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Compensation & Benefits

The HR I.Q. Test: February ’11

02/11/2011
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

Injured employee may have returned too soon: Can we require him to take more leave?

02/10/2011
Q. We’re afraid that a previously injured worker returned from medical leave too soon. Can we require him to take additional leave if it’s obvious that the injury is still hurting his job performance?

Must we prorate bonuses for employees who missed work while out on FMLA leave?

02/09/2011
Q. Many of our employees are eligible for a bonus at the end of each year if they meet specific yearly sales goals. Are we required to prorate the bonus for employees who fail to meet their goals because they took FMLA leave during the year?

St. Paul cancer victim’s case may show ADAAA’s impact

02/09/2011
The tragic case of a St. Paul nurse who died of cancer may soon test the reach of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, now that the EEOC has filed a lawsuit alleging that her employer violated the law by refusing to accommodate her disability.

Follow federal FLSA rules to pay for ‘donning & doffing’

02/09/2011
Good news for Minnesota employers that have been worried about how to pay employees for the time they spend putting on and taking off protective clothing before and after their shifts: Paying overtime as required by federal law generally means no additional payment is due under Minnesota law.

Make sure employees record all hours they work

02/09/2011
Do you have an hourly employee who seems to be getting a tremendous amount of work done? Make sure she isn’t skipping breaks.

Women dominate state workforce, but still earn less than men

02/09/2011
In the wake of a recession that disproportionately caused job losses in male-dominated fields such as construction, Minnesota women are faring slightly better these days, according to new research by the nonprofit Independent Women’s Forum.

Understand Ohio unemployment comp: Breaking a rule isn’t enough to deny benefits

02/09/2011

You may think that discharging an employee for breaking a company rule automatically means that former employee won’t receive unemployment compensation in Ohio. But that’s not always the case. In fact, breaking a rule isn’t enough. Instead, the measure of whether you had just cause to fire the employee is whether an ordinary person would have done what the employee did under the same circumstances.

AK Steel settles, will pay more than $175 million to retirees

02/09/2011
AK Steel, based in West Chester outside Cincinnati, has settled a lawsuit brought by retirees after the company announced it would cut some retirees’ health benefits and begin charging premiums for others.

Avoiding pay complaints: 5 smart strategies

02/08/2011
The key to complying with the FLSA lies in accurate record-keeping. How you track hours is largely up to you, but you must beware several factors that can compromise wage-and-hour compliance. Here are five key strategies to help make sure you stay on the right side of the law.