BUILDING HR KNOWLEDGE
www.hrtools.com
Choose the “Insight” tab at this HR portal to access blogs
and articles from seasoned HR professionals, including Jennifer
Blanchard’s “Generation Y” column. As a new feature, content is
organized by broad category, such as benefits and compensation,
staffing or legal compliance, then more narrowly defined by
multiple topic tags (there are hundreds). The “Resource Center”
tab—especially developed for small and medium businesses—also
offers eTools, checklists, Q&As and analysis of state
employment laws.
COMMUNITY CHEST
www.irs.gov/retirement
Since its first appearance in this column, the IRS’s site
for everyone with a stake in retirement plans has introduced three
newsletters: Retirement News for Employers, Employee
Plans News, for retirement-plan practitioners, and
Timing is Everything, a periodic one-page flier with
tips for employees on such topics as saving and contributing to
plans. The site also provides handy guides, such as the “401(k)
Fix-It Guide,” and a “Correcting Plan Errors” page that can help
identify potential mistakes and offer solutions or ways to avoid
future problems.
FOR TOP–NOTCH PLAN AUDITS
http://ebpaqc.aicpa.org
This site is a one-stop shop for firms that audit employee
benefit plans. Click the “Resources” tab to access information on
the Department of Labor’s Pension Audit Quality Enforcement
Program and the audit requirement for employee benefit plans, plus
a checklist for plan sponsors and stakeholders entering the
proposal and auditor evaluation process. There is also a
comprehensive analysis of how the risk assessment standards (SAS
nos. 104–111) affect employee benefit plan audits. Members of the
center may also access the “Employee Benefit Plan Marketing
Toolkit” and sign up for periodic e-mail updates.
FOR THOSE IN THE HOT SEAT
www.dandodiary.com
The D&O Diary is a blog on directors’ and officers’
liability, authored by Insurance Journal columnist Kevin
LaCroix, a partner and attorney at OakBridge Insurance Services
focusing on management liability. The posts feature his analysis
on subjects such as insurance, corporate accountability, risk
management and Sarbanes-Oxley, as well as coverage of hot topics
such as subprime litigation, executive compensation and corporate
governance. A section of links leads to other legal, insurance and
accounting blogs.
GET AN UPDATE ON BACKDATING
www.sec.gov/spotlight/optionsbackdating.htm
Have questions on stock options backdating? You’re likely to
find answers—and more—at this site. The SEC compiled its catalog
of enforcement actions, commission speeches, testimony and
letters. With the documents listed in reverse chronological order,
the site offers quick access to the latest regulatory developments
related to backdating. There is also testimony from the SEC’s
Divisions of Enforcement and Corporation Finance, and listings of
additional non-SEC documents on the topic, including criminal
complaints and indictments from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
LISTEN AND LEARN
www.deloitte.com/dtt/leadership/0,1045,sid%253D107508,00.html
This site from Deloitte Insights hosts weekly audio podcasts
on business news. The programs—organized by subject or most recent
posting—cover globalization, accounting, tax, finance, technology,
risk management and governance. The podcasts, such as “Develop,
Deploy, Connect: Harnessing the Power of Generation Y” and “Be the
Board You Want to Be: Putting IT on the Front Burner,” feature
experts from the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu member firms. You can
subscribe to receive the podcasts automatically from a variety of
sources—including RSS feed or e-mail—or you can listen to more
than 60 in the archives.
TOP GRADE SECURITIES SITE
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/securities
Find securities information straight from the professor’s
mouth. Barbara Black, professor of law and director of the
Corporate Law Center at the University of Cincinnati College of
Law, pens this site, part of the growing Law Professor Blogs
Network. It highlights the day’s regulatory action, law review
articles, judicial opinions related to securities and investing,
fraud and financial reporting. Use topical archive links such as
“SEC Action” and “State Securities Law” or use the weekly archive
to browse posts dating back to January 2007.
