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Compensation & Benefits

Contesting unemployment benefits? Choose reason for denial and stick with it

09/26/2014
If you are going to oppose a former employee’s unemployment compensation application, determine what reasons you will present and stick to them. If you offer alternative reasons during the appeal process, chances increase that the court will allow the benefits.

When unpaid ‘gap time’ doesn’t violate FLSA

09/26/2014
With collective-action wage-and-hour claims on the rise, employers worry that they may be burned by unpaid work they didn’t even know employees were performing. But a recent appeals court decision provides a rare piece of good news: As long as employees haven’t worked more than 40 hours in any given workweek, so-called “gap time” between hours paid and hours worked doesn’t always mean liability.

Don’t let anyone alter hours on time records

09/26/2014

Sometimes, supervisors get the wrong message from upper-level managers struggling to keep a business afloat during difficult times. Faced with declining revenues and staff shortages that mean more overtime hours, they may be tempted to adjust time records to reflect fewer hours worked. But this is a dangerous tactic.

Web-based dealer adds slew of perks over 1-year period

09/25/2014

Car-shopping website Edmunds.com “can’t perform well without finding innovative ways to attract and retain top talent,” notes Avi Steinlauf, CEO of the Santa Monica, Calif., organization. To that end, the company has added a slew of employee perks over the past year.

2015 Social Security wage base update

09/24/2014
The Social Security Administration is days away from releasing the 2015 Social Security taxable wage base.

The wage gap is shrinking, sort of

09/23/2014
The Senate voted Sept. 15 to table the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have promoted pay equity between men and women.

Large companies flock to high-deductible plans

09/23/2014
Staff at 32% of large employers will have just one health insurance option in the coming year—a high-deductible plan.

California Legislature passes mandatory paid sick leave bill

09/19/2014
On Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014, in the early morning hours and amid controversy among labor supporters, the California Legislature passed a bill that provides workers with three paid sick days per year. Gov. Jerry Brown enthusiastically endorsed the bill’s passage and signed it into law on Sept. 10.

Construction firm gets nailed for double damages

09/19/2014
West Covina, Calif.-based G.M. Sager Con­­struction will pay $146,092 in overtime pay to 26 workers it failed to pay properly.

DOL drains Lucky River

09/19/2014
The owners of San Francisco’s Lucky River Restaurant have agreed to fork over $285,732 to eight employees after DOL investigators found they hadn’t re­­ceived minimum wages or overtime pay.