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Compensation & Benefits

Are you ready for the EEOC’s enforcement crackdown?

05/11/2011
The EEOC received a record 99,922 charges in the 2010 fiscal year—the most the agency has received in its 45-year history. Given this sharp increase in charge activity, now is a good time to review your personnel policies and practices to make sure you’re taking appropriate steps to help prevent potential dis­crimination claims.

MDHS, state retirees settle age bias complaint

05/11/2011
The Minnesota Department of Human Services has agreed to pay more than $467,000 to settle an age discrimination complaint filed by retired staffers.

It’s legit: Use differences in location and responsibilities to justify variable pay scales

05/11/2011

Here’s something to consider when setting pay rates for jobs in different locations and with slightly different responsibilities: Under the Equal Pay Act, employers can set different salaries based on geographically distinct job locations.

Use tip credit for some pay? Beware requiring ‘substantial’ work that doesn’t generate tips

05/11/2011
Employers must be careful not to give tipped employees too many additional duties to complete before, during or after their tip-generating activities. If more than about 20% of their time is spent on such activities, you may have to pay them the full minimum wage for those hours, regardless of how much they earn in tips during the shift.

Lower employee stress to raise performance

05/11/2011

Studies show that workplace stress has increased over the past several years and that productivity can drop if employers don’t address the problem. Here are just some of the issues likely stressing your staff—along with suggestions on how HR can help.

IRS ramps up HIRE correspondence audits

05/11/2011
You knew it was going to happen. With so much revenue at stake, the IRS has begun correspondence audits of employers that claimed the 6.2% Social Secur­ity credit against wages paid to new hires under the 2010 Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act.

2011 state laws governing direct deposit and pay cards

05/10/2011
Most states prohibit employers from mandating that employees receive their pay electronically—whether through direct deposit or pay cards. Many states also forbid employers and banks from charging a fee if employees decide to cash out all their pay with one transaction. Here’s a brief summary of state laws affecting direct deposit and pay cards.

When does 50 not equal 50? FMLA coverage versus FMLA eligibility

05/06/2011

Most people think of 50 as the magic number for the FMLA. “Oh, we have 50 employees, so now we have to comply with the FMLA,” is a popular refrain among HR departments. It is not that simple. The FMLA has two different rules that must be met before you have to offer FMLA leave to an employee—coverage and eligibility, which both have the magic number 50 as a key component.

DOL dogs animal hospital to make good on OT violations

05/06/2011
Pleasant Run-based Hamilton Avenue Animal Hospital faces a wage-and-hour lawsuit after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found the owners forced employees to pay back overtime they had received.

Employee just walks out? No unemployment for him!

05/06/2011
In most cases, if an employee packs up his things, storms out of the workplace and then doesn’t show up the next day, he won’t collect unemployment compensation.