Archives

Flex Arrangements—Outmoded Laws Are a Chokehold

Fortney is a co-founder of law firm Fortney & Scott, LLC in Washington, DC, and is editor of the Federal Employment Law Insider. He made his remarks about FWAs at SHRM’s Employment Law and Legislative Conference, held recently in the nation’s capitol. What Are Flexible Workplace Arrangements? First, says Fortney, here are the typical alternatives […]

Pay-for-Performance—Is Management Willing?

Green, who is a principal at Hay Group, offered her tips at a recent webinar sponsored by HRHero/BLR. In yesterday’s Advisor, she suggested that compensation managers ask three key questions before launching a pay-for-performance program. [Go here for Question 1] Question 2. Is Management Willing to Differentiate? At the heart of pay-for-performance is paying higher […]

Controversial Gay Rights Ordinance Goes into Effect in Omaha

by Mark M. Schorr As of March 28, 2012, a new protected category has been created under the Omaha Municipal Ordinance enforced by Omaha’s Human Rights and Relations Department. Omaha residents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender are now protected from discrimination in the same way that sex, race, national origin, age, marital status, […]

Beyond Discrimination: What Else Can You Be Sued for?

West, principal of Employment Practices Specialists in Pacifica, CA, offered her tips at SHRM’s Employment Law and Legislative Conference, held recently in Washington, DC. Defamation In the HR world, defamation often rears itself in relation to references. What exactly is defamation? West says that it has the following characteristics: False statement of fact (opinions are […]

Bonuses and Gift Cards—Probably Taxable

Tax Consequences of Bonuses Bonuses paid in consideration for services rendered are almost always taxable wages subject to income tax withholding, FICA, and FUTA. These include production, incentive, and nondeferred profit sharing bonuses. The Internal Revenue Service has also ruled that bonuses paid to employees for signing or ratifying an employment contract are considered wages […]

Supreme Court Set to Decide Future of Health Care Reform

The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments regarding a challenge to the massive health care reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), enacted in March 2010. The Court revealed how important it considers this case by hearing around six hours of oral arguments over the span of three days, when it […]

Waiting Time Penalties for Final Pay

Yesterday, we looked at the rules for final pay in California, including the deadlines by which you must pay employees who are leaving either voluntarily or involuntarily. What happens if you miss those deadlines?

Pay-for-Performance? Three Questions to Ask First

Green, who is a principal at consultant Hay Group, offered her tips at a recent webinar sponsored by HRHero/BLR. What Pay-for-Performance Is (And Isn’t) First, says Green, it’s important to clarify what is pay for performance and what isn’t. Pay for performance, she says is: Any type of compensation or reward that is provided only […]

There’s No Such Thing As Lawsuit Avoidance in 2012

Special from SHRM Employment Law and Legislative Conference Washington, DC In yesterday’s Advisor, we highlighted attorney Jonathan Segal’s tips for communicating with the C-suite. Today, his take on lawsuit avoidance, plus an introduction to the all-HR-in-one website, HR.BLR.com. Segal, a partner with Duane Morris law firm in Philadelphia, shared his expertise at SHRM’s Employment Law […]