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Compensation & Benefits

Proposed regs clarify the new 0.9% additional Medicare tax

01/15/2013
Under the IRS’ recently issued proposed regulations, beginning this year, many employees will pay an additional 0.9% in Medicare taxes, for a total tax rate of 2.35%. Reminder: Employers don’t match this additional tax.

The most affordable recognition: A pat on the back from the boss goes a long way

01/14/2013
Recognition from “the company” is one thing, but for most employees, their manager and direct supervisors are the face of the organization. Any positive reinforcement from them means something extra special. Here are some suggestions you can pass on to managers and supervisors.

Be prepared to explain bonus before discharge

01/13/2013
Do you hand out periodic bonuses to employees? If so, be sure you can clearly describe how you calculate bonuses and what em­­ployees need to do to receive one. If you must later terminate an employee—and claim poor performance was the reason—she may point to the bonus as proof you fired her for discriminatory reasons.

Do we need to track hours for pieceworkers?

01/11/2013

Q. We are doing an internal review of our recordkeeping, and we realized that we track hours for our on-site transcriptionists but we have not been tracking the hours for our transcriptionists who work from home. The on-site employees are non­exempt and we pay them an hourly wage. However, the remote employees are paid piece rates—a certain rate for the number of words transcribed from dictation. Do we have to keep track of their hours?

Good deeds punished: Back OT due in Mankato

01/11/2013
Several construction companies working on a renovation of the student union ballroom on the Mankato campus of Minnesota State University will have to pay more than $38,000 in back overtime wages. To blame: overly generous scheduling practices.

Nonprofit unemployment plan doesn’t change eligibility

01/11/2013

Some nonprofit Minnesota em­­ployers can opt into an alternative unemployment compensation plan that allows skipping quarterly unemployment taxes in exchange for reimbursing the state for any benefits paid. Good news for those employers: The alternative plan doesn’t affect unemployment eligibility.

Lilly diversity effort includes working parents

01/11/2013
At Eli Lilly and Co. in Indianapolis, a diverse workforce is one that includes working parents. Steve Fry, senior VP of HR and diversity, says, “Family-friendly work schedules and benefits are about having lower stress levels, maintaining better health and enabling a stronger focus when at work––all leading to enhanced engagement, increased innovation and ultimately better results.”

Employer-paid health insurance is largest tax break

01/10/2013
As the legislative wrangling to avert a plunge over the federal budget’s fiscal cliff heated up late last year, the IRS released its list of the nation’s biggest tax breaks. Three of the top 10 involved employee benefits.

Should we allow employees to use DOL’s timekeeping app for smartphones?

01/09/2013

Q. We have heard that the U.S. Department of Labor has issued a timekeeping app that allows employees to track their time on smartphones. Should we permit employees to use this in our workplace?

Richardson Doubletree Hotel settles wage-and-hour suit

01/09/2013
The Doubletree Hotel in Richardson has agreed to pay 112 employees $102,592 to settle charges it violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.