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Compensation & Benefits

September 2014: Employer’s business tax calendar

08/31/2014
This is your monthly guide to critical payroll due dates.

If fired employee was truly awful, do I still have to give him final wages?

08/29/2014
Q. I just fired one of my employees for his constant tardiness. Because it is currently in the middle of a pay period, the employee has some wages due to him. When must I pay him these wages, and am I even required to pay him? I mean, I did fire him for being a terrible employee.

Court OKs PTO for exempt employees’ partial-day absences

08/29/2014
Employers often confuse the strict rules limiting the docking of exempt employees’ salary with different rules relating to partial-day deductions under vacation or paid time off policies.

Former Pink Poodle pole dancers seek back pay

08/29/2014
Eleven former exotic dancers at San Jose’s Pink Poodle strip club are suing, claiming they were misclassified as independent contractors and thus failed to receive minimum wages and overtime pay. Additionally, they claim the misclassification deprived them of health insurance.

California Supreme Court makes independent contractor status tougher for motor carriers

08/29/2014
If your company is classified as a motor carrier, don’t expect the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (FAAAA) to protect you from misclassification claims. That’s the lesson learned by one motor carrier after a recent Cali­­for­­nia Supreme Court decision.

In California, raise arbitration issue before administrative hearing on unpaid wages

08/29/2014
If you use an arbitration clause in your application or require employees to arbitrate claims, try to get the case moved to arbitration as soon as possible after the employee files a wage claim with the Cali­­for­­nia Department of Indus­­trial Rela­­tions.

How much do those ‘fat cat’ CEOs really make?

08/29/2014
Looking at a broad swath of U.S. corporations—not just large, publicly traded ones—it turns out that only a handful of CEOs crack the $1 million mark in annual cash compensation.

ACA credits: Status quo for now

08/29/2014

The IRS isn’t planning on changing how it administers the ACA’s premium tax credit, said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. Koskinen was reacting to dueling federal appellate court decisions on eligibility for the credit, both issued on July 22.

Health care costs growing slower than expected

08/28/2014
Spending on health care rose less than 0.3% this summer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a strong sign that the health-cost curve may be flattening over the long term.

Sweet dreams: The upside of lying down on the job

08/28/2014
Some employers are encouraging workers to sleep on the job. The Society for Human Resource Management’s 2014 poll of HR pros says 6% of workplaces have nap rooms where employees can catch up on their Z’s.