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Compensation & Benefits

Any limits on time between shifts?

04/23/2014
Q. We need to schedule an employee for a shift from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. in order to close our store and begin a shift the next morning at 8 a.m. to open the store. Does California law require a minimum amount of time, such as 12 hours, in between scheduled shifts?

Is there a reason not to limit smoking breaks?

04/23/2014
Q. Two of our employees go outside to smoke almost every hour for about 10 minutes. Our other employees are starting to complain. Do we have to allow these 10-minute rest periods every hour?

San Diego newspaper delivery drivers awarded $5M

04/23/2014
Workers who delivered the San Diego Union-Tribune will split a $5 million judgment against the paper’s former owner. A state judge ruled that about 1,200 carriers who worked for the paper from 2005 to 2007 were employees, not independent contractors.

Papa John’s HQ pays up after franchisee stiffs workers

04/23/2014
The Papa John’s pizza chain has come through for employees left in the lurch when a franchisee in Sacra­­mento abruptly closed eight stores.

Continue benefits status during military leave

04/23/2014
Always count military leave as time worked. Simply pretend the worker is present and earning leave and other benefits. That principle applies to both your attendance policies and your FMLA practices.

ACA state exchanges get thumbs up from Consumer Reports

04/23/2014
Back in November, Consumer Reports magazine urged its readers to hold off on buying health insurance through websites operated by the state-based exchanges authorized by the Affordable Care Act. Now it holds a different view.

Summertime … and the living ain’t easy for Payroll

04/22/2014
For Payroll, time-off complications make summer about as special as that first sunburn. It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some no- or low-cost solutions that can take the sting out of summer.

Employees with less than $1,000 in retirement savings

04/21/2014
Employees know they should save for retirement. Nevertheless, the percentage of employees with less than $1,000 socked away has risen substantially since the economic collapse of 2008.

Casual atmosphere keeps iProspect employees engaged

04/18/2014
Employees of digital marketing firm iProspect play foosball and shoot hoops in between working with clients who hire the firm to boost their online presence.

Can we pay opportunity wages to a rehired employee?

04/18/2014
Q: Last March, we hired a staff member’s college freshman daughter for several weeks and we paid her the $4.25 an hour opportunity wage. We’d like to hire her again for the summer. Can we continue to pay her $4.25 an hour?