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Compensation & Benefits

Bus service means no more excuses for stranded workers

02/02/2009

Thanks to a new program, Lancaster County workers no longer will have an excuse for refusing to work odd hours. The Red Rose Transit Authority is trying to expand the number of low-income riders who use the company’s van service to get to and from work before or after regular bus hours.

Root out unintentional pay discrimination

02/02/2009

Here’s yet another good reason to closely review employee compensation: Legislation overturning the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Lilly Ledbetter case has been enacted. Employees will now be able to sue their employers for any discriminatory pay decisions made years ago that still show up in current paychecks.

In pay discrimination cases, job duties—not titles—are what count for comparison

02/02/2009

Employees may assume that, just because they hold the same job title as another employee, they should receive the same pay. But the label an employer assigns to a job isn’t nearly as important as the job duties performed by the person holding the job.

Class actions aren’t just for large groups anymore

02/02/2009

When we think of class-action lawsuits, we usually think big. Such lawsuits can involve thousands of employees and millions of dollars. But they can also involve just a handful of employees, as a federal judge just ruled.

Anti-virus software maker must ward off wage & hour suit

02/02/2009

Add another big company to the list of those accused of shorting employees for overtime pay. A sales representative who worked for anti-virus software publisher McAfee recently filed suit claiming it violated the FLSA by failing to pay him overtime.

IRS issues ‘grab bag’ guidance on Health Savings Accounts

02/01/2009

The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service recently issued a notice providing additional guidance on Health Savings Accounts. Some of the rules will have an impact on administering these accounts, so HR professionals with benefits administration responsibilities need to be aware of the key highlights.

Employers cut ’09 salary budgets; raises fall below 3%

02/01/2009

Remember those surveys last summer forecasting steady 3.6% salary increases for 2009? Forget about it. U.S. workers, on average, are now projected to receive annual merit increases of between 2.3% and 3.0% …

Jobless claims crash unemployment comp system

01/27/2009

States—such as North Carolina—that have moved to electronic filing for unemployed workers have learned what can happen when too many people try to use the e-filing systems at the same time.

Workers have false confidence about benefits

01/27/2009
How much do your workers really understand about their employee benefits? A new study says U.S. employees truly understand less than they (or you) would think.

How much are you worth in today’s troubled economy?

01/27/2009

The global economic crisis that has forced U.S. employers to slash their salary budgets has not spared HR salaries. A new report says HR pros’ base pay and incentive compensation grew more slowly last year. Compensation isn’t expected to rebound in 2009, either. Find out where you stand.