It’s probably the toughest part of a benefits administrator’s job: choosing next year’s health insurance plan. If they’re lucky, benefits pros have powerful allies in that high-stakes game: insurance brokers. But some brokers are little more than order-takers. If you’re starting to think your broker is part of the problem and not part of the benefits solution, maybe it’s time to look for a new one.

Employee assistance programs are on the rise as employers cope with higher health care costs—and employees cope with the stresses of an uncertain economy. An expert says four trends will drive EAP change in coming months, bringing cost savings for companies and better care for workers.

When it's time to present next year's HR budget, get the C-Suite's attention with these six talking points. They'll show you mean business.

Miami-Dade County has agreed to settle a long-running legal dispute with the Wackenhut security firm, and one of the biggest winners is a Wackenhut worker who blew the whistle on the company. The battle began in 2005 when Michelle Trimble accused her employer of billing the county for 300 hours of work a week that no one was performing. The alleged overbilling amounted to $4.5 million per year.

Q. Sometimes our vendors provide modest gifts for our employees. How should we handle these?

Here's a round-up of HR advice to heed as the holidays roll around. Click on the links below for answers to holiday questions posed by our readers, as well as a slew of tips to keep things festive without finding a subpeona in your stocking:

Q. Are there any legal issues regarding employee gift-giving during the holidays? What about giving or getting gifts from vendors?

A recent Illinois case illustrates how employers can get into expensive litigation if their drug-testing vendors don’t follow proper procedures when conducting random drug tests.

Q. I understand that Illinois has passed a new law requiring certain employer-provided insurance policies to cover an employee’s dependents who are up to age 26 (or up to age 30 in some instances). Which employers and which policies are affected by the new law?

The high-voltage debate over health care reform has consumed headlines in recent months, but employers shouldn’t overlook a more immediate change: The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act that takes effect next month will mandate new coverage limits—and potentially lead to higher costs.

If you have transportation workers in safety-sensitive jobs, take note: New U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules kick in Aug. 31 that affect return-to-work drug tests given to employees who previously tested positive or underwent drug rehab.