Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, employees who were involuntarily terminated from employment between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 were allowed to elect COBRA coverage and only pay 35% of the premium. The subsidy was limited to 9 months.

The President has now extended this benefit subsidy to 15 months and employees terminated through February 28, 2010 are eligible to receive it. Any employees who have exhausted the subsidy before the Act was extended are entitled to extend the subsidy if they retroactively pay the reduced premiums.

The Act requires employers to send a number of new notices containing information about the ACT by February 28, 2010 to their employees. In addition, individuals for whom the subsidy has expired, are given a second chance to qualify for it.

For additional information about the COBRA extension, call the HR HelpLine at 207-967-0837.

Ever wonder what you can do to increase productivity in your organization? As I wrote in my new book Uncomplicating Management, "When asked ... 'what is the one tool I need to understand why my organization is not working well?' I simply tell them to go out and buy a mirror. I then ask them to do the following: if your department is running well, look in the mirror and ask: why? You will see your answer in the mirror. And, if it is running poorly, your answer will appear there too. The success or failure of your shift, your department or your organization rests on the shoulders of the manager. No longer can we simply blame the suits upstairs. Your success as a manager is within your control. Look long and hard in the mirror and you'll clearly see the problem and the solution. How your operation runs is a reflection of your management and leadership. Great managers understand this. Their employees know it too."

Managing people is not easy. Good managers become great only after receiving training, mentoring and experience.

Make your supervisors star performers. Call Rick Dacri (207/967-0837 or rick@dacri.com) about the new Uncomplicating Management Supervisor/Manager Development Program.

Mark your calendar. This month you have a number of items to address including:

• Remind employees to submit a new Form W-4 if their withholding allowances have changed or will change this year
• Close out your OSHA 300 Log for the year and prepare the Form 300A (Summary of Work-Related Injuries & Illnesses)
• Provide your employees with copies of your Sexual Harassment Policy and schedule Harassment Prevention training
• Issue W-2s to all employees by 1/31/10

When will they ever learn? Outback Steakhouse has agreed to pay $19 million to settle a major class action lawsuit alleging sex discrimination against thousands of women in their restaurant chain. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) claims Outback discriminated against these women by denying female employees equal opportunity for advancement to management positions while engaging in gender discrimination on a "systemic scale."

Beyond the $19 million, Outback has also greed to institute an online application system for employees interested in managerial positions; hire a high level HR exec; bring in an outside consultant to ensure that they become compliant; and report every 6 months to the EEOC on carrying out the terms of the EEOC's decree.

To be fair, Outback has denied the allegations. Hmmm, pay out $19 million even though they did nothing wrong? Really? I'm sure all of Outback's female customers will be pleased to hear Outback's strong denial.

For the rest of us, what can we learn from this debacle? To begin, all employers should take a hard look at their own policies and procedures? Ask yourself whether you have promotional practices that prevent women from moving up in your organization? Are you encouraging equal growth and opportunity for your female employees? How would an independent third party view your polices and practices.

Regularly look at your internal systems and procedures. Train your supervisors and managers on discrimination prevention. Make sure you are operating a business that is free of all forms of discrimination.

Outback is paying dearly for their actions. Hopefully they've learned.

Note: Get Dacri's booklet Preventing Harassment and Discrimination Claims, a step-by-step guide for employers.

I was interviewed last month on BlogTalkRadio on the topic: Motivating Ideals: How to Engage and Ignite Your Company's Workforce. For one hour, the host, Jon Hansen peppered me with questions about employee motivation, increasing performance and productivity, and the differences between managing a small and large company. Much of this lively discussion centered on my new book Uncomplicating Management.

Hansen's radio show is listened to by over a million people each month in the United States and Canada. You can hear the full interview now.