“When it comes to benefits, one size of benefits doesn’t fit all, nor does a single approach to how those benefits are communicated," says Jen Benz, founder of Benz Communications, who offers four suggestions for creating targeted benefits communications.

Under new requirements effective July 1, 2012, plan sponsors will be required to disclose fees and compensation paid in connection with 401k retirement plans. In the last installment of this 3-part video series, HR.BLR.com Editor Chris Ceplenski explains what information about your plan you must communicate to participants and when you must disclose it.

Are you correctly paying for overtime in California? What seems like easy math can get very complicated very quickly if you're not up-to-date on state regulations for calculating what you owe. California laws differ significantly from federal rules governing overtime pay, so getting it right can be a challenge for even the most experienced HR manager. For instance, while federal law requires only that you pay overtime for hours in excess of 40 in a given week, California employers are required to abide by both daily overtime and "seventh day" overtime rules.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has found the NLRB’s election rule is invalid. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg concluded the Board adopted the rule without the required quorum. As a result, representation elections will have to continue under the old procedures.

Starting October 1, Maryland employers will be prohibited from requesting or requiring employees or job applicants to provide access to personal social media accounts, including Facebook accounts. Lawmakers in other states, as well as federal lawmakers have proposed similar bills. In fact, at the federal level, both the Senate and the House of Representatives proposed such legislation within weeks of the Maryland bill being enacted.

By Kristine E. Kwong, Esq, Musick, Peeler & Garrett, LLP

One of the fastest-growing challenges in handling disabilities in the workplace is the concern over how to respond to obesity. Weight related diseases account for nearly ten percent of medical spending, everything from heart disease treatments to diabetes medications. Ultimately, these medical conditions will manifest itself in the workplace in loss productivity, absenteeism and the inability to perform the job duties of the position. Nonetheless, if an obese employee qualifies under the ADA, the employer may be obligated to accommodate that employee so that they can perform the essential functions of the job.

By Martin Simon, J.D., BLR Senior Legal Editor

The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2012-02 to supplement the regulations on fee disclosures to 401(k) plan participants. The Bulletin is in the form of 38 questions and answers and also provides guidance on the related requirement on service providers to furnish specified information to plan administrators so that administrators may comply with their disclosure obligations to 401(k) plan participants.