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Compensation & Benefits

Need health insurance options for your small business?

11/14/2012

Locate plans that suit your workforce at finder.healthcare.gov. The site, run by the U.S. Depart­­ment of Health and Human Ser­­v­­ices, identifies health insurance carriers serving the small business market in your area.

Do holidays require extra pay?

11/13/2012
Q. We need some of our employees to work during the holidays. Are we required to pay them extra for those days?

DOL sues Houston emergency medical services companies

11/13/2012
The DOL has filed a lawsuit against three Houston-based ambulance companies—Pride EMS, Allyn Medical EMS and North Cypress EMS—and their common owners, seeking an injunction for alleged Fair Labor Standards Act violations.

Pay-for-performance raises to dominate 2013

11/12/2012

This year’s merit increases will hover around 3%, according to a survey of 270 large multinational companies by compensation consulting firm Empsight Inter­na­tional. Say farewell to across-the-board pay hikes and years-of-service bumps. Instead, look for renewed emphasis on raises linked to meeting or beating organizational goals. Here are the compensation trends to watch in 2013.

New York loosens limits on payroll deductions

11/11/2012
The New York General Assembly has amended Section 193 of the New York Labor Law to allow ­employers to make payroll deductions for a wider variety of items. The amendment lets employers deduct the cost of an array of employee benefits previously barred by the state code.

State-by-State Chart on 2012 W-2 Mag Media/E-Filing Requirements

11/09/2012
States have their own W-2 e-filing thresholds and specifications. Note: To date, some states haven’t released their W-2 e-filing information. In addition, states can change their e-filing requirements at any time. To get the full story, contact your state tax department.

El Nacho Grande chain faces wage-and-hour lawsuit

11/09/2012
The El Nacho Grande chain, with restaurants in Cincinnati and Dayton, faces a U.S. Department of Labor lawsuit after investigators found evidence that the company’s pay policies violate the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Court shoots down S corp’s low salary/high dividend ploy

11/09/2012
An S corp couldn’t get away with paying its sole shareholder-employee $24,000 a year in FICA-taxable salary, while also paying him large FICA-free dividends. According to a recent federal appeals court ruling, such an arrangement isn’t reasonable.

Gift-giving guidelines for managers

11/09/2012
The holiday season is the perfect time for managers to express their appreciation for the hard work their employees have done. If you don’t have a policy on managers handing out holiday gifts, follow these guidelines to keep morale intact and legal complaints away.

Holiday scheduling: What employers are planning in 2013

11/07/2012
According to a new Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey, a great majority of employers (more than 90%) will observe six big holidays in 2013 by closing for the day. Here’s a breakdown of what percentage of employers are planning to observe 25 different days in 2013: