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Compensation & Benefits

How does your company compare on total rewards?

03/23/2023
Total rewards are about much more than compensation. According to the WorldatWork association’s 2022 In Review: Total Rewards Inventory of Programs & Practices report, total rewards encompass best HR practices around work flexibility, performance management and employee benefits in addition to pay.

4 keys to care for employees’ mental health and wellness

03/23/2023
According to the nonprofit American Institute of Stress, work-related stress and associated absenteeism, diminished productivity and turnover cost employers at least $187 billion per year. To relieve employees’ stress and improve their mental health, try these tactics.

Is it time to force employees to use PTO?

03/23/2023
Now is the time to tell employees to submit their requests for time they want to take off for summer vacation. But what if workers are slow to schedule vacation time or insist on taking just a day or two off around the 4th of July instead of taking a full week off? That’s far more disruptive for supervisors.

Did PWFA create right for new moms to take maternity leave? EEOC hints it might have

03/13/2023
According to newly released guidance from the EEOC, new parents may be entitled to “reasonable accommodations” during recovery in the form of unpaid time off under the recently enacted Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The new federal law takes effect June 27.

Poll: 70% say financial stress harms work performance

03/13/2023
Seven in 10 workers surveyed by insurance company YuLife believe their own financial worries negatively affect their on-the-job performance.

Managers: Encourage employees to take vacation time

03/03/2023
When was the last time you used your PTO to take a vacation? If you’re like most Americans, it’s likely been a while, as 55% of workers don’t use all their paid time off. But encouraging your employees to use their time off is a win for you and for them.

Are your employees happy?

03/02/2023
Tomorrow is Employee Appreciation Day! So it’s a good time to assess whether employees are happy. Not skipping down a rainbow happy, but happy at work and with their work. Maybe happy-ish would be a better description. If you want to know whether employees are happy, ask them.

CHIPS, employer-provided dependent care benefits and employees’ 1040s

03/01/2023
The Commerce Department will be doling out $50 billion to construction and chip manufacturers. Catch: Applicants requesting more than $150 million in direct funding must provide their employees with access to affordable, accessible, reliable and high-quality child care.

Federal benefits contractor owes $3.1 million for underpaying staff

02/27/2023
The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered more than $3.1 million in back wages and fringe benefits for more than 3,100 workers at a California company that provides services to federal government employees enrolled in dental and vision insurance plans.

Be prepared to explain pay disparities

02/27/2023
It’s fine to pay some workers more than others. The key is understanding the federal Equal Pay Act and its state equivalents.