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Compensation & Benefits

Is a minimum wage hike on the way?

06/27/2013
Q. Is it true that the California state minimum wage is increasing soon?

What are the rules for providing, paying for employee uniforms?

06/27/2013
Q. We would like to require employees to pay for their own uniforms. Is this legal? If not, we would like to require employees to purchase uniforms. Then we would reimburse them. Is that OK, or must we purchase the uniforms and provide them to the employees?

With DLSE enforcement up, get your pay practices in order

06/27/2013
California Labor Commissioner Julie Su has issued a report summarizing the enforcement activity of the Division of Labor Standards Enforce­­ment in 2011 and 2012. Its conclusion: The DLSE has significantly increased the number and scope of its enforcement actions during the first two years of Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration.
Our conclusion: Now more than ever, employers should ensure that their pay practices comply with Cali­­for­­nia law.

Adult care facilities cited for wage theft violations

06/27/2013
Three Bay Area adult care facilities face nearly $600,000 in fines for not paying overtime or the minimum wage and failing to provide meal breaks.

When terminating or laying off employees, be sure to pay out accrued leave

06/27/2013
California wage-and-hour law requires employers that provide vacation benefits to pay out unused vacation immediately upon termination. However, there’s an exception for union workplaces if the employer and union clearly and unmistakably agree to waive that payment.

Temp nursing firm settles wage claims for $1.77 million

06/27/2013
U.S. Nursing Corp., a temp agency that provides replacement nurses to hospitals when staff go on strike, has agreed to pay $1.77 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by California employees.

Court to decide: Are meal-break waivers legal?

06/27/2013
Here’s an important case to watch if some of your em­­ployees can’t take regular meal breaks. The Court of Appeal of California will soon determine if an agreement requiring employees to eat while working (and being paid) violates California labor codes for one class of employees.

Pay regular salary to preserve exempt status

06/27/2013
Adhere to standard payroll practices if you want to avoid paying unnecessary overtime for otherwise exempt employees. One of those standards is to pay a set salary regardless of the quantity or quality of work performed in a particular week.

DOMA strike-down will ripple through HR

06/27/2013
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 26 ruled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, a decision that has already set in motion a sweeping rewrite of federal rules affecting employee benefits administration and payroll operations.

Gas cards and gift cards: Are they taxable benefits, or not?

06/27/2013
Q: An employee who has a gas card gets reimbursed 100% every month from Accounts Payable. Is this a taxable benefit? If so, how much is taxable—the full amount or the portion related to personal use?