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Compensation & Benefits

Different vacation policies are legal if done fairly

08/01/2003

Q. We are rewriting our vacation pay policy. Currently, we have two categories of hourly employees. Can we offer 10 vacation days after two years to some employees and five days for the same period to other employees? Can we offer different benefits to salaried and hourly employees? —S.P., Washington

Indefinite leave is not a ‘reasonable accommodation’

08/01/2003
Issue: How long must you accommodate medical-related leaves of absence?
Benefit: Court rulings give you legal backing to draw a line in the calendar.
Action: Don’t let employees …

Pay for ‘donning, doffing’ time but not for time spent waiting

08/01/2003
As shown by a few recent high-profile court cases, employees should be paid for time spent at the workplace putting on and taking off required work clothes and equipment …

Pay for Prep Time if It’s ‘Integral’ to Job

08/01/2003

Q. We expect our bank tellers to be at their workstations and ready to open at 9:15 a.m. Should the tellers punch in before or after they go to the safe and get their money? —L.S., Michigan

When must you pay for employees’ ‘on-call’ time?

08/01/2003
Issue: Many employers trip over the issue of when to pay on-call workers.
Risk: One mistake can result in big damages, forcing you to pay several workers for years of …

Don’t change benefits without union’s knowledge.

08/01/2003
For more than 30 years, a company sponsored blood donation drives twice a year. Employees could participate during paid work time. But when the com-pany changed its policy, …

Big settlement over dress code will spark scrutiny of uniform law

08/01/2003
Avoid dress-code rules that have no clear business reason or health and safety reason, plus check with your state labor department to see if your state has a pay-for-uniform …

Examine entire contractor link, not just uniforms

08/01/2003

Q. Can our company require an independent contractor to wear a specific uniform? And can we stipulate that the contractor buy the uniform through us? —A.C., California

Ease bumpy workplace re-entry for returning reservists

08/01/2003
Issue: Reservists returning from war create special challenges for your work force and your organization.
Risk: Loss of productivity and distractions among staff; reservists may face challenges at work and …

ERISA: No need to defer to employees’ physicians in disability disputes.

07/01/2003
When a dispute arises over whether an employee’s injury makes him eligible for disability benefits, you don’t have to defer to the employee’s personal …