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Payroll

Partial-week suspensions can strip workers’ exempt status

08/01/2001
Los Angeles and its Department of Water and Power occasionally suspended salaried employees without pay, and now it may have to pony up overtime for groups of employees. The …

Continuing deductions slams correction window shut

06/01/2001
Don’t wait until someone questions his exempt status to check whether you’ve been making improper pay deductions and then try to correct the situation. Although there’s a “window of correction” …

Take all steps needed for accurate time records

06/01/2001

Q. About a year ago, our company replaced manual time clocks and punch cards with a computerized system, so each employee would punch in and out on the computer. The information is downloaded directly to the payroll department. Despite numerous reminders, from stickers to manager meetings, we still have a chronic problem of employees failing to clock in or out of work. Any suggestions? —M.M., Minnesota

Supreme Court says ERISA trumps state beneficiary laws

05/01/2001
The U.S. Supreme Court recently gave payroll administrators a break under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) by ruling that they don’t have to monitor conflicting state laws regarding beneficiaries. …

Don’t let timecard mistake delay prompt payments

05/01/2001

Q. Because of a problem with timecards, we couldn’t tell how much pay we owed some employees. What is our obligation to pay employees if we can’t determine the exact number of hours worked? Is there any penalty for the delayed payment? — I.V., Wisconsin

Changing work conditions may strip worker’s exemption

03/01/2001
As a U-Haul field manager, William Whitesides spent a lot of time on the road visiting dealerships. But soon after he had an accident, Whitesides was reassigned to office work, …

Sales staff may be exempt from minimum wage

03/01/2001

Q. We are planning to change the pay of one employee from straight salary to a lower salary plus commission. How can we do this without violating wage law? —G.T., South Dakota

Commission must be paid at same time as wages

03/01/2001

Q. We have a written employment contract with a worker that includes her salary, but an additional sheet attached to that outlines the commission structure. If the employee resigns with a month’s notice, what is our obligation to pay approximately $10,500 in earned commissions? —P. D., Pennsylvania

Rein in workers’ compensation costs

02/01/2001
Workers’ compensation insurers are ex-pecting premium hikes this year, some as much as 20 percent. Here are some ways to keep your costs down: Clamp down on cheats. Experts …

Employment law by the numbers: Know which laws to ignore

02/01/2001
Business is booming and you’re adding staff. Along with those new workers, you may be picking up an alphabet-soup of new legal burdens that grant new rights to your employees, ADA …