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Compensation & Benefits

Can we make direct deposit mandatory?

02/28/2011
Q. Can a business require employees to use direct deposit to receive their pay?

How should we go about changing severance pay policies spelled out in employment agreements?

02/28/2011
Q. Can we reduce the severance amounts cited in employment agreements we have with certain staff as long as we notify them of the change?

Social Security disability may mean no ADA suit

02/28/2011
Can someone claim they’re so disabled they need Social Security benefits, yet still tell an employer they can perform a job’s essential functions? Sounds fishy, right? A judge thought so.

AK Steel to pay $175 million for Butler retirees’ health care

02/28/2011
AK Steel has settled a lawsuit brought by former employees of its Butler Works operation north of Pittsburgh after the company announced it would cut some retirement health benefits and begin charging premiums for others.

Track every step in your promotion process

02/28/2011

Employees can be ungrateful. Sometimes, they’ll turn down promotion offers because the deal isn’t sweet enough—and then sue, alleging that low pay was evidence of bias. Win those cases by producing documentation of the entire promotion process, including how you set pay.

Lost license, lost job? That means no unemployment

02/28/2011
An employee who knows his job requires him to maintain a valid driver’s license is not eligible for unemployment compensation if he is fired because he loses his license.

Be ready to explain male/female pay differences

02/25/2011

The Equal Pay Act requires the same pay for women and men doing the same work under similar working conditions and requiring equal skill, effort and responsibility. But the law provides several ways for employers to defend pay disparities. Wage differences can be justified if they are based on a seniority or merit system, or vary depending on the quantity or quality of production.

Study: Paid family leave doesn’t kill jobs

02/25/2011
When California enacted a 2004 law requiring employers to grant paid leave for employees to bond with a new child or care for a sick family member, critics predicted it would cost jobs and harm small businesses. A new study says that didn’t happen.

$1 million more in OT for Fort Irwin contractors

02/24/2011
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Be prepared to justify newcomer’s higher pay

02/24/2011

If you decide to pay new hires more than employees with similar or better qualifications, be prepared to prove why you needed to sweeten the pot. Otherwise, you could be risking an Equal Pay Act lawsuit if an incumbent belongs to a protected class.