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Compensation & Benefits

Motivate high performance by promising rewards

12/13/2011
Employee recognition programs aren’t quite as popular as they once were, but the 86% of businesses that use them find that rewards and in­­centives can still spur sales, improve retention and employee loyalty, and raise productivity during an era of slim pay raises and uncertain bonuses.

Minimum wages to rise in 10 states in 2012

12/12/2011
Without any action by their legislatures, employers in 10 states will experience increases in their minimum wage rates in 2012 because those states tie annual increases in their wage floor to increases in the cost of living.

Dead-wrong bereavement leave

12/08/2011
A customer service rep at a call center went out on bereavement leave at least once a month. Lots of aunts and uncles, he said. The HR department discovered the employee had a family member on the “inside” at the funeral home who was creating a fake program for each fake funeral.

Akraya offers to clean up–at employees’ own homes

12/07/2011
Busy employees who work for Sunny­vale, Calif.-based Akraya Inc., don’t have time to clean their houses—so the company does it for them. The IT consulting and staffing firm sends a professional cleaning service to their homes once every two weeks.

Will you offer any kind of year-end bonus to employees in 2011?

12/06/2011
Many won’t get bonuses in 2011, but those that do had to meet goals to earn their extra pay.

Health firm opens clinic for its own employees

12/06/2011
Global health care company Sanofi is keeping its own employees healthy by opening a full-service medical center and on-site pharmacy at its U.S. headquarters in Bridgewater, N.J.

Regs restore FICA/FUTA family employment exemptions

12/05/2011
Regulations have re­­stored the FICA/FUTA exemptions for employing family members and members of religious orders in LLCs and other disregarded entities that didn’t elect to be treated as corporations for federal payroll tax purposes. The regs became effective Nov. 1, 2011, but you may apply them to wages paid beginning Jan. 1, 2009.

Busy year for Payroll in the IRS’ business plan

12/05/2011
Every year, the IRS releases its Priority Guidance Plan, also known as the business plan. It’s no surprise that the IRS is devoting a considerable amount of time to issuing guidance related to Payroll’s continuing role in health care reform.

3% withholding bites the dust; vets get jobs tax credits

12/05/2011
Congress has repealed the dreaded withholding provision under which state and local governments would have been required to withhold 3% of payments made to any payee for goods and services. The provision was slated to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2013.

Credit reduction states named for 2011 FUTA returns

12/02/2011
Since 2008, states have borrowed heavily from the federal government to pay regular unemployment benefits. Bad: Employers in states that fail to pay back those loans within two years can’t take the full 5.4% FUTA credit. Credit reduction states for 2011 FUTA taxes have now been identified.