Category: Benefits and Compensation

This topic provides guidance on how to handle compensation issues in a way that attracts and retains the best talent and advances the strategic goals of your business. You get news and tips on what’s going on nationally and in the states, and updates on changes in regulations, possible governmental action, and emerging compensation trends.

terminate

Is Social Awkwardness a Valid Reason to Terminate an Employee?

When it comes to uncomfortable situations, some people gravitate more toward the “awkward turtle” end of the spectrum than the “social butterfly.” When an ill-timed joke costs an employee her job, however, is she entitled to unemployment benefits?

Pay

Pay Actions: An Introduction for HR Professionals

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about compensation practices that included a brief look at pay approaches including single-rate pay, step-based pay, and a slew of pay differentials. Taking it a step further, this article is about pay actions and explains the types, why they occur, and how they’re communicated to employees.

Walmart Raises Starting Pay. Will Others Follow?

The world’s largest private employer has announced it will raise starting pay for all its U.S. workers to $11 per hour. The change, which takes effect with the Feb. 17 pay cycle, is the latest in a series of salary increases, aimed at better wages for associates.

benefits

Talent Retention: Nearly 25% of Workers Say Their Employer Does Not Offer ANY Benefits

Nearly 25% of full-time employees in the U.S. do not receive benefits, such as health insurance, retirement savings plan, or paid vacation, from their employers, according to a new survey by Clutch, a B2B research firm. These findings suggest that by not offering a benefits package, businesses risk losing out on top talent during the […]

farm

Nebraska Supreme Court OK’s Employee’s Vocational Rehabilitation Plan

Nebraska law permits the Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Court to approve vocational rehabilitation plans to facilitate certain injured workers’ return to gainful employment. Read on to learn about the Nebraska Supreme Court’s recent decision on what the law means to “restore” an employee to work in “suitable employment.”

More Employees Expected to Quit This Year Because of Salary

A new survey from job site Glassdoor finds that 35 percent of hiring decision makers expect more employees to quit in 2018. Among those surveyed nearly half (45 percent) indicate that salary is the top reason for employees changing jobs, followed by career advancement opportunities, benefits, and location.

benefits

An Introduction to Cafeteria Plans: Permitted Tax-Exempt and Taxable Benefits

By definition, cafeteria plans allow employees to choose between cash and a variety of employer-provided benefits without having to include the value of their chosen benefits as taxable income. Cafeteria plans are popular because they allow employees to design individualized benefits programs that suit their own special needs.