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Compensation & Benefits

High-deductible plans curb health care cost growth

12/27/2013
In the past four years, the cost of health care in the United States grew at about half the annual rate it did from 1990 to 2007. What accounts for the cost slowdown? Economists attributed much of the bending cost curve to the rise of high-deductible health insurance plans.

January 2014: Employer’s business tax calendar

12/27/2013
NOTE: Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays as observed in the District of Columbia are taken into account to determine due dates. Under the federal deposit rules, you’re allowed a deposit shortfall of the greater of $100 or 2% of your tax liability.

Are retreat prizes taxable income?

12/24/2013
Q. We hold a team-building retreat every year where we give employees prizes after completing certain challenges. Are those prizes considered taxable income?

Slay the wage-and-hour dragon before it breathes class-action fire

12/24/2013
Employers increasingly understand the financial burden of defending wage-and-hour class-action lawsuits—not to mention possible settlement payments or damages following un­­suc­­cessful attempts to defend those suits. There are some practical steps you can take to dodge the threat of a costly class-action lawsuit.

‘New’ paid family leave arrives this summer

12/24/2013
More California employees will be eligible to take paid family leave starting July 1. That’s when grandparents, grandchildren, siblings and parents-in-law will be added to the list of relatives for whom caregiver leave is authorized.

Northstate restaurants face $1.8 million in W&H citations

12/24/2013
State Labor officials have fined two Ukiah restaurants more than $1.8 million for wage-and-hour violations involving 47 workers over a three-year period. The complaint alleged the workers were not paid minimum wage or proper overtime.

Sad but true: Sick employee may not get unemployment

12/24/2013
When an employee who would other­­wise qualify for unemployment benefits can’t work because she’s too ill, she loses her eligibility.

Warn bosses: No griping about pregnancy-related absences

12/24/2013

Some bosses openly resent it when subordinates announce that they’re pregnant. Warn them to never do or say anything that indicates anger, disappointment or annoyance.

Ensure bosses understand break obligations

12/24/2013
Ignorance of the law—and labor regulations—is no excuse. If your supervisors don’t understand that they need to give employees regular breaks and an uninterrupted meal period, they’re likely to trigger a class-action lawsuit.

CEO pay-ratio reporting requirement opposed by compensation group

12/24/2013
The nonprofit HR organization WorldatWork has urged the Securities and Exchange Commission to reject proposed regulations that would require corporations to report the ratio of CEO pay to that of median employee pay.