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Compensation & Benefits

Can we refuse to cooperate with a lender on a wage assignment?

04/01/2008
Q. Handling wage assignments seems like a lot of trouble. What if we skip the whole thing? Can we get in trouble? …

Are we allowed to punish employees whose wages are assigned?

04/01/2008
Q. I’m suspicious of employees who can’t handle their own financial affairs. Frankly, I’d rather not have irresponsible people working here. Can I fire an employee whose wages are assigned? …

Never manipulate time sheets to falsely show hours worked

04/01/2008
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the California Labor Code both require employers to keep meticulous records to prove employees are properly compensated. Paper records such as time sheets and pay stubs must accurately show what hours employees actually worked and the pay they earned. Violate those rules at your peril! …

Simple pay mistakes can cost big bucks

04/01/2008
What’s being underpaid $44.63 worth? It netted one lucky California employee more than $10,000 …

Deducting stolen funds from paychecks

04/01/2008
Q. My company terminated an employee suspected of stealing from her cash drawer. May we subtract the missing amount from her final paycheck? …

Payroll records: Timekeeping for exempt, nonexempt workers

04/01/2008
Federal wage-and-hour laws require you to have a reliable system to accurately keep track of employees’ hours and pay. Casual timekeeping systems can easily trigger a back-wage lawsuit. Here’s the bottom line on how to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act’s complicated requirements.

Ohio firms make Fortune’s ‘Best to work for’ list

04/01/2008
Fortune magazine recently published its 2008 list of “100 Best Companies to Work For,” and four companies headquartered in Ohio made the list …

Christmas card flap closed

04/01/2008
After discouraging lobbyists from sending Christmas cards last holiday season, the State Ethics Commission has ruled that holiday cards are not gifts and may be sent to state officials without fear of violating state law …

Need a creative, feel-Good way to thank employees?

04/01/2008
With so-called “giving certificates” (www.charitychecks.us), you select the gift-check amount and the recipient picks the charity …

Supreme Court allows employees to sue for 401(k) losses

04/01/2008
In a decision that could spark more lawsuits against retirement plan administrators, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Feb. 20 that participants in 401(k) plans could sue to recover losses if they think their accounts were mismanaged …