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Compensation & Benefits

Does Minnesota require allowing time off for employees to attend school activities?

03/25/2014
Q. One of our employees came in two hours late today, without an advance call. When he got here, he told his supervisor that he needed “school leave” for the morning. Can we discipline him for being late?

Pay gap shrinking for Millennial women

03/25/2014
Each new group of young women entering the workforce over the past 30 years has started out at a higher average hourly wage relative to men. Here are the statistics on women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s, among 25-to-34-year-olds.

Create a strong workplace ‘health culture’

03/24/2014
Employees who believe they work in an organization with a strong “health culture” perceive themselves as healthier and are more likely to change unhealthy behaviors, according to a new study.

Can we make partial-day deductions from a PTO bank?

03/21/2014
Q: If an exempt employee works for two hours one day, must we pay her for a full day, or can we require her to use her paid time off? What if she doesn’t come in at all for a day—must she still receive her full salary, or can we dock her pay for the day? We don’t allow employees to borrow PTO from the next year’s allotment.

Payroll NRP audits almost done; analysis to follow

03/20/2014

More than 75% of the intensive line-by-line payroll returns audited under the IRS’ National Research Program have been completed, according to IRS spokesperson Paul Carlino. Interim findings reveal issues with executive compensation and Form 1099-MISC.

Changing hours: Must we talk to the union first?

03/19/2014
Q. Our employees recently voted for a union and we are now negotiating. Our policies say full-time em­­ployee status starts at 30 hours per week. All of our full-time employees currently work 40 hours per week. We want to decrease the hours of some employees (about 25% of them) from eight to six per day. Do we have to bargain with the union on this change or can we just notify them? 

St. Paul teachers reach contract accord, avert strike

03/17/2014
Days before a scheduled strike vote in late February, St. Paul teachers reached a tentative deal on a new contract. Overall, teachers will receive an 8.6% increase in pay and benefits over two years.

No excuses accepted for missing appeal deadline

03/17/2014
Here’s another reason to stay on top of deadlines: If you plan on appealing a decision to grant unemployment benefits for a former worker, don’t miss the 20-day deadline.

Listen to employee’s side of the story before contesting unemployment benefits

03/17/2014
Workers terminated for misconduct aren’t eligible for unemployment compensation. But before you oppose benefits, consider the employee’s side of the story. Rest assured, the hearing officer will. And even if you win the first round, an appeal may consume time and money better spent elsewhere.

Training, flex are rewards for good work at PwC

03/14/2014
Managers at PwC offer training, flexibility and recognition as rewards for good work. Here’s how the professional services firm pats its employees on the back.