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Compensation & Benefits

IRS limits dumping employees on ACA exchanges

07/07/2014
Employers contemplating simply giving employees tax-free cash to purchase health insurance on public exchanges will have to rethink that plan in light of new IRS regulations implementing the Affordable Care Act.

TGI Fridays served with class-action lawsuit

07/07/2014
Hospitality giant Carlson Res­­tau­­rants, headquartered in Caroll­­ton, faces a class-action suit alleging numerous Fair Labor Standards Act violations at TGI Fridays restaurants nationwide.

NLRB dings Fort Worth company for contract violation

07/07/2014
Three employees of FTSS Joint Ven­­ture will receive $105,000 in back pay and damages after the NLRB ruled the company violated the National Labor Relations Act when it unilaterally eliminated one job and created new, lower-paying positions to replace those held by the employees.

Thinking about skipping workers’ comp? Get ready to risk unlimited liability

07/07/2014
Here’s something to consider before you choose not to be a part of the Texas workers’ compensation system. Employers that forego coverage—as they are permitted to do—leave open the possibility of unlimited liability and have few defenses available.

Bonuses are back, more popular than ever

07/07/2014
A downward trend for bonuses that began with the 2009 recession has been reversed. Part of the reason: Employers may be substituting bonuses for traditional merit raises.

A shot of undergrad studies for Starbucks employees

07/03/2014
Coffee giant Starbucks has a new plan to retain smart, ambitious workers: It’s going to reimburse tuition and offer financial aid for employees who take online college courses offered by Arizona State University.

Act this month to dodge penalties for W-2 problems

07/03/2014
Procrastinators beware: Aug. 1 is rapidly approaching. That’s when penalties more than triple, from $30 to $100 per form, up to $1.5 million, for these W-2 indiscretions: failing to file 2013 W-2s in the first place or filing incorrect 2013 W-2s that you haven’t yet corrected.

What should we do? Her request for time off was denied, so she called in sick

07/02/2014
Q. What do we do if an employee calls in sick even though her request for time off was denied?

Harrisburg, Pa. strip club faces FLSA undressing

07/02/2014
A Harrisburg area gentlemen’s club faces a federal lawsuit alleging it failed to pay exotic dancers the minimum wage and proper overtime. Four dancers filed suit in federal court charging the club violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by misclassifying them as independent contractors.

Male employee needs to ‘support his family’: Is that a legal reason to pay him more?

07/02/2014
Here’s a warning for any HR pro or supervisor involved in hiring or pay decisions: Avoid sexist comments about compensation, and steer clear of increasing an employee’s salary because he’s the family breadwinner and, thus, “needs” more money.