishment Laws ...BenefitsWhen the process server hands you garnishment papers about someone working for you, what do you do? Hire an attorney? Respond on your own? Throw it away? The garnishment writ is a directive from the court to withhold salary or wages from someone working for you (and not just an employee). This audio conference will explain the nuts and bolts of Florida's garnishment laws, from how a  more...

Today's Multigenerational Workforce: Transitioning from Baby Boomers to the Next Generations ...BenefitsPeople change. This includes changes in the culture and value systems of the different generations of workers. From tattoos, to iPhones , to flex hours, to work ethics, to worker capabilities, things are different. As leadership transitions from the baby boomers to Generations X and Y, there are issues that will unavoidably arise as a result of cultural differences between the  more...

Creating a Payroll Manual: Putting Your Procedures Into Writing ...BenefitsThe Sarbanes-Oxley Act made it abundantly clear that all areas of accounting within a company should have well documented policies and procedures. These are an integral part of every function and that includes payroll. During this audio conference, we will discuss the steps you can take to ensure your procedures are well documented, clear and concise. During the program, we will  more...

Workers' Compensation Handbook Best Practices ...BenefitsMinimizing workers' compensation abuse and controlling the costs of legitimate claims is a daunting task. In this difficult economy, it is essential you take every step you can to reduce your workers' compensation exposure and costs. This 90-minute audio conference is geared to provide you with the best handbook practices - policies, procedures and techniques - for staying in control of  more...

Illinois Leave Laws: Navigating a Minefield ...BenefitsAlthough the economy may have been stagnate, the legislature has not. Over the past couple of years, Illinois has passed or expanded numerous leave laws presenting even more obligations for employers. The interaction of these laws can be complex and difficult to institute. This teleconference will assist you in understanding their obligations in implementation and compliance. Leaves  more...

Recent Developments in Employer Liability for 401(k) Investments ...BenefitsUnhappy employees, U.S. Department of Labor investigations, IRS investigations, massive class action lawsuits - an ever-expanding list of factors bombards sponsors of 401(k) plans, and places companies and their management potentially in the cross hairs. From Enron, Worldcom and Sarbanes-Oxley, to the more recent massive class actions filed against Fortune 500 companies regarding 401(k)  more...

Best Practices in Performance-Based Service Procurement ...BenefitsPerformance-based service procurement is a commercial best practice for many types of service procurements. The General Accountability Office says performance-based procurement is the government's primary resource for correcting problems in service procurement. In both the public and private sectors, it benefits the buying organization in many ways when done right. Performance-based  more...

Impact of Health Care Reform on Elder Law ...BenefitsThis teleconference will teach you how the recent health care act will affect seniors and persons with disabilities. President Obama signed into law, in March of this year, the Patient Protection and Affordability Act of 2010 and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. These together are referred to as the Affordability Care Act. This act makes changes to Medicaid and  more...

Implications of the First Investigations Under the FTC Guides for Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising ...BenefitsThe benefits of word of mouth and viral marketing via blogs, Twitter , Facebook and other social media platforms are undeniable. These emerging technologies are rapidly taking hold in corporate America and are radically changing the marketing landscape. In an effort to stay current with the way consumers obtain product information, the Federal Trade Commission has, for the first time  more...

Jeopardizing Exempt Status ...BenefitsOnce exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employees do not necessarily remain exempt for the duration of their employment. Actions taken (or not taken) by employers can and do jeopardize the exemptions claimed, leading unknowing employers down the path to potentially ruinous liability for unpaid minimum wages and overtime. This teleconference is designed to help you identify  more...

Construction Joint Ventures: Benefits and Pitfalls ...BenefitsConstruction joint ventures, properly conceived and implemented, enhance the marketing opportunities and organizational assets of the individual joint venturers thereby enabling the joint venture to obtain and successfully complete larger more complex projects than those the joint venturers could undertake individually. Construction joint ventures are excellent vehicles for combining  more...

Family Responsibility Discrimination Law: Family Friendly Employer or Litigation Target? ...BenefitsFamily responsibilities discrimination against employees because of their family caregiving responsibilities is becoming a major issue for employers. Employers have been the subject of increasing but not well understood claims based on FRD claims. These claims have been pursued under a variety of both federal and state laws, and have resulted in multimillion-dollar verdicts. This  more...

Ohio Prompt Payment Act Update ...BenefitsThe Prompt Payment Act contains some often misunderstood or overlooked requirements that are critical to protecting project profitability. Cash flow is the lifeblood for most companies, but particularly contractors. Many contractors, subcontractors, specialty trades and suppliers are forced to finance the construction of a project as a result of delayed payment from their contracting  more...

Labor Law: Could 2011 Be the Turning Point for Unions? ...BenefitsIt's been almost two full years of President Obama's administrative initiatives - a rollout of many campaign promises. Unions played a vital role in the 2008 elections and they continue to have a large voice in upcoming Congressional elections this fall. While most of the country has been focused on health care reform, 2011 could prove to be a pivotal year for union activity. What  more...

Health Care Reform Update ...BenefitsPresident Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law on March 23, 2010. This legislation will effectively restructure one-sixth of our economy and have a significant impact on our personal lives. Beyond the partisan politics and media hype are the practical concerns of employers, HR professionals, attorneys, third-party administrators, and other consultants and  more...

Texas Nonsubscriber Claims 101: Perspectives From Employees and Employers ...BenefitsTexas is the only state in the union that permits employers to opt-out of worker's compensation insurance. Employers who opt-out are known as nonsubscribers. Some nonsubscriber employers purchase insurance products that pay for medical care, lost wages and indemnify the employer if a claim is filed. Other employers self-insure and handle claims in-house or send them to third-party claim  more...

When Wages are Not FICA Wages ...BenefitsDo you know what is not considered wages by the IRS, thereby exempting those monies from FICA tax? If not, this teleconference will be beneficial to you in helping reduce employer liability for FICA taxes on money that is not wages. You already know that any cash or noncash remuneration received for employment, unless specifically exempt, is considered wages subject to the FICA tax.  more...

Handling Paid Leave Requests in New Jersey ...BenefitsIn January 2009, New Jersey became one of only a handful of states mandating that certain kinds of family leave be paid leave. Paid leave brings with it new employer compliance questions. For example, what must an employer do when an employee makes a paid leave request? Who pays for such paid leave? What laws are implicated by such a request and who decides whether an employee is  more...

10 Employee Handbook Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make ...BenefitsWith major developments occurring in labor and employment law over the past year, now is the perfect time to review your employee handbook to ensure it is in compliance with the latest changes and includes best practices. To avoid errors in this process, you will learn the top mistakes employers make and the keys to making the employee manual a valuable tool. The new governing legal  more...

Best Practices in Managing FMLA Leave ...BenefitsEmployers are continually faced with the problem of FMLA abuse. Unfortunately, many employers are unaware of the tools at their disposal to effectively manage FMLA leave. This teleconference will help you understand lawful methods you can use to restrict unwarranted use of leave. You'll get a firm grasp of the most effective FMLA policies that may be instituted. Failing to adhere to  more...

Asperger's Syndrome, NVLD and High Functioning Autism: Diagnosis, Treatment Considerations and Controversies ...BenefitsThe benefits of this cutting-edge seminar are specifically because most presentations cover just autism, Asperger's syndrome or nonverbal learning disorders. We will compare symptoms, discuss the perils of misdiagnosis and attempt to understand why the vast majority of these children and teens are initially misdiagnosed, and what improper treatment can cause. Co-morbidity is the rule,  more...

Reverse Auctions: Current Issues and Opportunities ...BenefitsAll across the spectrum, organizations are seeking ways to save money on their operations. Certainly, gaining efficiencies in your procurement spending can make a tremendous difference on your bottom-line in the private sector and in saving precious budgetary resources in the public sector. How can you achieve 5 to 20 percent or more savings on much of what your organization spends on  more...

International Employment Assignments: Understanding the Compliance Risks ...BenefitsWhether a company is sending employees to the U.S. to work in its U.S. branches, subsidiaries or affiliates, or sending U.S. citizen employees abroad to work in foreign entities, the risks of failing to comply with U.S. and foreign employment and immigration laws are enormous. Attorneys who counsel these companies and human resource executives who implement company policy must be aware  more...

Strategies to Utilize Web 2.0 ...BenefitsIn an era where Web 2.0 is revolutionizing the social dynamics of our society, the HR professional must respond to the changes this new technology is bringing to the workplace. This teleconference will present a practical framework for understanding Web 2.0 and provide insight into a number of best practices that explore a variety of strategies for leveraging the power of this  more...

IRS Form 8928: Health Plan Reporting and Excise Tax Update ...BenefitsEmployers who sponsor group health plans now have a duty to self-report certain regulatory plan failures and pay excise taxes where such failures are not corrected in a timely fashion once discovered, or are due to willful neglect. You need to know the Internal Revenue Code rules or risk expensive excise taxes for failure to comply with COBRA, HIPAA and other federal group health plan  more...

How to Save Millions in Claims Through Ergonomics and Injury Prevention ...BenefitsWe all know how to do our jobs, but no one has ever taught us how to work 'safely.' While there have been attempts to federally regulate ergonomics, these have failed in all but one state, California, which has the only active OSHA regulation to protect workers from repetitive motion injuries. With this in mind, employers are encouraged to voluntarily support an active ergonomics  more...

Code Section 409A ...BenefitsThe IRS is giving employers one last chance to fix their plan documents and compensation agreements for Code Section 409A. However, the IRS has also announced some new interpretations of Section 409A provisions that will require most employers to make changes to their plans and agreements. Employers that make these changes before January 1, 2011, can avoid IRS penalties, in most cases.  more...

Is Your Health Care Plan Grandfathered Under the Health Care Reform? ...BenefitsEmployers and other sponsors of group health plans routinely make annual changes to their plans that are designed to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve employee health and productivity. As plan sponsors consider design changes for 2011, they must also take into account new federal mandates under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as modified by the Health Care  more...

Understanding the HIRE Act and Form 941 ...BenefitsWith all of the new legislation that has affected employers, it is becoming difficult to keep up with the new requirements. During this teleconference, you will obtain the knowledge on how to make sure that your company can take tax benefits being offered to employers for producing jobs and hiring new employees. We will explain in detail the HIRE Act from how to determine what employees  more...

Developing a Policy for Employee Use of Mobile Devices ...BenefitsThe paperless office is not yet here for most, but the vast amount of electronic information coursing through the average organization is bringing us closer and closer each day. Along with all the electronic information and use of mobile devices comes great opportunities, complex challenges and dangerous pitfalls. This teleconference will address employment issues as they pertain to  more...

Implementing Employee Threat Assessments: Are Your Employees Ticking Time Bombs? ...BenefitsEmployers are confronted more often with dangerous employees. This teleconference will address practical human resource issues including how not to hire dangerous employees, strategic discipline, strategic terminations and high risk terminations. It will also discuss some practical tools employers have at their disposal to deal with difficult employees, along with a discussion of real  more...

Using Payroll Audits to Detect Errors and Fraud ...BenefitsAs a finance professional, you probably are expected to safeguard your company's money. Unfortunately, there is no typical picture of the fraud perpetrator and embezzlement of funds is all too common place, so you have your work cut out for you! An excellent place to start is with Jeffrey G. Matthews' 'Using Payroll Audits to Detect Errors and Fraud' teleconference. You will learn about  more...

Land Banking, Off-Balance-Sheet Financing and Joint Ventures in Residential Development ...BenefitsLand banking, off-balance-sheet financing and joint ventures have become an even more important means for the home-building industry to mitigate the risk of land ownership, control capital requirements, and avoid the negative impact of carrying acquisition assets and liabilities on balance sheets. This teleconference is intended to provide those involved with the residential real estate  more...

Building Information Modeling: Planning, Design and Legal Considerations ...BenefitsWhether you are an owner, a designer or a builder, you need information about building information modeling. The good news is that there is lots of information out there; the bad news is that much of it is not useful. No one knows everything about BIM but we can start by talking about authoritative sources for BIM information, then sprinkle in some basic BIM concepts. Information will  more...

EEO-1 Form: Reporting for 2010 ...BenefitsIn this interactive teleconference, you will learn the EEO-1 reporting requirements as well as practical, easy to use approaches to completing and submitting the EEO-1 report by the filing deadline. This engaging teleconference will also explain the EEOC's and OFCCP's systemic discrimination enforcement initiatives. From understanding the EEOC's and OFCCP's new focus on these issues to  more...

Lease vs. Buy: Choosing the Best Option ...BenefitsThe decision to finance business equipment through lease programs or by purchases is one of the most difficult and important decisions faced by businesses every day. Making the wrong choice can not only result in economic loss but significant disruption of business, loss of time and opportunity. This teleconference will provide you with a comparison of the benefits and pitfalls of  more...

Evaluating Your Third-Party Administrator: Are You Getting What You're Paying For? ...BenefitsUsing a third-party administrator is ubiquitous with health and welfare, and retirement plans. However, proper administration by TPAs should not be taken for granted. As with all facets of employee benefit plans, TPAs need to be monitored and evaluated to ensure proper plan administration and fulfillment of a plan sponsor's fiduciary responsibility. This teleconference explores the key  more...

Avoiding Exposure Under The Illinois Wage Payment And Collection Act ...BenefitsAre you paying your employees correctly? Maintaining proper pay practices has always been challenging due to the highly technical and often changing regulations in this area. Unfortunately, as the number of wage and hour lawsuits continues to spiral out of control, keeping abreast of the current rules and legal developments regarding pay practices has now become a matter of basic  more...

Employee Driven Health Care: A Checklist for Employers BenefitsThis teleconference will include a comparison of HSA, HRA and FSAs. You will discover the value of Section 125 plans and recognize funding methods for various plans. Human resource managers, benefits and payroll professionals, controllers, CFOs, business owners and managers, insurance professionals and attorneys  more...

How to Set Pay Ranges That Are Fair and Effective ...BenefitsOrganizations nationwide seek to continuously improve performance and motivation, while simultaneously reducing costs. This arduous task often becomes the responsibility of human resources. Without effective systems in place and data available, employee compensation can run counter to efficiency and performance objectives set by the organization. The implementation of market-based pay  more...

Protecting Assets for Long-Term Care Medi-Cal Benefits ...BenefitsFamilies with relatively substantial assets can often access California's Medi-Cal program to pay for long-term care. Attentive planning is required, however, to avoid the minefields of government rules and potentially disastrous consequences. Each family's needs beyond Medi-Cal and other government benefits must also be considered. Further complexity has been added to the planning  more...

Conflicts With Additional Insured Coverage ...BenefitsStandard form contracts and purchase orders often require contract counterparties to add one another as additional insureds to general liability, property and other insurance policies. Relying upon another parties' insurance coverage can offer important benefits to the additional insured, whose own insurance coverage may not be implicated in the event of a claim. At the same time,  more...

New Developments in Greywater Irrigation Systems ...BenefitsDue to drought, climate change, groundwater over-drafting and sheer population increase, pressure is on developers and builders to conserve water in new developments. The focus for such conservation is on the landscape, which currently uses about half of all urban water. This teleconference will teach you what greywater really is, all the environmental and financial benefits of reusing  more...

Techniques to Prepare for Difficult Employee Discussions ...BenefitsSexually offensive behavior, poor communication and leadership skills, excessive absenteeism, and attitude problems - whether you're encountering commonplace or exceptionally serious employee relations issues, you'll need a down-to-earth strategy to protect yourself and your organization. Verbally addressing problems head-on can be a daunting task because of their confrontational  more...

Top Sales and Use, Credits and Incentives Tips to Improve Your Bottom Line ...BenefitsIn the current economic climate, additional free cash flow is a priority for all companies to sustain corporate activities and fund working capital, capital improvements, acquisitions, research and development, etc. This teleconference will focus on unprecedented tax credits and economic incentives currently offered by state and local jurisdictions to stimulate business investment and  more...

Working With Challenging Parents: Strategies and Techniques ...BenefitsProfessionals are often confronted with parents who seem to resist our best efforts to help their children. When tensions between you and a parent escalate and are not resolved, all parties lose out. Valuable time, resources and reputations can be snagged in a spiraling power struggle or in seemingly endless efforts to engage the demanding or avoidant parent. Staff can become  more...

End of Employment Payroll Issues ...BenefitsThis will be a comprehensive look into issues that arise when an employee terminates. Topics that will be discussed will go from when an employee needs to receive their final pay to how an employee death's final pay best practices and taxation. This teleconference will cover special situations when an employee terminates such as benefit deductions, state minimum hours requirements and  more...

Cost Segregation: Applications for a Valuable Tax Planning Strategy ...BenefitsCost segregation is a powerful tax planning strategy used by real estate owners and tenants to accelerate significant depreciation deductions associated with buildings and improvements of all types and sizes. Although cost segregation has become quite popular in recent years, many tax advisors and real estate owners are still missing significant opportunities because they are unfamiliar  more...

Overcoming Employee Absenteeism and Tardiness ...BenefitsManaging absenteeism and tardiness can be a sticky issue - it is rarely a black and white issue. There are mandatory leave laws that have to be incorporated into your leave policies and some of those can create restrictions on how to administer your leave policies. There are also some restrictions on disciplining employees when they appear to abuse policies. This teleconference will  more...

Noncompetition Agreements for the HR Professional: Protecting the Company's Business Resources? ...BenefitsNow more than ever, employers are seeing former employees trying to jump start their career moves - voluntarily or involuntarily - by cashing in on the employer's investment in relationships and information. Quite simply, the most effective way to protect your company's resources against the actions of departing employees is the noncompete agreement. But effectively using noncompetes  more...

Current Issues in Cloud Computing: Is There Sun Behind Those Clouds? ...BenefitsCloud computing is an enormous, pervasive and game-changing technology. Tech industry heavyweights such as Microsoft , IBM and Google have each committed billions to developing and marketing it. Smaller players and startups are cropping up daily with new offerings. Yet, for all the hype, few people understand the technology nor the unique issues cloud computing poses - particularly when  more...

Low Back Claims: From Injury to MMI ...BenefitsLow back pain is the leading cause of work-related disorders that present to a medical provider or occupational clinic. It is estimated that complaints regarding the low back account for up to one-third of all workers' compensation costs. Additionally, occupationally-induced low back disorders can lead to loss of an employee, lost time, diminished productivity, and the cost of hiring  more...

Rewards Transformation: A Unique Approach to Total Rewards Strategy and Design in the Current Economy ...BenefitsIn the current economic environment, organizations are concerned with reducing costs while retaining top talent. Total rewards costs can often exceed 40 percent of company's revenue and in many cases it is difficult to demonstrate ROI. This teleconference presents a unique approach to total rewards strategy, design and cost management called rewards transformation. Rewards  more...

Meeting Your Fiduciary Responsibilities Under ERISA ...BenefitsMaintaining an employee benefit plan subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 requires that people managing the plan or investing plan assets become fiduciaries. You need to know when they might become an ERISA plan fiduciary. You must understand your legal obligations to plan participants and beneficiaries. This teleconference will provide you with an overview of  more...

Letters of Intent Fundamentals ...BenefitsLetters of intent are a popular and useful vehicle to further negotiations in complex business transactions. However, letters of intent can be traps for the unwary, binding parties to obligations to which they may never have intended to be bound. This teleconference will explore the benefits and risks of letters of intent and how best to protect parties from unintended consequences.  more...

Conducting Background Checks ...BenefitsAn ever increasing number of employers are recognizing the benefits that can be derived from conducting background checks on both current and prospective employees. While background checks can be an effective tool for weeding out questionable employees, legal limitations on how such checks can be performed (and how the resulting data discovered can be used) must be understood or  more...

Return on Investment for Wellness Programs ...BenefitsMounting evidence indicates that worksite wellness should be part of every strategic health plan. These plans can offer a valuable tool for employers to promote a fit and health-conscious work force that will save employers money by keeping health insurance premiums down, reducing workers' compensation costs, and by increasing productivity and decreasing lost time. Implementing a plan  more...

Qualified Retirement Plans Eligibility and Vesting Tips and Traps for the Unwary ...BenefitsThis teleconference will familiarize you with the general rules of eligibility and vesting. It will also assist you with specifically interpreting the provisions of your own plans and introduce you to a variety of options in order to make sure you know what you have and have what you want. In addition, although many provisions appear to be straightforward, the practical application of  more...

Opportunities for Recycling Construction Waste and Demolition Debris ...BenefitsNationally and internationally, sustainable building is taking hold. One part of sustainable building is reusing and recycling materials during construction and demolition. More and more projects are requiring the recycling of materials during construction and demolition, and contractors and others will need to know how to potentially meet this requirement. This 90-minute teleconference  more...

Best Practices in Invoice Processing ...BenefitsCritical tools such as electronic invoicing, vendor inquiry and Optical Character Recognition are rapidly changing the accounts payable field. Join an accounts payable industry analyst to learn why your job depends on not only understanding these high-power tools, but becoming an expert in their use and application. This teleconference will cover the tangible benefits of streamlining  more...

New Developments in Greywater Irrigation Systems ...BenefitsDue to drought, climate change, groundwater over-drafting and sheer population increase, pressure is on developers and builders to conserve water in new developments. The focus for such conservation is on the landscape, which currently uses about half of all urban water. This teleconference will teach you what greywater really is, all the environmental and financial benefits of reusing  more...

Pervious Concrete - The Pavement That Drinks! ...BenefitsPervious concrete is an innovative building material with many environmental, economic and structural advantages. The proper use of pervious concrete is a recognized best management practice by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for providing first-flush pollution control and storm water management. Property owners and developers can also reduce fees and enhance the bottom line by  more...

Employee Safety and Health Systems: Cutting Injuries Using the Team Approach ...BenefitsTraditional safety committees involve a small number of employees and are often managed by the individual responsible for the facility safety and health system. The problem is that the success of the committee, and thus the system success, is predicated by the authority given to the committee and its leadership which in most cases is low to nonexistent. The bottom line is that employee  more...

Unique Workers' Compensation Aspects of Independent Contractors and Traveling Employees ...BenefitsHear experienced attorneys discuss the complex issues that arise when dealing with independent contractors and traveling employees. Take advantage of this opportunity to gain professional knowledge and advanced insight on this important workers' compensation issue. Workers' compensation administrators, human resource managers, benefits professionals, safety and compliance managers,  more...

Top 5 Joint Employer Questions Answered ...BenefitsIn an economic environment where business must find creative staffing solutions to get work done, how do they recognize the hidden dangers in having workers with different types of working relationships? This teleconference helps responsible employers understand the different types of employment relationships, the pros and cons of each, and how to avoid unknowingly changing an  more...

Talent Management: Best Practices to Retain Top Employees ...BenefitsDesigned for leaders, managers and front line leaders, this teleconference will build a solid understanding of what it takes to engage and retain talent, and demonstrate the pivotal role managers play in this process. See how some of the best organizations deliver engagement and retention results year after year. You will leave knowing what you need to do to equip managers to take  more...

Preparing for the Unexpected Departure of Key Employees: An Introduction to Replacement Planning ...BenefitsFewer than 40 percent of U.S. organizations, public or private, have functioning replacement plans in case of the disastrous loss of key people to death, disability, sudden resignation or the potential threatened loss in hostage-taking situations. Replacement planning is not the same thing as succession planning or talent management, though many organizational leaders confuse them. This  more...

Enforcing Federal Garnishments ...BenefitsNearly every employer at one time or another has received a garnishment, whether for taxes, child support or general creditors. Failing to follow garnishment laws can be very costly for employers, and thus it is critical to carefully follow the requirements of any garnishment. This teleconference will explain the different kinds of garnishments under federal law and their use and  more...

Integrated Project Delivery Principles and Building Information Modeling ...BenefitsMany in the facilities community, including designers, builders and owners, need a hand understanding IPD and BIM. What does it all mean? Who benefits and how? Some that have heard about IPD and BIM may be wondering how to either ask for it in their projects or implement these principles in their firms. There are some basic concepts in IPD and BIM that can be used in every project large  more...

Opt-Out Incentives and Other Cost Cutting Measures for Health Plans ...BenefitsThe recent debate regarding health care reform has highlighted for the public what employers have known for years - health care is expensive. Employers have for years looked for creative ways to alleviate double digit annual increases in the cost of health coverage provided to its employees. Employers have toggled deductibles and co-payments, and they have implemented wellness programs  more...

Case Study: What Makes Dixon Schwabl One of the "Best Small Companies to Work for in America" ...BenefitsLearn how to motivate, empower and excite employees to build a great place to work. Dixon Schwabl, Inc., CEO Lauren Dixon will share her experiences developing a company culture built on flexibility, freedom and respect for employees, inspiring an innovative approach to everyday workplace practices. No matter the size, geography or industry - any company can be a great place to work.  more...

Best Practices in Commission Pay Plans ...BenefitsThere are few management tools that work as well in recruiting, directing, motivating and retaining sales people as a strong commission plan. This is critical because sales people are often highly paid, remote from headquarters and entrusted with customer relationships (very valuable assets). A properly designed commission plan clearly and personally communicates the strategy of the  more...

Understanding the New GFE and HUD-1/1A Settlement Statements ...Benefits strong Effective January 1, 2010, all residential mortgage loan originators will have to change their loan origination forms and procedures to comply with a new rule recently adopted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. /strong The new rule dramatically changes both the Good Faith Estimate and the HUD-1 and HUD-1A Uniform Settlement Statements required by the  more...

Getting Advice from the IRS: Letter Rulings, Pre-Filing Agreements, TAMS and GLAMs ...BenefitsMany times clients must have certainty as to the federal tax consequences of a proposed transaction - and while tax opinions are helpful, they do not provide the certainty of qualified advice from the IRS. This teleconference is designed to discuss how, when and why to seek qualified written advice from the IRS, normally in the form of a private letter ruling request, a review of the  more...

Access Management Design and Development ...BenefitsAccess management is a critical element of every private and public roadway or site development project. As a transportation engineer and/or planner, understanding the basics of access design and access development is crucial in delivering a successful project to your client. Driveway access to a site can have positive or negative consequences on the amount of potential business a  more...

Workplace Accident Investigations for the HR Professional ...BenefitsAttend this teleconference and learn how to conduct a workplace accident investigation as well as how to conduct an effective investigation and protect the company's interests. Many written investigative reports are used against the company because they are too conclusory or did not have sufficient information, and should have included certain language for risk management purposes.  more...

Limited Medical Programs: How Employers Are Using Them to Control Health Care Costs ...BenefitsAfter years of increasing medical premiums, employers are hitting road blocks in cost saving measures. We are at a point of office visit co-pays approaching $50, prescription drug co-pays of $50 to $100, deductibles exceeding $2,000 for in-network benefits, and more and more premium cost shifting from employer to employee. Employee's are finding it hard to afford the per pay premiums  more...

Health Insurance Basics For Employers ...BenefitsMany people do not understand the basics of health insurance. This includes people new to the health insurance industry or new to interacting with the industry. It also includes people who have been in or interacting with the insurance industry for a while but never received adequate training. Attend this teleconference and come away with an understanding of the basics of health  more...

Strategies for Reducing Unemployment Claims Costs ...BenefitsMany employers, after terminating an employee, focus on defending against a possible discrimination charge or a lawsuit. Unfortunately, they may pay little or no attention to defending against the ex-employee's unemployment compensation claim. Those employers, albeit mistakenly, believe the ex-employee will be awarded unemployment compensation benefits no matter what they do - so why  more...

Effective Job Rotation Programs: Development and Implementation ...BenefitsThere is little argument that job rotations, stretch assignments and on-the-job development projects are some of the most effective development tools in the talent management arsenal today. However, the design of many programs currently in operation date back to a time when the speed of organizational change was much slower than it is today, when the pressures of global competition were  more...

Pitfalls of Participant Loans in Retirement Plans ...BenefitsParticipant loans in a qualified employee benefit plan are a common problem area due to their complex administration. Plan sponsors of qualified employee benefit plans need to be aware of many pitfalls to avoid tax consequences. Even worse than tax consequences is the possibility of the entire plan losing its preferred tax status. This teleconference will explain the regulations of  more...

Providing Investment Advice to Retirement Plan Participants Without Triggering Liability ...BenefitsThe current recession and volatile financial markets highlight the importance of financial literacy. Until recently, retirement plan sponsors have been constrained in the types of investment advice that can be provided to plan participants. Plan sponsors have long wanted to provide the investment advice their participants desire, but without incurring liability for advice given in good  more...

Form 709: Gift Tax Fundamentals ...BenefitsTransfer taxes are imposed on the gratuitous transfer of property. When property is transferred during lifetime, a gift tax may be imposed. While the most ignored tax, failure to properly comply with the gift tax laws during life may cause estate tax problems at death. During this teleconference, you will learn when a gift tax return should be filed, what type of gifts need to be  more...

Fundamentals of Form W-2 Processing ...BenefitsThe main priority for the payroll department is getting the pay checks to associates acutely and timely to employees. But a critical function for the payroll department is to pull all the payroll information together and produce a Form W-2 for all employees. This produces a great challenge to payroll departments to ensure that all elements of the W-2 are complete and accurate along with  more...

Independent Contractor Reporting ...BenefitsIndependent contractor status has distinct advantages for companies and workers, and continues to grow in popularity. However, as independent contractor relationships have become more common, the risks have become more apparent as well. This teleconference will help you understand how independent contractor status is determined for tax, EEO state law and other purposes, including in PEO  more...

The Interrelationship Between Social Security Disability, Medicare and Workers' Compensation Settlements ...BenefitsThis teleconference covers the two most important federal aspects of workers' compensation practice: Social Security disability offsets and the Medicare secondary payer statute. Anyone who represents claimants, employers or insurers in workers' compensation claims must understand the interrelationship between Social Security disability, Medicare and workers' compensation settlements.  more...

Measuring Inefficiency on a Construction Project ...BenefitsEfficiency is often the key to profitability. Conversely, inefficiency boosts costs, busts budgets and kills profits. Given the consequences, understanding and managing the efficiency of construction is important to everyone on the project - from the contractors, subcontractors and suppliers that experience inefficiency to the owners and design consultants whose actions can lead to  more...

Lawful Hiring ...BenefitsEmployers must navigate a minefield of complicated and, in some cases, conflicting laws that affect the hiring process Discrimination claims often arise out of the hiring process. The new U.S. Supreme Court decision in Ricci v. DeStefano, 557 U.S. ___ (2009) shows how an employer (the New Haven Fire Department in that case) can violate discrimination laws when taking steps to attempt to  more...

Dealing with Employee Gambling in the Workplace ...BenefitsGambling is a billion dollar pastime that is enjoyed by millions of Americans, including groups of employees in the average workplace. The NCAA or Super Bowl office pool can increase morale, create camaraderie among co-workers and generally be a fun and exciting event, especially with the prospect for a lucky employee of a substantial monetary payout. Workplace gambling, however, also  more...

Current ERISA Fiduciary Issues for Financial Institutions ...BenefitsFinancial institutions have long been faced with difficult and complicated issues under ERISA's fiduciary rules. The current economic downturn has given rise to a new round of legislative and regulatory initiatives regarding ERISA's fiduciary rules and has more generally affected the manner in which ERISA may affect financial institutions. In addition, the regulatory environment  more...

Employee Engagement in Troubled Times ...BenefitsEngaging and retaining valued employees is particularly critical amid periods of economic uncertainty if organizations are to maintain product and service quality, and lay a foundation for future growth. Yet while challenging economic environments make employee motivation more critical, they also make employee engagement more difficult to achieve. Belt tightening often results in  more...

Financial Planning After Retirement: Coordinating the Retirement Plan with the Estate Plan ...BenefitsA wrong determination of whether a trust qualifies as a designated beneficiary of retirement benefits can cost the owner decades of tax deferral as well as 50 percent excise tax penalties. Learn how to provide the best asset protection and estate planning benefits for large retirement plans so that the valuable 'stretch out' does not become a 'blow out.' Most trusts are inadequately  more...

Properly Handling Employee Complaints of Discrimination ...BenefitsThe existence of effectively enforced rules, the fair and thorough investigation of complaints and misconduct, and an understanding of the legal process relating to claims are critical to enabling a company to limit potential charges and lawsuits asserting discrimination. This teleconference will afford practical guidance in analyzing and responding to charges effectively and lawfully.  more...

Immigration Compliance for the HR Professional: Employment Authorization Issues and Beyond ...BenefitsAll United States employers must comply with employment authorization and verification laws, regardless of the size or composition of their workforce. This teleconference will supply you with the information you need to ensure your company is in compliance with employment authorization rules and regulations. Detailed guidance on employment verification procedures, Social Security number  more...

Employer's HIPAA Privacy and Security Responsibilities ...Benefits strong New Mandates Under HIPAA and State Laws Create Obligations for Employers /strong Personal and company confidential data, exceedingly valuable assets, are under siege. Organizations across the country and locally have experienced significant data breaches resulting in unauthorized access to a vast amount of personal and company confidential information. At the same time,  more...

Pay-for-Performance Redefined ...BenefitsA bevy of proposed regulations, a more active investor community, and unprecedented media attention continues to change the environment in which compensation committees operate. The pace and direction of change is volatile and while committees focus their attention on design efficacy and business results, the landscape is such that the historical pay-for-performance perspective is no  more...

Deductions From Pay ...BenefitsEmployers often have difficulties navigating through the complex requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Misclassifying employees' status can be costly to an employee. It is estimated that at least 70 percent of employers are not in compliance with the FLSA. As Department of Labor audits increase, it is critical for employers to understand the FLSA and to recognize the permissible  more...

Nanotech Materials for Sustainable Buildings ...BenefitsA nanotech revolution is underway in building materials and technologies. In fact, you won't achieve truly green, sustainable buildings without some of the products emerging from this revolution. Many nanotech products are already here and you can use them with confidence. This 90-minute, nontechnical teleconference will give an overview of how nanotech is changing the full spectrum of  more...

Understanding the Basics of Lean Accounting ...BenefitsAs mid level manufacturing firms migrate to advanced manufacturing processes, they have become uncertain about the ability of traditional cost accounting tools to provide meaningful and accurate measurements. This teleconference outlines a hands-on view of the process needed to evaluate, establish and maintain lean accounting in a mid-level manufacturing environment. While lean  more...

Setting the Stage for Rehiring: Logistic and Liability Issues ...BenefitsWith the ongoing economic crisis, employers across the country have undertaken unprecedented workforce reductions. However, eventually the economic pendulum will swing the other way and employers will be faced with the task of re-staffing their depleted workforce. Smart employers plan and prepare for that day so they can quickly identify and rehire the key talent necessary to meet their  more...

Determining the Best Service Delivery Options for Public Works and Utility Projects: In-House or Contract? ...BenefitsIn this teleconference, you will learn principles and techniques for determining when a project or activity is best delivered by in-house staff, through a contract with a neighboring government or a private contractor, or a combined approach with some tasks performed in-house and others by a contractor. The teleconference will present a practical, nuts-and-bolts approach with examples  more...

Avoiding Costly Mistakes In Harassment Policies and Investigations ...BenefitsSexual and other forms of harassment remain a significant problem for employers. Courts and legislatures continue to create new obligations for employers and continue to increase the potential for liability for employers. Many employers continue to have policies and procedures for harassment that are outdated or that actually create potential liability. This teleconference will help you  more...

Recent Updates to the EPA's Brownfields Program ...BenefitsThis teleconference will provide you with an update on the current status of the Federal Brownfields Program. You will learn about benefits you can obtain under the Federal Brownfields Program, the status of the program and some of the risks to brownfields development resulting from a recent Supreme Court case and environmental risks associated with vapor intrusion. Learning Objectives  more...

Current Issues in H-1B Visas ...BenefitsThis teleconference will outline key issues applicable to company's that employ H-1B temporary workers. Detailed guidance on current H-1B trends, new labor conditional application procedures and H-1B visa issuance will be provided. Special attention will be given to changes in H-1B employment with common scenarios outlined. The teleconference will also present strategies for compliance  more...

Claims Management Techniques in Workers' Compensation Cases ...BenefitsThe aftermath of a workplace accident produces difficult and costly ramifications for management personnel in all business and industries. Many parties are involved in every aspect of a claim, including your insurance carrier or servicing agent and counsel, but each of them has to be dealt with in a very different manner. You will learn how to successfully investigate an accident and  more...

Implementing a Health Risk Assessment for Your Health Plan: What Works, What Doesn't, What's Legal ...BenefitsMaybe you've heard about health risk assessments and wonder if they're a good idea for your organization. Or you've been tasked with implementing a health risk assessment as part of your health plan and don't know much about them. You have a lot of questions such as 'How can a health risk assessment help control health care costs?,' 'What makes for an effective health risk assessment?,'  more...

Payroll Hiring Issues: Forms and Tax Credits ...BenefitsMany employers want to increase their level of payroll tax compliance by implementing policies and procedures with respect to obtaining necessary information from new hires that is related to the processing of payroll and payroll taxes. This teleconference will assist you in evaluating your current new hire process as it relates to the completion and filing of specific payroll related  more...

Developing Safety Incentive Programs to Reduce Workers' Compensation Claims ...BenefitsOrganizations are constantly challenged to improve their results, in order to stay viable as an entity in the competitive marketplace. A key source of preventable costs is losses associated with Workers' Compensation insurance claims, and their related expenses. Safety incentive programs are a commonly used technique to obtain a step-level improvement in outcomes. Join us for this  more...

Managing Benefit Options for Part-Time Employees ...BenefitsAs the U.S. economy recovers and restructures, many employers find themselves employing more of their workforce on a part time basis. Additionally, in hard to recruit fields such as health care, or with entry level employers such as retailers, part-time employment is the norm and may account for more than 50% of the workforce. Employers struggle with how to design a program that will  more...

Changes of Status Checklist ...BenefitsIf you are an employer who sponsors a cafeteria plan or other health and welfare plans, it can be confusing to administer your plan when an employee has a change in status. This teleconference will assist you in determining when you can allow an employee to change their election under your cafeteria plan. It will also cover what happens when an individual has a change in status while on  more...

Preparing for an Unemployment Compensation Hearing ...BenefitsBeyond just the cost of unemployment compensation claims, an unemployment compensation proceeding is often the first confrontation with a future litigant. How the defense of unemployment claims is handled can often have a significant impact on the success of future litigation, and even whether such litigation occurs. This teleconference is designed to give employers a better  more...

Can Medical Tourism Lower Your Healthcare Costs? ...BenefitsThis teleconference will address a myriad of legal issues associated with persons traveling abroad for their medical care. Medical travel, or medical tourism, has become a major focus of interest as a potential means for helping to mitigate the high cost of health care in the United States. It is no longer really about tourism but substantially more about the nature of medical care that  more...

Uncovering Workers' Compensation Fraud ...BenefitsNationwide, fraud costs the insurance industry billions of dollars each year. It's sometimes called the hidden tax because each of us absorbs these monies in the cost of goods and services each year. Workers' compensation fraud impacts legitimate business owners. Workers' compensation premiums are based on numerous factors, and as a result, filing fraudulent claims drives up premiums  more...

Splits, SNTs and Public Benefits: Understanding the Complexities of Special Needs Planning in Divorces ...BenefitsMarital stress and divorce are highly prevalent among families with special needs. Many attorneys who specialize in the area of divorce are unfamiliar with the complexities of special needs planning, despite the importance of public benefit programs to their clients and their families. This teleconference not only helps you understand the detailed public benefit programs available to  more...

All About Insulating Concrete Forms ...BenefitsInsulating concrete forms are a valuable new construction system that is poorly understood by many. ICFs provide high energy-efficiency, high-comfort, low-sound attenuation and disaster-resistant exterior walls for a wide range of buildings up to15 stories. They are widely used in high-LEED projects based mostly on their energy efficiency and indoor air quality properties. However, many  more...

Structured Settlements - The Changing Landscape ...BenefitsWhether plaintiff or defense, this teleconference will provide you with a better understanding of structured settlements and their practical application to claims resolution. Since the early 1980's, structured settlements have been a major part of negotiating and settling cases involving physical injury or sickness. With the changing financial landscape, structured settlements have been  more...

Discipline and Termination Considerations for Employees on Leave ...BenefitsIn an economy when many employers are forced to terminate employees, they should be cognizant of federal and state laws that may be implicated with respect to employees on leave. Employee leave can be as short as a few hours to vote, several months to care for a newborn or longer than a year due to a disability. In the event that an employee who is on leave will be terminated, whether  more...

Medical Professionals and Social Media: Privacy and Security Issues ...BenefitsIf you have any users of social media in your organization, and chances are you do even if you don't know it, don't miss this teleconference on the privacy and security issues that surround the use of social media by medical professionals. As more and more new physicians and other professionals enter the health care workplace, they are bringing with them the tools and technologies that  more...

Determining When an Individual With a Disability Is "Qualified" Under the ADA ...BenefitsAlthough recent amendments have been made to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the requirement that an applicant or employee with a disability be 'qualified' for the job sought or held has not changed. Drawing on regulations from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and decisions from federal courts across the country, this teleconference will provide participants with  more...

401 (k) Plan Audits-What to Expect of the Process ...BenefitsThe idea of auditing a 401(k) plan can seem daunting and intimidating to some. In addition, as it is essentially a compliance requirement, few plan sponsors see much value in the audit. This teleconference will explain in depth what is involved in the audit of a 401(k) plan. Gain insight into the various entities involved in the audit process and what they contribute to the successful  more...

Decentralized Wastewater Solutions ...BenefitsSensible and sustainable land development is becoming increasingly important in urban and rural areas alike. In areas of rapid growth where a centralized infrastructure does not yet exist, managing this growth becomes a challenge for communities, regulators and developers. As part of the sustainable development movement, decentralized wastewater technology is providing many creative and  more...

Managing Construction Projects ...BenefitsUnderstanding and then executing the complex process of construction management can be daunting, especially during the initiation phase of a capital project. Getting your arms around a complex project and then delivering on the benefits is a challenging, yet rewarding, endeavor. This teleconference will introduce the process-based procedures utilized to manage construction projects. We  more...

To Test or Not to Test: The Legal Implications of Pre-Employment Testing ...BenefitsAs technology advances and the pool of job applicants increases, pre-employment testing is becoming a more common hiring practice for many employers. But are all tests created equal? Are they all legal? This teleconference helps you navigate and understand the different types of pre-employment tests and understand the pros and cons of testing job applicants. This teleconference will  more...

Work-Related Stress Claims: Overview, the Law and Strategies for Defense ...BenefitsPerhaps the most nebulous and ill-defined workplace injury involves the claim of mental disability as the result of stressful working conditions. Unlike the garden variety orthopedic injury and even pulmonary injury, there is no objective medical evidence that can unequivocally establish psychiatric disability, let alone its relationship to workplace stress. This teleconference will  more...

Total Compensation Statements as a Tool to Communicate Total Value ...BenefitsOften employees look at their base salary as the total value provided by your organization. During these challenging economic times when salary increases are low or nonexistent, creating customized compensation statements for your organization can be a valuable communication tool. Generally, total compensation ranges from 30 to 50 percent above base compensation for an organization and  more...

Conservation Easement Tax Incentives ...BenefitsIn the current challenging economic conditions, capital remains difficult for individuals and businesses to obtain to meet their working capital and business expansion needs. However, many businesses are unaware that they may already be holding valuable tax assets that can be utilized to generate positive cash-positive and provide significant tax benefits. This teleconference will help  more...

Basics of Reverse Osmosis for Brackish Groundwater Treatment ...d when to best apply these products and what features and benefits they offer must be analyzed before optimum performance can be realized. Additionally, tools such as design and normalization software are often revised and improved. n nThis teleconference will go over some of the basic design considerations impacting reverse osmosis membranes used in groundwater desalination and then apply  more...

ADA Update: Overview of Americans with Disabilities Act and Practical Implications for Employers ...BenefitsThe ADA Amendments Act of 2008 takes effect January 1, 2009. The new amendments substantially alter and expand the definition of disabled under the ADA and who might be protected. This teleconference will review the ADA amendments and related issues, provide you with practical advice on how to comply with the ADA, and address common ADA and employment issues that may be impacted by the  more...

Best Practices to Manage Your Multistate Payroll ...BenefitsPayroll personnel are continually faced with legal and practical challenges associated with employee benefits, overtime, nonexempt employee requirements, employee bonus payments, confusing payroll forms, etc. Not only do you have to know your own state laws but often times neighboring state laws if you have employees across state lines. The taxability of employee benefits is confusing  more...

Controlling Health Care Costs With Self-Funded Plan Options ...BenefitsThis teleconference will address questions an employer must answer when deciding to switch from a fully insured health plan arrangement to a self-insured arrangement. The speaker will cover different self-insured health plan options, for example, preferred provider, HMO, health savings accounts and health reimbursement arrangements. The importance of choosing a third-party administrator  more...

Benchmarking your Health Benefit Program: How Do You Stack Up? ...onally. In addition, we will discuss the trends in health benefits and give you benchmarking statistics on the current landscape for including that trend in your health benefit package. During this 90-minute teleconference, we will outline concepts such as biometric health plans, spousal carve-out plans, mandatory health risk assessments, stacking high deductible health plans, and wellness and  more...

Paid Sick Leave Update: Policies and Procedures in an Evolving Workplace ...ployees to use these voluntarily-provided paid sick leave benefits for reasons beyond those covered by the employer's program. In some cases, states and localities have begun to mandate that employers provide employees with a minimum paid sick leave benefit if an employer does not already do so. And while currently federal law only mandates unpaid leave for covered employers, in the near  more...

Tax Implications of Generation-Skipping Techniques - Planning to Minimize the Generation-Skipping Transfer (GST) Tax ... the rules for automatic allocation of GST tax exemption. Benefits and differences between different types of basic GST tax planning techniques, including various lifetime planning and post-mortem planning along with the implications of leveraging GST tax planning with discounted assets will also be discussed. Insight into considerations for coordinating GST tax planning during life and at  more...

Enabling Loan Processes with Paperless Files ...an ever. This teleconference will help you understand the benefits and potential pitfalls of paperless loan files, the considerations that must be made in choosing and implementing paperless systems, and the ways to maintain the highest document quality standards. You will gain a broad introduction to the types of processes that can be enabled by digital files, strategies for migration and  more...

Preventing Workers' Compensation Abuse nNationwide, workers' compensation abuse costs the insurance industry billions of dollars each year. It is sometimes called "The Hidden Tax" because each of us absorbs these monies in the costs of goods and services each year. This teleconference will give you a better understanding of workers' compensation abuse, keys to a successful investigation and how to avoid claim pitfalls. This  more...

Smoking Discrimination in the Workplace: On and Off the Clock nDriven by reports that smokers file more health insurance claims and are absent more frequently than nonsmokers, a growing number of employers have implemented programs to minimize the number of smokers in its workforce. These employer programs range from offering quit smoking programs to refusing to hire smokers and even terminating smokers. Privacy advocates argue an employer's interest in the  more...

Successfully Maneuvering the Tax Maze of Amortization Rules ... capitalization and amortization of intangible assets and benefits have resulted in a few lengthy sets of regulations that are often not easy to remember or apply. This teleconference provides a framework for identifying and applying the tax rules for the acquisition and creation of intangible assets, as well as costs to facilitate such transactions. Special expensing rules, identifying and  more...

California Employment Law Update nCompanies with employees in California face a bewildering and complicated set of employment laws, which are often inconsistent with federal law. This three-hour teleconference will address the most important and current issues facing California employers (or out-of-state companies with employees in California), including wage and hour compliance and litigation trends, California's unique  more...

Demand-Side Water Conservation Initiatives nMany water utilities are having to prepare conservation, drought preparedness and diverse water supply plans to meet existing and future water demands. Internal and external factors are causing water shortages, rate impacts, conflicts among neighboring water users, and both real and perceived unreliable water supplies. These circumstances are impacting businesses, homeowners, and the health and  more...

Successful Strategies for Controlling Workers' Compensation Costs nMaintaining workers' compensation insurance is a necessary cost of business, but how do you stop the costs from spinning out of control? An effective workers' compensation program will utilize the available remedies to achieve the goals of reducing injuries, reducing benefit payment and reducing unsuccessful litigation results. This 90-minute teleconference will review the myths and  more...

Convergence of Estate Planning, Trust Administration and Financial Advice nIn the current volatile and uncertain economic climate, estate planning advisors and their clients need to re-examine conventional estate planning wisdom, better understand how fiduciary performance will be tested and evaluated, and more carefully assess the perceived benefits and actual risks of a variety of investment types within planning structures.  more...

Management and Protection of Wetland Buffers nBuffers are upland or riparian areas that separate wetlands or other aquatic resources from upland areas, which are often found in developed or agricultural states. They are very critical to the ecological integrity of the wetlands and typically consist of native plant communities that reflect the local landscape and ecology. They perform a variety of habitat functions for wildlife and other  more...

Labor Law Update: Preparing for Upcoming Regulations nAttend this teleconference and learn the new laws and strategies regarding a variety of employment-related laws that are in effect or are expected to be in effect for 2009. From the new COBRA rules, FMLA regulations, EFCA and union initiatives, issues involving wage and hour and independent contractors, the latest drug and alcohol testing, confidentiality and security of personnel data,  more...

Form I-9: Updates and Compliance Strategies for Employers nThe Department of Homeland Security recently issued new employment verification rules and Form I-9. Join us as we examine these changes. A wide range of Form I-9 issues and compliance tips will be addressed, including E-Verify program considerations.  more...

Community Benefit Agreements ...benefits agreements can increase public participation in the planning process, promote smart growth and environmental justice goals, and bring neighborhoods, local governments, and private interests together to make development projects more sustainable, transparent and accountable. Negotiating a CBA can be a win-win solution for community groups and developers. The community receives  more...

Key Components of an Effective Mentor Program ...r expand a quality mentoring program. It will examine the benefits for beginning an initiative and the step-by-step process to implement a program, whether school- or community-based, that is guaranteed to be sustainable. This teleconference is critical for school personnel, community agencies serving youth and juvenile authorities that want to learn how mentoring can be properly used as a  more...

Utilizing Congestion Pricing to Reduce Traffic Congestion and Generate Infrastructure Revenue ...g models used for transportation, recognize the potential benefits and potential implementation challenges of congestion pricing projects, and understand how to avail yourself of resources from the Federal Highway Administration to help them move forward with this approach. This teleconference is critical for state and local public officials and professionals seeking solutions to growing  more...

Managing And Disciplining Unsafe Employees - A Cornerstone Of An Effective Safety Program nThis teleconference will examine the importance of managing and disciplining unsafe employees on the success of any business. Part of the discussion will examine the potential detrimental impact of ignoring unsafe employees can have on a company and the possible civil and criminal liability that can occur. This teleconference will examine the policies and procedures that need to be in place to  more...

The New HIPAA Special Enrollment Rules and Related Disclosure Issues nRecently enacted legislation expands the special enrollment rights currently applicable to group health plans and imposes new notice and disclosure obligations for employers that maintain such plans. While many of these obligations are not effective until after 2009, the special enrollment changes are effective April 1, 2009. In addition, the new law imposes civil penalties of up to $100 a day  more...

Impact of the New ADA Amendments on Schools ...ns on how to achieve compliance. In addition to extending benefits for students who had previously been denied 504 services, awareness of these new amendments can prevent costly and disruptive legal proceedings for school districts. n nLearning Objectives n- You will be able to discuss legal and political background leading to the new ADA amendments of 2008. n- You will be able to recite  more...

Workplace Flexibility: Innovative Strategies for an Evolving Workforce nOver the last three decades, the needs of the American workforce have changed dramatically. In response, many businesses have turned to workplace flexibility in order to recruit and retain the best workers, boost productivity and increase their competitive advantage. At the same time, policymakers in Washington have been exploring various approaches for increasing access to workplace flexibility  more...

Roundabouts: Planning, Design Principles and Current Practices ...benefits, proper planning and engineering design is essential for roundabouts to function correctly. This brief, yet practical, teleconference is your opportunity to better understand modern roundabouts and their installation, learn specific design skills and current practices, and apply roundabout design principles to projects in your region. This teleconference will emphasize both basic and  more...

The Do's and Don'ts of Telephone Monitoring nMany employers monitor or record employee telephone conversations as a routine part of doing business. This monitoring must comply not only with the federal wiretap statute, but with a variety of differing requirements imposed by state statutes. Since courts in California have changed the rules for telephone monitoring for anyone who makes a call into California and other states with mutual  more...

Workers' Compensation Settlements nSometimes a workers' compensation case is litigated until conclusion, but many times the parties prefer settlement. This comprehensive teleconference will provide a summary of the do's and don'ts of settlements, what to consider, what to avoid, and how to most effectively ensure that you have considered every issue and have minimized your loss prior to signing on the dotted line.  more...

Retirement Benefit Solutions For Nonprofit Organizations and Government Entities ... face many of the same issues regarding use of retirement benefits to attract and retain employees and executives as for-profit companies, but the tools available to them are often more limited. This teleconference will explore both broad-based retirement programs and executive deferred compensation available to nonprofit organizations. It will highlight new rules for 403(b) plans and pending  more...

Share-Based Compensation - Impact of Recent Events on the Use of Equity Compensation nExecutive compensation continues to be a hot topic across many industries. Recent changes in share-based compensation rules, principally the changes to Financial Accounting Standards 123(R) [FAS 123(R)], and market uncertainty and declines have led to significant changes in how companies and executives view the role and the value of equity as part of an overall compensation package. Join our  more...

Employee Retaliation: Supreme Court Update nThe mere mention of retaliation in the workplace today sends waves of concern throughout an employer's organization. Most recent court decisions recognize retaliation claims in nearly all areas of employment law and find adverse actions in a variety of circumstances, beyond demotion and termination, for purposes of upholding such claims. Most significantly, the U.S. Supreme Court recently  more...

Using Medical Certifications to Minimize Employer Liability: FMLA, ADA and Workers' Comp nSince the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, proactive and proper use of medical certifications has proven to be a valuable tool to protect employers from liability under the ADA, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1994, and state workers' compensation statutes. But the legal landscape for managing employee health issues has had many changes in recent months. Amendments to the  more...

Same-Gender Marriage Rulings: Impacts on Employee Benefit Plans Across the Nation nIn May 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that the state cannot deny same-gender couples the right to marry. Same-gender couples - many of them, in fact - flocked to California and started getting legally married on June 17, 2008. But then in November 2008, California voters approved Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage going forward. Massachusetts and Canada also allow same-gender  more...