Protecting Your Company’s Assets
August 26, 2003—The time to think about keeping company trade secrets and proprietary company data secure is today–and every day. It starts before a new employee is hired, during employee orientation, and as a normal part of routine company operations.
Work Breaks Help Minimize Accidents
August 19, 2003—A recent study at an industrial plant produced tangible proof of something
that HR professionals and shift supervisors have suspected all along: Accident
risk increases significantly the longer an employee works.
Coercion, Surveillance, and Unjust Firings: Bad for Business
August 19, 2003—A retailer claimed that it reduced its workforce purely for economic factors. But neither the NLRB nor the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals were buying. Both noted that the move came less than a week after union organizing surfaced.
An Explosion in Distance Education
July 31, 2003—Enrollment in "distance education" courses has nearly doubled since
1995, with more than half (56 percent) of the nation's two- and four-year degree-granting
institutions offering such courses in the 2000-2001 academic year, according
to a new federal-government report.
Drops in Pension Funding Matched by Jumps in Deferred Costs
July 24, 2003—Deferred costs for companies sponsoring traditional defined-benefit plans increased sharply in 2002, as plan funding levels declined steeply for the second year
in a row, according to a consultant.
The 'Good-Bye' Benefit That’s 'Hello' to Trouble
July 17, 2003—Many companies have instituted severance plans. But as the case of Baldo vs. Zippo illustrates, employers need to be cognizant of the legal complications that can arise.
Supremes Nix Treating-Physician Rule
July 11, 2003—The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that ERISA disability-benefit plans don’t have to apply the "treating physician rule" when deciding claims.
Firms Let Employees Surf for Business Travel
July 08, 2003—More businesses are allowing their employees to circumvent the corporate travel agent, giving them permission to plan business trips online, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Democrats Object to FLSA Changes
July 02, 2003—Approximately 150 Congressional Democrats and many labor unions have called for the Bush administration to withdraw its proposal to update the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) regulations.
