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Compensation & Benefits

Enhanced pay report proposed for fed contractors

10/27/2014
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a Notice of Proposed Rule­­making that would require the Office of Federal Contract Com­­pliance Programs to collect pay data from federal contractors.

Forget the gold watch! Present last check instead

10/27/2014

Employees who quit in California must receive their last checks within 72 hours if the employee provides no advance notice. If the worker does provide at least 72 hours’ notice, the payment must be immediate. But what about employees who announce their retirement—presumably at least 72 hours before their last workday?

Complicated compensation formula? Prepare to spell out all details in court

10/27/2014
Here’s a warning for employers with overly complicated compensation systems: If someone believes the pay plan is discriminatory, you’ll probably have to spend considerable time explaining the system in court. Simpler may be better.

Pursuit of SoCal dentist shows wage law has teeth

10/27/2014
For a Southern California cook, getting paid was like pulling teeth. For five months he was a private chef for a dentist, but was never paid.

Withholding on bonuses: The 25% solution (or not)?

10/27/2014
Q: The company pays bonuses to employees every fall. We’ve run across several 2014 W-4 forms on which employees claim an exemption from federal and state income tax withholding. Can we still withhold using the 25% flat supplemental withholding rate for federal purposes?

Nov. 2: Time to fall back

10/24/2014
Don’t forget daylight saving time’s effect on the payroll department.

Most executives back higher minimum wage

10/23/2014
With state, local and midterm elections approaching, the minimum wage remains one of the nation’s top socioeconomic and political issues. Recent national polls have shown support for minimum wage increases among voters at large, and according to a new CareerBuilder survey, most executives are right there with them.

Rules allow employees to opt out of cafeteria plan coverage

10/23/2014
Cafeteria plans may, but aren’t required to, allow employees who experience a change in status (such as a change in marital status) to change or revoke their elections. The IRS has expanded the conditions under which cafeteria plans may allow employees to revoke their elections to participate in group health plans to account for individual coverage that’s available on the exchange, which may be a better deal for them.

IRS lets employees drop cafeteria coverage, choose ACA plans

10/22/2014
The IRS has expanded the conditions under which cafeteria plans may allow employees to revoke their participation in group health plans to account for individual coverage that’s available on the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges. That could save them money.

SHOP 2015: Buying health insurance on the ACA exchanges

10/22/2014
Under final ACA regulations, open enrollment for the 2015 plan year begins Nov. 15, 2014, for small employers that buy group health plans through the federally run Small Business Health Options Program. State-based SHOPs can set their own open enrollment periods.