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Compensation & Benefits

Is mortgage meltdown affecting your employees, applicants?

10/01/2007

Recently, more and more Georgia homeowners are having trouble paying their mortgages. In fact, Georgia is in the top five states for foreclosures this year. And that’s driving down home prices, as foreclosed properties flood the Georgia market, especially in the Atlanta metro area. Here’s why that’s important for employers …

Prepare employees for benefits changes or lose their trust

09/25/2007

As your organization shifts more responsibility to employees to manage their own health and retirement expenses, you risk alienating your work force. But it doesn’t have to be that way …

Cut health insurance costs by uncovering ineligible dependents

09/25/2007

Employers are looking for ways to cut health care costs, which continue to rise each year. One of the easiest ways to trim that expensive bill: Make sure each employee’s dependents are actually eligible for coverage. Here’s how to conduct an eligibility audit.

USERRA: An Employer’s Guide to Military Leave Law

09/25/2007
Login Email Address Password I forgot my password To continue reading this page, become an HR Specialist Premium Plus member today! Your subscription includes: Ask the Attorney: Answers to your HR legal questions Compliance Guidance: Access to 7,000 HR news articles, updated daily, sorted by state State-by-State: Summaries of HR laws in all 50 states […]

Independent Contractor or Employee? How to Make The Call

09/18/2007
White Paper published by The HR Specialist ______________________ For years, the IRS has relied on a 20-factor test to determine whether a worker is considered an “employee” or an “independent contractor.” Conferring contractor status on a worker often benefits the employer, who is then not obligated to withhold income tax or to pay Social Security […]

Battle of the benefits: PTO bank may calm parent vs. nonparent tension

09/18/2007

Parents vs. nonparents. Gen Y vs. Gen X and the baby boomers. In some workplaces, there’s growing tension over benefits inequality. HR better listen if employees complain that they’re getting worse benefits than their co-workers. One solution: Paid time off banks can help calm discontent.

Pregnancy & maternity leave: A legal guide and sample policy

09/11/2007
White Paper published by HR Specialist, copyright 2007 _________________________________ When an employee announces she’s pregnant, her employer better be able to deliver more than just congratulations. You need legally sound, consistent policies and practices to ward off potential pregnancy complications of your own. It’s important to know what you must do—and what you can’t do […]

Save on tuition aid by managing colleges like vendors

09/01/2007

Tuition-aid budgets currently account for 10% to 12% of overall training costs, says Jeanne Meister, a corporate learning consultant and former vice president of market development at Accenture Learning. “That (increase) could grow out of proportion unless employers put the brakes on and manage tuition assistance,” says Meister. “It will be a big issue in five years.”  Here are six practical tips to help you manage tuition-assistance programs like your vendor relationships …

University of Michigan employee uses card to swipe $160,000

09/01/2007

In the third known case of employees abusing University of Michigan credit cards, a former maintenance supervisor at the university has admitted stealing $160,000. He faces a hearing to determine restitution …

Can employees agree to waive their FMLA rights?

09/01/2007

Q. I have been told the company cannot require an employee to sign a valid release of a potential FMLA claim. We recently have gone through a downsizing. We have a severance policy that provides a nice benefit, but to qualify, the employee must sign a general release promising not to sue the company over any employment-related matter. The release includes any claim under the FMLA. Is that OK? …