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Compensation & Benefits

Tap into employee brainstorms via suggestion program

10/01/2004
Issue: Employees have great ideas every day. Is your organization tapping into them? Benefits: A properly managed suggestion program can improve morale, increase …

‘Use-it-or-lose-it’ vacation policy usually legal, but check state law

10/01/2004
If you have a vague (or nonexistent) vacation policy, you’re simply asking for a lawsuit. That’s why it’s important to make sure your organization clearly spells out whether employees can roll …

Supreme Court starts new term; age-bias case tops slim HR agenda

10/01/2004
The U.S. Supreme Court opens its new session Oct. 4, but so far, employment issues are taking a back seat to cases ranging from juvenile executions to wine trading. Expect the …

5 steps to help you take control of your workday

10/01/2004
Issue: How to succeed at work, stay sane and still get home on time. Benefit: By seizing control over your day, you boost your value to the organization and advance …

Convey policy changes by paper, not e-mail

09/01/2004
When in doubt, print it out. That’s the message from a recent court decision regarding whether company policies sent via e-mail are valid.
Even though the Labor Department has given …

Don’t embellish pay and perks to lure candidates; it will backfire

09/01/2004
Hiring negotiations can be a complex game. And in their zeal to convince someone to leave one job to take another, hiring managers may be tempted to go overboard.
That’s …

Your competitors are holding the line on pay raises

09/01/2004
Employers may be seeing some signs of an improved economy, but they’re not ready to commit to higher pay increases just yet, according to a new compensation-planning survey of 1,600 employers …

Converting temps to regular staff? Beware legal hazards

09/01/2004
One of the first indicators of an improving job market is a rise in temporary-help jobs. Why? Many organizations, still cautious about taking on full-time employees, test the market first by …

Study insurance policies for legally hazardous exclusions

09/01/2004
Probe the fine print on terms and conditions of employee benefits plans and other insurance policies covering employees. And if you’re shopping around for new coverage, pay attention to provisions or …

Don’t fire employee because of family’s high health costs

09/01/2004
With health insurance costs soaring, employers may be tempted to make hiring/firing decisions based on whether a person is a drain on the organization’s health costs. Our advice: Don’t even think …