S Employers Telephone Seminars

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 ...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 other traumatic events will be discussed, as well as some of the strategies that employers use to prevent workplace injuries from occurring and provide cost effective ideas that can be implemented to track  more...

Common Injuries in Workers' Compensation ...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 other traumatic events will be discussed, as well as some of the strategies that employers use to prevent workplace injuries from occurring and provide cost effective ideas that can be implemented to track  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...

E-Verify Requirements and Best Practices ...s 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 use the system. Join us as we discuss state  more...

Prevailing Wage Law: An Understanding of Davis-Bacon BenefitsAlleged violations of wage and hour laws have become a major source for the new wave of employment class actions, which often result in hundreds of thousands of dollars, and in many cases millions of dollars, of recoverable damages and attorneys' fees awarded to the successful litigants and their attorneys - in addition to the substantial amount of legal fees and administrative costs  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 for  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 designed  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...

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...

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...

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...

Satisfying OFCCP's Internet Applicant Rules ...on 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 provide you with a greater understanding of what is included in the definition of Internet  more...

Fair Labor Standards Act: Coverage and Compliance Issues BenefitsA major challenge is ensuring compliance with wage and hour laws. Those laws are extensive and complex, and claims against employers in virtually every industry are on the rise. In particular, employers often misunderstand the exemptions to overtime requirements and fail to properly classify their employees, resulting in potential back pay claims. Even where employees have been properly  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...

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 submission  more...

Wage and Hour Update: Overtime Concerns With Mobile Devices BenefitsEmployer expectations for 24/7 access to employees is now the norm for many industries as new technologies allow work to be done virtually anywhere at any time. Serious questions have emerged about how employers should limit, monitor and compensate remote work hours. Recent litigation trends also show that compensation for time worked away from the office during nontraditional hours is  more...

Planning Your Holiday Party: Keys to a Celebration Without Litigation BenefitsHoliday parties can be a great opportunity for employers to celebrate the accomplishments of the passing year and reward employees for a job well done. Unfortunately, these same parties can provide an outlet for inappropriate behavior and potentially expose the company to liability well past the New Year. This live audio conference will help you understand the possible sources of trouble  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 no  more...

Contractor Guidance on Avoiding OSHA and Other Legal Problems BenefitsConstruction employment is at a record low and yet construction employers make up over 60% of the employers cited by OSHA and account for an even higher percentage of the unlucky employers placed on the OSHA Severe Violators Enforcement Program List. Even those contractors with national recognized safety management programs find themselves exposed to costly 'repeat' citations and unusual  more...

Smartphone Policies For The Health Care Industry BenefitsThe proliferation of smartphones in the workplace have created legal compliance issues for many employers, ranging from how to monitor and control usage during working hours, to how to protect company information being disseminated by such devices. Many of these issues are even more acute in the health care industry because of the 24/7 nature of the facilities, and the regulations  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 to  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...

When Employee Bloggers Attack: Responding to Negative Employee Comments on the Web BenefitsAs social networking, via online tools such as MySpace , Facebook , and Twitter , have exploded in popularity over the last few years, many employers have had to deal with inappropriate conduct by their employees on the web, including an employee's direct criticism of the company. According to one survey, at least half of all employers have had to discipline employees for inappropriate  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 affairs,  more...

Responding to an EEO Charge ...derstand 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 your company when an EEOC charge arises, tips and strategies to respond to the charge, how to prepare your position statement, and how to respond to requests for  more...

IRS Form 941 Reporting Update BenefitsThe IRS collects hundreds of billions of dollars of employment taxes each year - more than any other source of revenue. Form 941 and related forms lie at the heart of the IRS's employment tax collection system. Much of the administrative burden under that system falls on employers. An employer's failure to understand and comply with its obligations can result in IRS assessments, audits and  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...

Tips for Calculating a Regular Rate of Pay For Your Employees BenefitsWage and hour claims against employers have exploded in the last five years. One target is the rate of pay an employer pays to its nonexempt employees, and how that rate affects overtime payments. Most covered employers understand that they must pay overtime compensation at the rate of 'time and a half' to nonexempt employees. But time and a half of what? Under the FLSA and most state  more...

Workers' Compensation Issues for the Construction Industry BenefitsThis program will cover a variety of workers' compensation topics that includes several cost-savings ideas often overlooked by employers and insurance agents. This live audio conference includes a detailed discussion on experience modification factors (EMRs) and provides a simple explanation to both understand them, spot simple and the most frequent errors in their calculation, as well as  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) This  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...

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...

Giving and Receiving Employment References: Successfully Negotiating the Maze BenefitsMany employers still do not put the necessary amount of thought into requests for references - whether they are on the requesting or responding end. Responding to such requests can be fraught with potential pitfalls and could expose an employer to legal liability from both ends (i.e., from the current/former employee and from the requesting entity). On the other hand, given these issues,  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 managers,  more...

Status Classification: Exempt vs. Nonexempt BenefitsEmployees and their counsel continue to pursue individual and class action overtime claims based on the alleged misclassification of exempt workers at a fever pitch. Thousands of lawsuits 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  more...

Dealing With Employees Who Have Been Charged With a Crime BenefitsOne of the most perplexing problems that can confront an employer arises after the employer discovers that one of its employees has been arrested and charged with a crime. Under our legal system, the familiar mantra is that an arrested person is innocent until proven guilty. So, what can you do to address situations where an employee has been arrested, or has been charged, or incarcerated  more...

Understanding Massachusetts' Exemptions to Employment at Will ...s 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 rights in managing and  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 is  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...

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 under  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 in a  more...

Economic Substance Doctrine Codification Update Benefits2010 has produced the sweeping changes in health care via legislation titled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Knowledge of its tax implications, tax credits, employer obligations and other financial aspects will be discussed in this informative audio conference. Awareness of the compliance rules will avoid financial risk and a variety of costly penalties for both individuals  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...

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 issues  more...

Grant and Other Funding Opportunities Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 BenefitsThe health reform legislation signed into law in March provides a significant number of direct and indirect federal grant funding opportunities for medical providers, hospitals, home health agencies, nursing facilities, colleges and universities, and employers. Under several of the grant programs, state and local government, and nonprofit entities are flow-through entities through which  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...

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 ...s 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 administrators. Different than workers' compensation  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 FMLA  more...

Current Issues in Subcontracts and Teaming Agreements BenefitsSubcontracts and teaming agreements are common in business and take many forms. When the customer is the Federal Government however, companies often try to squeeze these relationships into their standard purchase orders and performance work statements. Particularly with heightened scrutiny by all federal agencies over the entry into contracts and the performance of those contracts, by all  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 process  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. In  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 life  more...

Social Networking in the Workplace: Policies, Monitoring and Discipline Issues BenefitsSocial networking via online tools such as MySpace , Facebook and Twitter has exploded in popularity over the last few years. According to an October 2008 survey, 51 percent of employees accessed social networks at least once per day at work; many of them did so for an hour or more per week. Despite these numbers and the risks inherent in employees using social networking tools, such as  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 survival.  more...

The FLSA Comp Time Controversy BenefitsComp Time, or compensatory time, is an alternate way of rewarding overtime work. Instead of paying an hourly employee time-and-a-half for work done over the time allotted in the normal work week, employers can allow an hour and a half of time off for each hour of overtime worked. This teleconference will cover how the FLSA views the use of comp time in relation to public agencies and  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...

Payroll Tax Pitfalls: Preventing IRS Penalties and Personal Liability for Late Payments BenefitsAmong many other legal obligations, employers face the ongoing requirement to timely withhold and remit payroll taxes to the federal government. People responsible for fulfilling a company's payroll tax obligations often do not realize the substantial penalties that can be imposed by the IRS against the company when payroll taxes are not timely deposited or paid at all. Additionally, in  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...

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 transformation  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 otherwise  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...

ADA Interaction with Addictions and Personal Habits BenefitsOne of the most confounding problems for employers is what to do when an employee comes forward with a drug problem or when an employee appears to be intoxicated while at work. This teleconference is designed to educate legal and HR professionals in addressing those situations within the boundaries of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which generally protects recovering drug addicts and  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 individual's  more...

Screening Applicants Using Social Networking Sites: Legal or Liability? BenefitsJob applicants have long used the internet to research employers. But now, employers are using the internet to research job applicants as well. Employers aren't only using search engines to find information on applicants but are now examining social networking sites, such as Facebook or MySpace . For job applicants, social networking site are places to interact with peers in any manner  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...

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 and  more...

Employee Expense Reimbursement Best Practices BenefitsMany employers spend significant sums on employee expense reimbursement and need to prepare and enforce robust policies to adequately support and monitor reimbursable expenses. In today's economy, establishment of best practices and ensuring compliance is crucial to minimize the cost and legal risk of inappropriate practices. This teleconference will explore the legal landscape governing  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 and  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 insurance  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...

Internet and Email: Monitoring Employee Conduct BenefitsTechnology has made privacy issues a hot bed of legal, moral and ethical debate. The development of new technology in recent years has created the ability to access seemingly limitless information resources and has changed irrevocably the way business is conducted. Companies literally have the world at their fingertips. The ever increasing developments in technology will only add to the  more...

Reductions in Force Litigation Update BenefitsWith the continued recession, employers have been faced with significant challenges to reduce costs. Since personnel accounts for a major proportion of overhead, one possible area of consideration is that of a reduction in the workforce. While reaching and implementing such a decision will, in optimum circumstances, involve significant input from counsel experienced in both employment and  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. You  more...

Immigration Compliance for the HR Professional: Employment Authorization Issues and Beyond ...s 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 issues and  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...

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...

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...

Tip Credit and Tip Pooling: FLSA Considerations and Limitations BenefitsMany employees in the service sector are compensated in part by tips rather than wages. This is particularly the case for restaurants and tourist service occupations. Employers are allowed in certain circumstances to claim a tip credit toward satisfying state and federal minimum wage laws. This means that the tips are credited against and thus satisfy a portion of the obligation to pay  more...

Avoiding Costly Mistakes In Harassment Policies and Investigations ...stigate harassment complaints remain the most common errors employers make in this area. They have often led to discrimination and retaliation awards of many hundreds of thousands of dollars. This teleconference is critical for employers so you can ensure that your policies and procedures for harassment are adequate in today's employment law environment. Human resource managers, benefits  more...

Employee Wages: Administration of Caps, Freezes, Reductions and Furloughs BenefitsEmployers continue to search for ways to control payroll costs in response to economic uncertainty. Layoffs and force reductions have pared many workforces to the bone, but the pressure to manage costs is relentless. Adjustments to compensation and to working time can be viable alternatives to job cuts, but they are not without legal risk. This teleconference will address the legal and  more...

The New World of EEO: What Is Coming BenefitsEEO claims with the EEOC and in state and federal court are significantly on the rise. While this increase has been impacted by the significant reductions in force around the country, this has also been driven by the fact that the plaintiff's employment bar, the U.S. Attorney's offices and the EEOC have become more aggressive in pursuing claims of discrimination against employers. The  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...

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...

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 understanding  more...

OFCCP Compliance for Construction Contractors BenefitsConstruction employers who do business with the federal government are subject to numerous nondiscrimination obligations under Executive Order 11246, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act. Because of the renewed emphasis on construction contractors by the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, contractors  more...

Simplifying PPE Program Implementation BenefitsThe implementation of a PPE program can be a difficult and time-consuming process. Multiple OSHA standards have sections that have PPE requirements, causing confusion regarding which standards apply to a particular situation. New provisions regarding the payment for PPE have been published by OSHA and you need to have this knowledge to be compliant. This teleconference will provide the  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...

Taxation and Accounting Methods of Executive and Employee Bonuses BenefitsBy now most employers know about the rules under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code governing deferred compensation. However, many employers are not aware of the broad coverage of Section 409A and the fact that some normal payroll practices, such as bonus payments, may be covered by the new rules or the accounting issues that are raised by these programs. This teleconference will  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 for  more...

Return-to-Work Compliance When Jobs Are Gone BenefitsThe last couple of years have been financially difficult for employers and employees. Many organizations have undergone one or more phases of reductions-in-force, as well as restructuring and creative solutions such as reduced work hours or pay. What can such organizations legally do when employees on a leave of absence want to return to such a changed workplace? This teleconference will  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 also  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 new  more...

Benchmarking your Health Benefit Program: How Do You Stack Up? nInformation is power. You can increase your competitiveness by knowing the kinds and the quality of health insurance other employers are offering. Measuring your health plan against meaningful benchmarks will help fuel your strategies not only for reducing cost, but also for recruiting, employee retention and health plan design. n nThis teleconference will work through several methods to  more...

Paid Sick Leave Update: Policies and Procedures in an Evolving Workplace nMany employers voluntarily provide their employees with paid sick leave. Increasingly, however, states and localities are dictating that employers allow employees 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  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...

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...

Presenteeism: Measurement and Intervention Issues for Employers and Health Plans nProductivity is fast becoming an even more vital issue to the business world. Presenteeism, or work loss due to underlying health conditions when individuals remain at work, is one important facet of productivity. One study found that approximately 6 percent of a global company's total compensation (salaries, wages and all benefit costs) were lost due to presenteeism. Work site wellness programs  more...

Effective Utilization of Employee Waivers nEffective employee waivers establish employee expectations and protect employers from liability for employment-related claims such as discrimination, harassment and retaliation, as well as contract claims and tort claims such as defamation and invasion of privacy. Pre-employment waivers put employees on notice of employment screens such as background checks and drug testing. During employment,  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...

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 nOn January 1, 2009, new federal legislation took effect that dramatically expanded the range of individuals eligible for protections guaranteed by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. ADA specified the rights guaranteed to individuals broadly qualified as "disabled." These rights applied to the areas of hiring and working conditions for all employees and also to students eligible for  more...

Effective Exit Interviews nMost employers are always looking for ways to improve employee relations, attract new employees and retain the ones they have. But how do you know what to do to improve if you don't know what employees are looking for or why they are leaving? n nImplemented properly, a good exit interview program can provide an employer with a host of valuable information that can be used to improve its employee  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...

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...

Form W4: Impact on Payroll nThis teleconference will clear up questions on the effects of filing status and exemption on payroll checks, how to handle exempt forms, time allowance for making changes, where to locate new forms, how frequently the employees should complete forms and how long employers must retain them. We will include a quick review of Form W-4P, W4-SP and W-4S and discuss which states accept Form W-4 for  more...

What the New Ledbetter Pay Act Means for Employers nOn January 29, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, effectively changing the landscape of the statute of limitations for equal pay discrimination claims. The act greatly expands the amount of time that employees have to bring claims of discriminatory pay practices, which could have a substantial impact on employers. This teleconference will help the  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...

Multiplaintiff Settlement Negotiations nMultiplaintiff, class and collective actions continue to increase. More and more employers are facing wage and hour cases and collective actions under the FLSA. Plaintiffs' counsel increasingly are relying on the benefits of Rule 23 certification to bring their wage and hour claims under applicable state wage and hour laws, bypassing the more restrictive FLSA collective action "opt-in" process.  more...

Answers to Top 10 Common Payroll Questions nEvery week, unsuspecting employers throughout the country are hit with wage/house lawsuits, resulting in protracted litigation, business interruptions and costly settlements. Employers are often shocked to learn that their payroll practices, which may be entirely compliant under federal regulations, do not comply with differing state laws and regulations. Register for this teleconference and  more...

Religious Accommodations in the Workplace nTo avoid lawsuits, contain costs and keep good employee morale, U.S. companies must effectively meet their legal duty to properly accommodate religion in the workplace. This is particularly true because of the rapid growth of religious cultures in the U.S. and the increasing awareness of religious workplace accommodation rights by employees. This teleconference is designed not only to update  more...

Curbing Unauthorized Overtime ...nefits Year after year, one of the most challenging tasks employers face is keeping track of the hours their nonexempt employees work and correctly paying any required overtime premium. When unauthorized overtime occurs, labor costs skyrocket, and businesses face a budgeting nightmare. And when employees perform compensable work off the clock, the potential overtime liability for an employer  more...