• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Compensation & Benefits

Pay for required desk time–even if no work is happening

03/12/2015
Gary worked as a clerk at a motel in which he lived. He was required to sit at the front desk for an eight-hour shift, but the motel only paid him for the “busy” time when guests checked in or out. Gary sued, alleging wage-and-hour violations.

May our employees pool their tips?

03/11/2015
Q. The waitstaff in our restaurant pools tips with the dishwashers and hosts. Is this OK?

Do we have to pay overtime for hours an employee spent out on sick leave?

03/11/2015
Q. Last week, an employee was out sick on Monday but worked 40 hours Tuesday through Friday. She would like to use her sick leave for Monday and claim overtime for those Monday hours. Must I pay her overtime for those hours?

Consider extended leave as accommodation if disabled employee is likely to return to work

03/11/2015
Before rejecting a disabled employee’s request for additional time off as a reasonable accommodation, consider whether the time would allow the employee to return. If not, you probably won’t have to provide the additional leave.

Never threaten deductions from exempts’ pay

03/11/2015
A supervisor’s single threat leading to a salary deduction could cost your company millions.

Unauthorized OT? Pay up … and then discipline

03/11/2015
Employers must pay hourly employees for all overtime worked, whether it was authorized or not. So what’s the best way to discourage employees from working unauthorized OT?

What’s the law on how often to pay?

03/10/2015
Q. As a new small business owner, I am unsure of the laws governing wage payment. Are there rules concerning how often I must pay my employees?

Still no word from DOL on release of new OT rules for supervisors

03/10/2015
The long-whispered, unofficial goal had been a February 2015 release of these new overtime rules. February came and went, and Labor Department officials are tight-lipped about when the rules will be released and what’s taking so long.

Employee leave: When must you grant it to accommodate disabilities?

03/10/2015
The goal of leave is “to provide job-protected time in order to enable a qualified employee with a disability to manage his or her medical impairment and ultimately remain in the workforce.” Follow these guidelines when granting it.

Most employers auto-enroll 401(k) participants

03/10/2015
Looking for a no-cost way to help employees save more for retirement? Consider making enrollment in your 401(k) automatic for all employees. They’ll have to affirmatively opt out if they don’t want to participate.