5 important questions to ask about paid parental leave
Under federal law, there’s no mandate for an employer to offer compensated time off to mothers and fathers following the birth or adoption of a child. But a few states have mandatory paid parental leave laws on the books, and it’s a topic that still gets a fair amount of news coverage.
Offering group term life insurance through a cafeteria plan
Many employers wish to offer group term life insurance as a fringe benefit but find the premiums unaffordable. Under such circumstances, you could provide the coverage and have employees pay the premiums pretax through an existing cafeteria plan. Just be sure you understand the tax impact.
Employers can truncate SSNs on employees’ W-2s
The IRS recently issued final regulations that permit employers to voluntarily truncate employee Social Security Numbers (SSNs) on copies of Forms W-2 furnished to employees. The purpose of the regs is to aid employers’ efforts in protecting workers from identity theft.
A few basics of safe harbor 401(k) plans
Many growing businesses and other types of employers want to offer a 401(k) plan but don’t want to deal with the stress and administrative challenges of following the IRS’s nondiscrimination testing rules for elective deferrals and matching contributions.
4 common mistakes when outsourcing HR functions
For many small and even some midsize employers, keeping up with the regulatory and administrative functions of human resources (HR) isn’t easy.
Employee pickup of SPDs isn’t a good idea
Many organizations have employees who become eligible for benefits during their employment. At such time, the employer must provide them with a summary plan description (SPD) of any health benefits plan (or retirement plan) covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
Responding to “close calls” when interviewing job candidates
It’s not uncommon for an employer to realize, after the fact, that an employee conducting a job interview asked a question that put the organization at risk for a discrimination claim.
Getting acquainted with Generation Z
By now, most employers have read up on, hired and gotten to know Millennials. Well, guess what? A whole new demographic is here: Generation Z.
Compete Carefully in a Fierce Job Market with Signing Bonuses
Is your organization looking to hire new employees? Join the club. The U.S. unemployment rate hit a historic low this past April, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics household survey. It fell to 3.6%, the lowest rate since December 1969 — that’s almost 50 years!
Are Health Club Memberships or On-Site Fitness Centers and ERISA Benefit?
More and more employers are contributing dollars toward the cost of health club memberships for employees. Some are even building their own on-site fitness centers.