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Compensation & Benefits

Employee must prove work caused psychiatric injuries

03/01/2008
California employees who claim their jobs have caused them psychiatric problems have to meet a higher standard than they would for physical injuries. They must prove that “actual events of employment” were the “predominant” cause. Now a California appeals court has clarified that workers’ comp does not cover psychological or psychiatric injuries that an employee herself caused …

Labor unions concerned about compulsory health care measure

03/01/2008
A growing number of labor unions have recently expressed opposition to A.B.X. 11, which would require all California residents to purchase health coverage by July 2010. Labor leaders argue that the bill doesn’t sufficiently control how much health plans and insurers can charge for coverage …

Upcoming IRS regs will bring cafeteria plan admin up to date

03/01/2008
 Nearly a quarter century after the Internal Revenue Service started releasing piecemeal proposed regulations on cafeteria plans, employers now have new, updated guidance on important topics such as nondiscrimination testing and debit card programs. They’re not final IRS regulations, mind you. But at least a new set of coordinated proposals is on tap to replace the old ones …

Benefits plan administrator drained plumbers’ fund

03/01/2008
The U.S. Labor Department has ordered Marc Meixner of GPTA Benefits Group Inc. to restore more than $500,000 to the Georgia Plumbers Trade Association Health Plan …

Know the rules for Georgia’s drug-Free workplace program

03/01/2008
Georgia employers participating in the state’s drug-free workplace (DFW) program must be careful to strictly follow the program’s guidelines or risk incurring workers’ compensation benefit liability they never intended …

Cutting health care costs: Is it time to switch to a ‘Mini-Med’ plan?

03/01/2008

Providing affordable employee health insurance is tough for many small companies and those employing lots of part-time workers. If that sounds like your organization, it may be time to consider offering a “mini-med” plan that covers limited health care expenses at a relatively low cost. Here’s what you need to know …

Must you provide leave to domestic violence victims?

03/01/2008
In 1999, California and Maine became the first states to enact laws providing protection or leave to employees who are victims of domestic violence. Since then, nearly half of the states have enacted similar laws …

Workers’ comp doesn’t cover accidents that occur after hours, off premises

03/01/2008
Employers may be responsible for injuries that occur in the employee parking lot or on company premises after employees have clocked out for the day. However, New Jersey courts draw the line at the end of the employer’s property line …

Sued for injury? Check if workers’ comp paid out

03/01/2008
If your company is sued by someone other than your own employee for an injury that occurred on your premises, it’s worth finding out if the injured person collected any money under workers’ comp. That can easily happen if the person was traveling on business. Here’s why you should check …

Is your broker lazy? 5 questions to weed out slackers

03/01/2008
You don’t have the time or expertise to shop for benefits plans and analyze them all. That’s why you hire a health benefits broker to sort out the best plans at the best prices. Here are some issues to consider when selecting the right broker …