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Compensation & Benefits

Can we force forfeiture of vacation days?

03/29/2012
Q. Under our company policy, an employee who fails to give 20 working days’ notice before resigning forfeits any earned vacation days. Is this policy lawful?

Compass sent retirement funds the wrong way

03/29/2012
Two recent settlements make what should be an obvious point: You can’t misappropriate employees’ retirement money and expect to get away with it. Cases in West Chester and Bethlehem show that the feds will come looking for you, and make you pay it back.

Contract worker EPA claims have long shelf lives

03/29/2012

You probably think that once a contract employee’s contract expires, that’s the end of the matter. You don’t renew the contract and she moves on. That may not be the case. She can still sue over Equal Pay Act claims for at least two years after her last check.

Hacked! How to limit liability for employee data breaches

03/29/2012

Imagine this nightmare scenario: You’ve contracted with a vendor to enter personnel data into a new computer system, including employees’ Social Security numbers, addresses, names of dependents, health records and bank account routing numbers. Then the vendor notifies you that employee data was somehow stolen or lost. What do you do?

Exclude FMLA leave from attendance discipline

03/29/2012

Here’s a basic way to avoid FMLA trouble: Before punishing an employee for poor attendance, double-check whether any of the time she’s missed was for FMLA leave. That way, there’s no question about whether FMLA leave was a factor in discipline.

Creative perks from this year’s ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ list

03/29/2012
Rather than reinvent the wheel, “borrow” some of these unique, low-cost benefits from employers on Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, which includes several small and midsize businesses.

Game on! Supreme Court hears health care reform arguments

03/27/2012
The U.S. Supreme Court case everyone has been waiting for is finally here. The High Court began hearing oral arguments on the constitutionality of the landmark Affordable Care Act on March 26. An unprecedented six hours of arguments will set the stage for a decision—probably in late June—on whether “Obamacare” stays or goes. No matter how the court rules, it will affect HR for years to come.

Help employees save money through wellness programs

03/26/2012
CFOs aren’t the only ones with their eyes on the bottom line when it comes to health and wellness. Your organization’s workers also can—and want to—save money by participating in employer-sponsored programs.

Rocky Mount company faces huge pay lawsuit in California

03/23/2012
Rocky Mount-based Premier Ware­­housing Ventures is being sued over pay practices at its former facility in Jurupa Valley, Calif. Premier no longer operates the facility, but current and former employees have filed a lawsuit alleging wage-and-hour violations dating back to 2003.

Worker returning after leave? Just say, ‘Welcome back!’

03/23/2012
Here’s a tip that doesn’t cost anything to implement and may prevent a lawsuit: When employees return from an illness, medical leave or other absences, make them feel welcome—and don’t publicly focus on any lingering problems.