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Compensation & Benefits

Noncash compensation counts toward minimum wage

01/01/2003
You probably don’t have employees living in your workplace, but a recent case illustrates your vulnerability to lawsuits if you keep workers tethered to the job, either physically or by phone, …

Employees can refuse to work due to safety fears, even at nonunion site

01/01/2003
Three apartment maintenance workers refused to scrape and paint a water-damaged ceiling after they saw a TV report on airborne-asbestos health risks. When they voiced a concern, their supervisor said there …

Check benefits compliance; new enforcement on the way

12/01/2002
The IRS and U.S. Labor Department are joining forces to make sure employee benefit plans comply with annual filing requirements under ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act), specifically Form 5500. …

You can’t shave employee’s bonus just because she took FMLA leave

12/01/2002
When the company Valerie Dierlam worked for was sold, the acquiring firm offered her a bonus of half her salary if she stayed for one year. She did, but the …

Person must be true employee to collect workers’ comp.

12/01/2002
Jerald Meyer was helping repair a wall at his wife’s restaurant when he fell from a ladder and suffered a serious brain injury. Meyer brought a claim under workers’ comp, claiming …

COBRA: Foolproof administration is key to compliance

12/01/2002
THE LAW. The federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1985 requires companies with group health plans to continue offering health insurance benefits to employees and their dependents for a …

Your benefits liability may not end with company sale

12/01/2002
While Denise Lessard was on disability leave, the company she worked for was sold. All employees were automatically employed by the acquiring firm as long as they were “actively employed” on …

HR pay: Has it hit bottom?

12/01/2002
Didn’t get much of a raise in 2002? You’re not alone. The struggling economy held HR pay in check as companies kept a tight rein on salary hikes. Pay nudged …

Dress codes: Strip away discrimination, ‘uniform’ dangers

12/01/2002
If your business is image-driven, now’s the time to take a closer look at how you regulate employee appearance. Reason: An increasing number of lawsuits are successfully challenging employers’ dress-code policies. …

Focus on Decision Making When Deciding Exempt Status

12/01/2002

Q. I believe that one of our employees falls within the administrative exemption under FLSA, but I’m not sure if he “regularly exercises discretion and independent judgment.” How can I make that determination? —A.C., Mississippi