There’s a reason the TV sitcom “The Office” and the “Dilbert” cartoon strip resonate with us: these iconic works use satire to expose or criticize decisions, judgments or vices in the workplace. They pinpoint, in exaggerated or outrageous ways, relatable ...
Read More »Turn office drama into active engagement
Don’t increase your odds of winning the audit lottery
This commentary addresses an issue affecting nearly any Idaho company that maintains a retirement or medical plan. The Form 5500 is an annual federal tax filing due for most plans by July 31 (or October 15 if extended, which most ...
Read More »This is what progress looks like
When I started working at IBR in 2010, there were so many empty parking spaces in BoDo that you could have parked a semitruck and trailer parallel to the sidewalk on Broad Street at midday. Back then, positive business stories ...
Read More »A look at cross-plan offsetting 
A federal appellate court will soon decide whether UnitedHealth’s method of reimbursing medical providers violates ERISA, which is the federal law that, among other things, governs employer-sponsored health plans. Specifically at issue in Peterson v. UnitedHealth is United’s practice of ...
Read More »‘Wayfair:’ for small online retailers, future is uncertain 
On June 21, the U.S. Supreme Court upended the online retail industry, giving states the power to force online retailers to collect sales tax from sales to consumers. The Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision in Wayfair overruled 50 years of precedent ...
Read More »Law innovation demystified 
I recently read that one-third of lawyers in firms of at least 50 attorneys were pessimistic about adapting to the challenges and changes facing them. Lawyers face problems generating sufficient revenue and operating efficiently, and those are difficult problems to ...
Read More »Smoothness specifications present wake-up call for contractors 
In some recent national surveys of road users, drivers have listed smooth pavements as their top preferred highway characteristic. Such road surfaces not only make for a more comfortable ride, but also provide safety and longer-lasting transportation routes. These smooth ...
Read More »Don’t feel guilty about setting boundaries 
Most professionals I coach have diverse and demanding roles. They define vision and strategy, generate and track budgets and schedules, run meetings, ensure clients are satisfied, provide subject matter expertise to solve complex issues, guide their teams, and make difficult ...
Read More »Solutions to the affordable housing puzzle
In many resort communities there is a real need for affordable housing that serves younger and entry-level residents and new employees. Both renters and potential homebuyers are now facing an increasing affordability squeeze, and this is expected to continue. The ...
Read More »Video in litigation: everybody’s a star 
As a kid, I would shoot film of my friends playing sports at the local playground. My Kodak camera was a dinosaur by today’s standards, but it did the job at the time. Today, things are different. Video is everywhere ...
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