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Compensation & Benefits

Off the W-2 Hook?

10/24/2011
Question: Our company will soon begin outsourcing the payroll to a new third-party provider. It has a feature that allows em­­ployees to view their check stubs and W-2s by logging onto its website. We were told that the company will be saving a bundle because employees can now access their W-2s online. Does the IRS allow this?

Kansas City employers save $11 million with wellness

10/24/2011
A group of employers that participated in the Kansas City Collaborative avoided almost $11 million in direct health care costs by giving employees and their dependents access to better health information and making it easier to get preventive care.

Employer-provided cell phones no longer a taxable fringe benefit

10/18/2011
The IRS says employer-provided cell phones are no longer a taxable fringe benefit. That means em­­­­ployees don’t have to pay federal income tax on any personal use of their phones—and you can quit keeping track of ­personal-use minutes for payroll purposes.

Severance plans make sense for rank-and-file

10/14/2011
As you dust off the recruiting and retention plans that will keep your organization humming post-recession, you might want to take a look at your severance packages for rank-and-file employees. Here are seven things to consider when it comes to severance packages:

Parenting leave: To whom must notice be given, and can we require use of vacation leave?

10/12/2011
Q. I have a couple of questions about the parenting leave. We have 33 employees, so we are not subject to the FMLA. Can we require an employee to give ad­­vance notice of the need for leave to HR instead of the employee’s supervisor? Also, can we require em­­ployees to substitute paid vacation days while on leave?

Outback’s tip policy: No rules, just wrong

10/12/2011
Outback Steakhouse has agreed to pay $1.25 million to Minnesota em­­ployees to remedy what servers at the restaurant chain said was an illegal tip-pooling procedure under state law.

Document efforts to ease return from FMLA

10/12/2011
When employers get sloppy and don’t document their decision-making proc­­esses, things can get dicey. Consider what happens when an employee experiences work stress and starts taking FMLA and other leave. In one recent case, the employer was smart enough to carefully track its efforts to both accommodate an employee and get her back to work.

DOJ asks Supreme Court to fast-track ACA decision

10/12/2011
The Department of Justice has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act health care reform law, paving the way for a fast-tracked decision that—regardless of which way it goes—will affect comp and benefits professionals for years to come.

Domestic-partnership rights law on docket in Tallahassee

10/11/2011
The Florida Legislature is set to debate a proposed Domestic Partnership Act that would grant domestic partners the same rights married couples enjoy.

FLSA administrative exemption doesn’t require employee to meet all examples in regulation

10/11/2011
Here’s some good news for employers that classify workers as exempt under the FLSA’s administration exemption: Contrary to what some attorneys have been attempting to argue, employees don’t have to perform all the functions listed in the DOL regulations, just one.