http://workforce.com/section/topics http://www.workforce.com en-us Sun, 3 Jun 2012 21:11:07 EST 10 http://www.workforce.com/article/20120603/NEWS02/120609990 20120603/NEWS02/120609990 Social wellness tools won't do much if you don't establish objectives and a time frame for meeting them, says Jennifer Benz, a San Francisco-based employee wellness communications consultant. Sun, 3 Jun 2012 18:05:37 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120601/NEWS02/120609992 20120601/NEWS02/120609992 To win at employee wellness programs, companies are turning to online fitness challenges and Facebook-style social networks to boost workers' options, improve engagement and cut costs. Fri, 1 Jun 2012 15:29:48 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120601/NEWS01/120609991 20120601/NEWS01/120609991 General Motors Co., in a statement, said the moves should reduce its U.S. pension liability by about $26 billion, a major step in its bid to reduce the $134 billion pension obligation on its books, which GM says is the largest pension liability for any U. Fri, 1 Jun 2012 17:13:07 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120601/NEWS01/120609995 20120601/NEWS01/120609995 More than half of Transamerica Retirement Survey respondents say they don't think they are building a sufficient nest egg—a percentage consistent for all ages of workers. Fri, 1 Jun 2012 14:48:42 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120601/NEWS01/120609997 20120601/NEWS01/120609997 The bill approved by the House panel would eliminate over-the-counter restrictions in the health care reform law. Fri, 1 Jun 2012 11:01:44 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120601/NEWS01/120609998 20120601/NEWS01/120609998 A new study suggests that the vast majority of U.S. workers have little confidence in their employers' preparation for dealing with natural disasters. Fri, 1 Jun 2012 10:25:54 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120601/NEWS01/120609999 20120601/NEWS01/120609999 Seven married same-sex couples and three widowers of gay spouses filed suit in the U.S. District Court in Boston in 2009 seeking to block federal employers from enforcing the DOMA restrictions. Fri, 1 Jun 2012 10:18:21 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120531/NEWS01/120539986 20120531/NEWS01/120539986 Employer benefits lobbying groups complained that the limit would effectively force noncalendar-year plans to comply with the rule before the statutory effective date. Thu, 31 May 2012 10:35:16 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120530/NEWS01/120539996 20120530/NEWS01/120539996 Employers also should work to make sure employees are trained in techniques that can help them prevent or escape violent scenarios. Wed, 30 May 2012 10:56:12 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120530/NEWS01/120539989 20120530/NEWS01/120539989 The key factor driving HSA growth is that premiums for high-deductible health insurance plans, which the law requires be linked to HSAs, tend to be lower than more traditional health plans, according to numerous surveys. Wed, 30 May 2012 16:57:06 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120530/NEWS01/120539990 20120530/NEWS01/120539990 The median amount that LGBT survey participants have saved is $150,000, 17 percent, of the $900,000 they expect to need. The average American has saved about 13 percent of the anticipated needed amount, according to the Wells Fargo study. Wed, 30 May 2012 16:42:03 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120530/NEWS01/120539993 20120530/NEWS01/120539993 Just 29 percent of veterans were confident about finding work that suited them, notes a May index released by Monster, down from 44 percent in November. Wed, 30 May 2012 13:49:27 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120530/NEWS01/120539995 20120530/NEWS01/120539995 The bill, H.R. 5842, to be considered by the House Ways and Means Committee, would eliminate the OTC restrictions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. Wed, 30 May 2012 13:01:15 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120530/NEWS01/120539997 20120530/NEWS01/120539997 The Kentucky Supreme Court said Adan Mandujano's car accident was compensable because he was performing the 'necessary and inevitable' act of returning from a trip that Gaines-Gentry and Eaton had requested him to take. Wed, 30 May 2012 10:09:13 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120529/NEWS02/120529980 20120529/NEWS02/120529980 An executive must win the respect of those around him every day to be effective. Failure to do so undermines his or her success. Tue, 29 May 2012 16:30:52 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120525/NEWS01/120529981 20120525/NEWS01/120529981 The Workers' Compensation Research Institute said California's medical costs per workers' comp claim increased 8 percent per year from 2005 to 2009. Fri, 25 May 2012 17:44:49 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120524/NEWS01/120529983 20120524/NEWS01/120529983 The complaint seeks a court order prohibiting future discrimination by the respondent, monetary damages to the employee and civil penalties. Thu, 24 May 2012 16:54:09 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120523/NEWS01/120529987 20120523/NEWS01/120529987 Among defined benefit plans offered to new hires, 54 percent are hybrid plans such as cash balance plans, which combine elements of defined benefit and defined contribution plans, but legally are defined benefit plans. Wed, 23 May 2012 16:40:20 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120523/NEWS01/120529986 20120523/NEWS01/120529986 The lawsuit was brought by severely disabled plaintiffs who said conventional medications had not alleviated the pain caused by their impairments Wed, 23 May 2012 16:48:21 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120523/NEWS01/120529985 20120523/NEWS01/120529985 Civil rights law does not protect workers or their spouses against employer discrimination based on their alien status, says an appellate court. Wed, 23 May 2012 16:53:57 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120522/NEWS02/120529988 20120522/NEWS02/120529988 How recent acquisitions are changing the field of HR software, and the decisions customers need to make about the future. Tue, 22 May 2012 21:33:24 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120522/NEWS02/120529989 20120522/NEWS02/120529989 SAP, Oracle and other HR software vendors have a surprising new competitor thanks to the acquisition of Rypple by Salesforce.com. Tue, 22 May 2012 21:07:52 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120522/NEWS01/120529990 20120522/NEWS01/120529990 The Justice Department has reached a $45,000 settlement with Home Depot Inc. to resolve charges it violated federal law when it terminated an Army National Guard soldier's employment. Tue, 22 May 2012 16:46:05 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120521/NEWS02/120529993 20120521/NEWS02/120529993 Companies are opening their wallets for HR software products, but more than 40 percent have had a disappointing HR tech implementation. Find out more at HR Tech Week June 5-6. Mon, 21 May 2012 18:53:23 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120521/NEWS01/120529995 20120521/NEWS01/120529995 The indemnification agreement that Safeway Inc.'s directors and officers will sign says in part that Safeway's board has determined the agreement is needed 'in order to attract and retain qualified individuals.' Mon, 21 May 2012 16:54:45 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120521/NEWS01/120529996 20120521/NEWS01/120529996 According to the May 16 ruling in Jarretta P. Hamilton vs. Southland Christian School Inc., Hamilton, who began teaching at the St. Cloud, Florida-based school in January 2008, conceived a child with her then-fiancé in January 2009. Mon, 21 May 2012 16:43:47 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120521/NEWS01/120529997 20120521/NEWS01/120529997 If the high court were to strike down the individual mandate that requires most U.S. Mon, 21 May 2012 14:34:20 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120518/NEWS02/120519952 20120518/NEWS02/120519952 The six-week program hires coders based on skill, passion and eagerness to learn rather than résumé and experience. Fri, 18 May 2012 20:47:24 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120518/NEWS01/120519954 20120518/NEWS01/120519954 In the past five years, the percentage of plan sponsors who list the breadth of coverage offered to employees as a top priority for their plans has fallen 14 percent from 57 percent at the end of 2011. Fri, 18 May 2012 16:15:57 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120518/NEWS02/120519951 20120518/NEWS02/120519951 Enticing newcomers into the field often means teaming up with community colleges to offer training programs while some manufacturers are turning to military veterans to fill the void. Fri, 18 May 2012 21:10:48 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120518/NEWS02/120519953 20120518/NEWS02/120519953 One company has taken its guerrilla recruitment beyond mere social media with its popular Code Foo challenge—a ‘no résumés allowed' recruitment program aimed at finding extraordinary coding talent regardless of educational background, college... Fri, 18 May 2012 20:19:24 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120517/NEWS02/120519956 20120517/NEWS02/120519956 More smartphone-toting employees are looking to mobile benefits applications to submit claims and check balances on their health savings or health reimbursement accounts. Thu, 17 May 2012 15:48:04 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120517/NEWS01/120519957 20120517/NEWS01/120519957 Assault from niche boards and social sites are gobbling up bigger bites of the once-mighty job board industry. Thu, 17 May 2012 15:39:03 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120517/NEWS02/120519958 20120517/NEWS02/120519958 Curious about how Oracle and SAP's recent talent management acquisitions shift the vendor landscape? Come hear executives from both HR software titans discuss industry consolidation at the upcoming HR Tech Week virtual conference, June 5 and 6. Thu, 17 May 2012 15:27:21 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120517/NEWS02/120519966 20120517/NEWS02/120519966 The CYA Report podcast is a partnership between Workforce Management and Fistful of Talent. Thu, 17 May 2012 02:01:00 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120516/NEWS02/120519962 20120516/NEWS02/120519962 Retirement accounts that remain after a worker leaves are an annoyance to plan sponsors and a burden for company administrators. Wed, 16 May 2012 18:13:48 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120516/NEWS02/120519963 20120516/NEWS02/120519963 Covance Inc. is among the companies using software to help employees and mentors connect. The program Mentor Scout enables pairings based on mutual professional interests. Wed, 16 May 2012 18:03:23 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120516/NEWS02/120519961 20120516/NEWS02/120519961 For many workers, perks are now no longer enough. Recently, ‘it has been all about the base wage or salary,' a Buck Consultants principal says. Wed, 16 May 2012 18:22:41 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120516/NEWS02/120519964 20120516/NEWS02/120519964 The New York-based financial-services company has taken on such issues as food safety and prenatal care as part of a broader global wellness effort it launched in 2009. Wed, 16 May 2012 17:40:01 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120516/NEWS01/120519967 20120516/NEWS01/120519967 Seventy-one percent of employers hiring this summer add that they'll be considering some hires for permanent positions. Wed, 16 May 2012 14:37:59 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120515/NEWS02/120519973 20120515/NEWS02/120519973 Attendees of our upcoming HR Tech Week virtual conference can take advantage of a complimentary software selection service. Tue, 15 May 2012 17:39:14 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120515/NEWS01/120519975 20120515/NEWS01/120519975  Tue, 15 May 2012 16:47:50 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120515/NEWS01/120519976 20120515/NEWS01/120519976 Despite employers' cutting back on providing benefits, few employees are purchasing such policies on their own, says new study. Tue, 15 May 2012 16:40:17 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120515/NEWS02/120519978 20120515/NEWS02/120519978 Employers that are looking to reduce comp premiums find clerical slips that can cost them dearly. Tue, 15 May 2012 11:46:26 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120514/NEWS02/120519983 20120514/NEWS02/120519983 There has been a lot of chatter lately about the clutter email adds to our professional and personal lives. Mon, 14 May 2012 18:16:24 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120514/NEWS02/120519982 20120514/NEWS02/120519982 Under this health care program, physicians and hospitals work together with Medicare to provide coordinated care to beneficiaries in exchange for shared savings. Mon, 14 May 2012 18:28:29 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120514/NEWS01/120519981 20120514/NEWS01/120519981 Employers may need to revise or revisit their domestic-partner benefits frequently to make sure they are in line with state-mandated same-sex marriage laws. Mon, 14 May 2012 19:32:52 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120514/NEWS01/120519984 20120514/NEWS01/120519984  Mon, 14 May 2012 17:19:23 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120514/NEWS01/120519985 20120514/NEWS01/120519985 The U.S. Equal Employment Commission said May 14 it is making its private sector workplace discrimination charge statistics for each of the 50 states and U.S. territories available online for fiscal years 2009-2011. Mon, 14 May 2012 17:03:09 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120514/NEWS01/120519988 20120514/NEWS01/120519988 Amanda Pires joined her former boss in mid-April, replacing former communications chief Eric Brown. She's now leaving, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mon, 14 May 2012 16:41:01 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120514/NEWS01/120519987 20120514/NEWS01/120519987 Gun-shy employees are keen on investments that provide guaranteed income, though there is little interest in diversification. Mon, 14 May 2012 16:44:42 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120514/NEWS01/120519991 20120514/NEWS01/120519991 Officials said they did not 'intend' to impose penalties during the first year the requirement is in effect so long as employers are working in 'good faith' to comply. Mon, 14 May 2012 12:54:42 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120510/NEWS01/120519995 20120510/NEWS01/120519995 In what might have been his last interview, Nicholas Katzenbach, who died May 8, 2012, spoke to Workforce Management contributor Matthew Heller on the phone about his thoughts on the Civil Rights Act and the difficulty both the Kennedy and Johnson... Thu, 10 May 2012 16:14:22 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120510/NEWS01/120519994 20120510/NEWS01/120519994 The ruling states that under the FLSA, employees are entitled to overtime pay for any hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week. In both cases, plaintiffs had claimed they were misclassified as exempt employees and denied overtime pay. Thu, 10 May 2012 16:46:11 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120510/NEWS01/120519996 20120510/NEWS01/120519996 The settlement also requires the international staffing firm to modify its anti-discrimination policy and amend its nationwide employment law compliance training Thu, 10 May 2012 15:26:29 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120510/NEWS01/120519999 20120510/NEWS01/120519999 Putnam Investments' Robert Reynolds laid out a three-point plan—making Social Security solvent, providing employer savings programs to everyone who pays Social Security taxes and raising workplace savings rates to 10 percent—that he said... Thu, 10 May 2012 10:43:56 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120509/NEWS01/120509946 20120509/NEWS01/120509946 Of the $240,000 needed to cover a retired couple's health care expenses, Fidelity estimates 32 percent will go toward paying Medicare Part B and Part D premiums; 45 percent will be consumed by expenses not covered by Medicare; and 23 percent will be... Wed, 9 May 2012 17:19:50 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120509/NEWS01/120509948 20120509/NEWS01/120509948 The University of Miami Health System filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification with the state of Florida, disclosing its intention to cut 800 positions on July 31. Wed, 9 May 2012 11:30:58 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120509/NEWS01/120509947 20120509/NEWS01/120509947 Before a plan can be terminated, it needs to have all the funds necessary to pay benefits to employees. Once that happens, plan sponsors can start the process of shutting down the plan. Wed, 9 May 2012 14:21:49 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120508/NEWS01/120509951 20120508/NEWS01/120509951 Employers must make sure their employees, including line workers as well as supervisory staff, are 'trained carefully in anti-harassment measures and policy.' Tue, 8 May 2012 17:45:07 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120508/NEWS01/120509950 20120508/NEWS01/120509950 One attorney familiar with the case says the case illustrates that employers need to conduct an investigation 'in any situation that involves intimate touching.' Tue, 8 May 2012 17:50:09 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120507/NEWS02/120509961 20120507/NEWS02/120509961 For many women, the empty-nest phase of life doesn't just change their home lives. Mon, 7 May 2012 17:11:16 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120507/NEWS02/120509958 20120507/NEWS02/120509958 Such discrimination claims may seem frivolous but legal experts say employers should take them as seriously as they would any harassment complaint. Mon, 7 May 2012 22:52:22 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120507/NEWS02/120509955 20120507/NEWS02/120509955 An oil and gas company operating in Alaska has an employee assistance program in place, but says such plans might not be able to react quickly enough, given the remote settings. A firm offering in-house chaplain services is there to fill the void. Mon, 7 May 2012 02:01:00 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120507/NEWS02/120509956 20120507/NEWS02/120509956 Even with employer matches, automatically enrolled workers' annual savings doesn't hit the recommended minimum 10 percent of pay. Mon, 7 May 2012 02:01:00 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120507/NEWS02/120509986 20120507/NEWS02/120509986 Workforce management technology has come a long way from time clocks. Today's tools can save—or cost—companies millions. And thanks to a new group, the once-frumpy field is coming into fashion. Mon, 7 May 2012 02:01:00 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120507/NEWS02/120509957 20120507/NEWS02/120509957 As head of the Workforce Educational Organization's academic advisory committee, Susan Lambert is helping to shape its professional certification on scheduling and other workforce management matters to take into account employer and employee views. Mon, 7 May 2012 22:58:03 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120507/NEWS01/120509959 20120507/NEWS01/120509959 The Redskins practice at the team's Virginia headquarters, but play home games at FedExField in Landover, Maryland. Mon, 7 May 2012 17:26:14 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120507/NEWS01/120509960 20120507/NEWS01/120509960 Said one attorney, 'This is the first appellate-level case in the country that extends hostile work environment (claims) to the area of sexual orientation.' Mon, 7 May 2012 17:16:51 EST http://www.workforce.com/article/20120507/NEWS01/120509964 20120507/NEWS01/120509964 Large and small employers have banded together to form the Essential Health Benefits Coalition to voice concerns in Washington and statehouses around the country on the issue. Mon, 7 May 2012 16:11:35 EST