Incentive Pay

Beware choosing wrong vaccine incentive

07/20/2021

Forcing all employees to be vaccinated presents significant legal risks, and most employment law attorneys recommend against it. A popular work-around has been to encourage vaccinations by offering incentives to employees. That can help. But the incentive offered matters. Here’s what works and what can get you in trouble.

EEOC: OK to require employees to be vaccinated against covid-19

06/01/2021

Federal equal employment opportunity laws do not prevent an employer from requiring all employees physically entering the workplace to be vaccinated for covid-19, according to new guidance issued by the EEOC on May 28. However, employers must comply with the reasonable accommodation provisions of the ADA and Title VII.

Labor crunch: Lure applicants with higher pay

05/27/2021

The post-pandemic economy is showing signs of a solid recovery. Businesses that sell goods and services are gearing up to satisfy pent-up demand. But first they need to hire staff, and that is proving to be a challenge, even as the unemployment rate continued to hover around 6.1% in April.

Your vaccination decisions: 5 key issues to consider

04/15/2021

You should absolutely formalize your decisions in a written vaccination policy that you provide to each employee, so that everyone is on the same page as to your requirements and expectations. Here are the five key considerations that should be front of mind.

Vaccine incentives: Maybe legal, maybe not

03/04/2021

Some employers have begun offering incentives for employees to get the covid-19 vaccination. At first glance, that sounds like a great idea. However, there are legal complications that may not be obvious.

EEOC withdraws proposed rule on wellness program incentives

03/02/2021

Remember back in January when the EEOC issued a proposed rule that would have strictly limited the kinds of incentives employers could offer to encourage employees to participate in wellness programs? Never mind.

Offering incentives to get the vaccine? Tread carefully

02/19/2021

If you are considering offering a financial incentive, I caution you to tread carefully to make sure that you do you within the bounds of our equal employment opportunity laws.

Hazard pay is back—and so are its risks

12/10/2020

Covid-19 cases are spiking again and employers are again beginning to offer hazard pay. In some cases, workers are demanding even higher pay and greater safety protections than before. How employers respond and structure round two of hazard pay may have lasting impact on operations.

Consider bonuses to attract & retain workers

10/27/2020

With covid-19 cases spiking in much of the country, some Americans have simply decided it’s just not worth coming to work, especially in low-wage industries. But some employers have rediscovered an old-fashioned way to attract and retain employees: Cash bonuses.

Consider hazard pay to fill essential positions

09/03/2020

Once upon a time, hazard pay was an incentive to entice workers to perform jobs that were themselves dangerous—think firefighting or defusing explosives. In the coronavirus pandemic era, hazard pay is being granted to delivery drivers, grocery cashiers and many other jobs now deemed “essential.”