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Compensation & Benefits

DOL: Baby Vision tried to silence workers, thwart probe

10/15/2014
The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a restraining order against BabyVision Inc. in Poughkeepsie after workers reported being threatened and intimidated by the company’s two owners.

Don’t be spooked by year-end Payroll tasks

10/15/2014
Trick or treat—it’s a very simple menu. To avoid a huge year-end trick, and have a sweet year-end, cross off these tasks from your to-do list.

Health benefit reporting on 2014 Forms W-2

10/15/2014
Here’s a downloadable breakdown of health benefits and whether you must report them. The IRS has clarified that even if a benefit isn’t reportable, you may voluntarily do so.

What do we need to consider before offering extra pay for weekend work?

10/14/2014
Q. We have a short-term project coming up that is going to require some of our hourly, nonexempt employees to work some extra weekend hours. We are thinking we might pay them a higher rate to work on the weekends to encourage employees to volunteer and to reward them. Is there anything we should be keeping in mind before we do that?

Enhanced pay report proposed for fed contractors

10/14/2014
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would require the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to collect pay data from federal contractors.

Court runs out of patience with tightwad insurer

10/14/2014
Courts don’t like it when insurers try to use technicalities to limit benefits.

A few unpaid ‘donning and doffing’ minutes can add up to penalties worth millions

10/14/2014

With few exceptions, hourly employees are entitled to pay for all time worked. Paid time can include the time it takes to put on specialized equipment and clothing and walk to a workstation. If you rely on an inaccurate formula to calculate that time, a jury may correct your mistake for all similarly situated employees—and a judge may double the amount owed for unpaid time.

‘Happy’ receptionists get five-week, paid sabbatical

10/14/2014
Happy receptionists make a good first impression on clients, say execs at Ruby Receptionists in Portland, Ore., who are trying their best to keep their staff of virtual receptionists smiling.

Regs allow more options for 401(k) distributions

10/13/2014
Retirees can’t keep their 401(k) pretax contributions dammed up forever; eventually they must take taxable distributions. Two new sets of final regulations allow 401(k) plans to provide retirees with more options than just pulling out the cash.

Delinquent child support drives the most wage garnishments

10/13/2014
About 7% of U.S. employees had some portion of their wages garnished in 2013, most frequently because they had fallen behind making child-support payments. Delinquent student loan payments were the most common “other” reason.