Benefits Manager

Manufacturing grew in December at the fastest pace in six months and hiring at U.S. factories picked up. The data helped bolster the view that the economy gained momentum at the end of last year.

On Dec. 23, Congress passed a measure that allows for an extension of a two-percentage-point payroll tax cut. When is the tax scheduled to increase again?

Human resource departments across the country had a perfect opportunity to test their own ability to communicate with their work forces this week when the House decided to wait until the last minute to renew the payroll tax cut (for a whopping two months).

Baby boomers take note: Medicare as your parents have known it is headed for big changes no matter who wins the White House in 2012. You may not like it, but you might have to accept it.

Transitioning into a new role can be challenging for any employee, but when that employee is taking on a management position for the first time, there can be another set of difficulties, says Tom Davenport, senior consultant at Towers Watson, a global professional services company in New York City.

Given todays economy, employers have continually looked for ways to control costs, and in many cases, freezing salaries have been part of cost containment strategies.

Consumer spending and incomes barely rose last month. Business investment has slowed. New-home sales remain dismal.

Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday signed legislation that blocks taxpayer-paid health insurance from being offered to domestic partners living with some public employees.