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.
What’s more, an athlete often has to deal with teammates, a coach, and management or governing bodies. There always seems to be something going on in the sporting world that lends itself to the drama of the human theater. There are a number of current situations playing themselves out that deserve some analysis and reflection […]
Small businesses that seek to improve their retirement plans should have access to more information from the federal government. That is the recommendation of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which in a recent report steers clear of advocating bold moves and suggests that the federal government improve what it’s already doing in order to better […]
“The difficult workers’ compensation problems are only one aspect of a multi-dimensional employment law problem.”, noted David Schmit in a BLR webinar titled “Workers’ Comp: How to Discipline or Terminate Claimants While Minimizing Your Legal Risks,”. If you’ve been considering firing an employee who is out on workers’ comp leave – or recently back from […]
The FLSA provides for several narrow exemptions from the requirement that bonuses be included in an employee’s regular rate of pay. The onus is on the employer to prove that a payment meets one of the exemption requirements. The exemptions include: Gifts, or payments in the nature of gifts, made at Christmas time or on […]
Bonuses Included in Overtime Calculations? Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), bonus payments are divided into discretionary and nondiscretionary types. Nondiscretionary bonuses are included in an employee’s regular rate of pay for the purpose of determining overtime, while discretionary bonuses are not included in an employee’s regular rate of pay to determine overtime. […]
6. Keep Your Door Open 80% of the Time [Go here for retention tips 1-5.] Let your people know you are accessible to them, says Cortes, author of the book, No Nonsense Retention. Avoid telling people to make an appointment or come back later. Make sure the time you do spend with your people is […]
“There’s good and bad turnover,” says Cortes, author of the book, No Nonsense Retention, which he characterizes as a collection of no-nonsense ways to retain your best people. Firing a non-performer—a slug— is good turnover. But when a top performer leaves to go elsewhere and your organization is left with a huge void, that’s bad […]
This is a serious issue; various government agencies have started to coordinate their efforts as they search for unauthorized workers. The smallest mistake in your paperwork or policies could lead to hefty fines and costly lawsuits. With the latest immigration crackdown under way, it’s crucial for you to make your I-9 administration run smoothly and […]
In a BLR webinar titled “New Year, New Laws, New Employee Handbook: What to Change and What to Keep in 2012,” Lisa Barnett Sween outlined some guidelines on what to include in employment handbooks and gave some guidance on the inclusion of paid time off (PTO) and other leave policies. Mandatory Unpaid Time Off to […]
Many, perhaps most, employers provide some coverage to employees’ dependents under the benefit plans they offer. But an employer needs to be careful when it does so. Many factors can complicate this coverage. Following are examples that highlight complicated situations that can arise for an employer that covers employees’ dependents and how an employer should address […]