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Compensation & Benefits

Limiting same-sex perks, DOMA ‘unconstitutional’

06/20/2012
A federal district court has ruled that the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution by prohibiting California same-sex couples from signing up for long-term care insurance through the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.

Recession, high costs made fewer seek care

06/20/2012
Money worries and the steadily rising cost of health care led fewer Americans to seek medical treatment in 2010, according to a new, detailed analysis by the nonprofit Health Care Cost Institute.

Supreme Court ‘pharma sales’ ruling could have broad FLSA implications

06/19/2012
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that pharmaceutical sales representatives are indeed outside salespeople under the terms of the Fair Labor Standards Act. It’s a decision that could have far-reaching effects on other wage-and-hour issues. And it’s a big win for employers, regardless of the industries in which they work.

Who’s responsible for withholding mistakes?

06/19/2012

Q: If an employer underwithheld income taxes by not using an employee’s W-4 form properly, and the employee is assessed interest and penalties when he files his 1040, can he hold the employer responsible for the interest and penalties, or even the underwithholding?

Walmart sees light, settles overtime pay lawsuit

06/18/2012
Walmart has agreed to pay $4.8 million to settle U.S. Department of Labor charges that it misclassified employees working at vision centers in the retail giant’s stores.

Minnesota backs away from edge of retirement ‘cliff’

06/18/2012
The Minnesota state government has settled the last age discrimination claims resulting from early retirement packages offered to state employees.

Tragic personal history doesn’t excuse misbehavior

06/18/2012
If you have a no-violence rule, you don’t have to alter the punishment based on the employee’s personal history, no matter how tragic.

8 flex trends that will affect your company

06/18/2012

As more organizations allow em­­ployees to adjust their schedules and telework, it puts pressure on other employers to offer the same flexibility—or lose out when it comes to recruiting and retaining quality workers. A recent study of employers’ workplace flexibiliity practices uncovered eight trends you need to understand.

Payroll on the hook for medical loss ratio rebates

06/15/2012
Group health insurers that don’t spend between 80 and 85 cents of every premium dollar on medical care and health care quality improvement must make so-called medical loss ratio (MLR) rebates to employees, beginning Aug. 1, 2012.

How can we legally cut all salaries by 10%?

06/14/2012
Q. We need to cut our payroll costs. Is there any reason we can’t cut everyone by 10%? All our employees are at-will.