HR.BLR.com Survey Finds Two New Areas of Military Leave Compliance are Tripping up some HR Managers
Human resource managers don’t completely understand how to comply with military leave under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. A new HR.BLR.com survey finds that two new provisions of the law are not being followed by a small, but significant percentage of employers.
Old Saybrook, Conn. (PRWEB) June 8, 2005 -- The nation’s human resource
managers are finding it difficult to comply with military leave under the
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. HR.BLR.com, “Making
State HR Compliance Easier”, reports that a small but significant number of
firms are in non-compliance on two new areas of military leave compliance –
posting notice, and continuation of health care benefits.
Most firms
(92%) in BLR’s online survey conducted in May 2005 reported that they are in
compliance with the new posting requirement from the Department of Labor,
effective since March 10, 2005. But 57 companies, or 8%, have not provided
employee notice of their rights under USERRA, and are, therefore, in violation
of its notice requirements.
Employers, which previously were required to
offer continuation of health care benefits for up to 18 months, now must offer
it to those on military leave and dependents for 24 months. Most (88%) reported
that they offer the right to continue in the group health plan for up to 24
months. But 12% are not in compliance with USERRA on this issue.
Susan
Prince, senior legal editor at Business & Legal Reports, which operates
HR.BLR.com, commented on the results: “It’s clear that our citizen soldiers
being on duty in Iraq and Afghanistan is having an effect on HR professionals as
they attempt to understand and comply with USERRA.”
“It also”, she
continued, “highlights the overall complexity of military leave compliance as it
interplays with FMLA and state leave laws.”
More than 750 HR
professionals responded, representing businesses of various sizes and industries
across the United States.
Seventy-three percent of respondents reported
that the issue of military leave has gained more importance to them in the past
year.
The survey also reported on the number of employees out on
military leave, pay issues, and military leave discrimination claims. BLR offers
a free download,“An Employer’s Guide to Military Leave,” which includes both
state and federal military leave law at http://www.blr.com/82008400/PRS20.
About BLR:
Old
Saybrook, Conn.-based BLR produces plain-English compliance and training
resources for HR, compensation, safety, and environmental managers. For more
information, call 800-727-5257 or visit www.BLR.com.
Contact:
HR.BLR.com Managing Web
Editor Kevin Flood
860 510-0100x2283
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb248953.htm