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Compensation & Benefits

Humble drilling company to pay $580,000 in back OT

02/07/2011
Unit Texas Drilling has settled a DOL lawsuit that claimed the company stiffed 824 drillers, derrickmen and floor hands out of overtime wages they should have received. Now the company, based in Humble, will make good on its obligations under the FLSA—a total of $579,910.

Amtrak faces equal pay suit

02/04/2011
The EEOC is suing Amtrak for pay discrimination and retaliation, following allegations by a female HR manager in Pennsylvania that the railroad underpaid her because she is a woman.

Has the recession changed productivity expectations?

02/04/2011
A full 86% of U.S. executives say their company demands more time and commitment from employees now than when the recession began, according to Deloitte’s 2010 Ethics & Workplace Survey.

NYC bakery workers get dough as part of DOL wage settlement

02/02/2011
A Manhattan bakery will fork over $436,000 in back pay, interest and liquidated damages to 27 employees as part of the resolution of a U.S. Department of Labor wage-and-hour lawsuit.

Irked over stagnant pay, N.Y. judges favor ‘union’

02/02/2011
New York state judges have gone 12 years without a pay raise, making some of them a little hot under the robes. A survey conducted by two state judicial groups indicates that an overwhelming number of judges favor an association that could negotiate wages and benefits—in effect, a union.

Be prepared to justify newcomer’s higher pay

02/02/2011

Employers that pay new hires more than employees with the same or similar experience should be prepared to prove why they needed to sweeten the pot. Otherwise, they risk an Equal Pay Act lawsuit if it just so happens the hire is of the opposite sex as an incumbent.

Snow days: Must you pay when weather keeps workers home?

01/28/2011

In the wake of the recent snow emergencies that swept across the Northeast, many employers have been trying to figure out when and if they have to pay their employees when work is shut down due to severe weather conditions. For the most part, the answer depends on an employee’s status under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Always remind employees of their FMLA rights

01/28/2011
Some employers are especially generous when it comes to allowing employees time off for illness and other needs. Some even pay employees during their leave and allow them to use accumulated leave that extends far beyond 12 weeks. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t also tell employees about their FMLA rights.

N.J. family-leave tax rates, benefits lower for 2011

01/28/2011
New Jersey employees will be making smaller contributions to the state’s family leave fund this year than they did in 2010. Last year, workers paid 0.12% of their wages until they reached the maximum amount of $35.64 per year. For this year, the rate is 0.06%, with an annual cap of $17.76.

Are we allowed to require overtime?

01/28/2011
Q. Right now, we don’t want to hire anyone permanently and think it would be more cost effective to require our employees to work overtime instead. Can we force employees to work overtime?