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Compensation & Benefits

Fix leave errors before they become expensive mistakes

12/03/2013
Make sure employees receive the leave they’re entitled to under Cali­­for­­nia’s Fair Employment and Hous­­ing Act (FEHA). If a supervisor terminates an employee under the mistaken belief she’s at-will and can be fired for poor attendance—when she’s really eligible for medical leave—fix the mistake immediately.

Get expert help with arbitration agreements

12/03/2013
If there is an area of the law that remains confusing for ­employers, it’s arbitration agreements. Here’s the latest twist in the legal saga of what’s a good agreement and what’s not.

7 questions to ask about your year-end bonus plan

12/03/2013
If your company will hand out holiday bonuses this year, do it with purpose. Here are seven questions to ask before you start writing the checks.

Streamlined refunds allowed for post-DOMA payroll taxes

12/03/2013
The demise of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) means that employers and same-sex married em­­­ployees are in line for payroll tax refunds. To expedite the process, the IRS is providing three optional streamlined refund procedures.

ACA SHOPs postponed one year, HHS urges using brokers instead

12/02/2013
Small business owners won’t be able go online to buy health insurance for their employees until November 2014. Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services suggests doing it the old-fashioned way—through a broker.

5th Circuit adds confusion to OT in misclassification cases

12/02/2013
It just got more complicated to calculate the overtime pay you owe a misclassified employee. In Black v. SettlePou P.C., the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a district court’s ruling concerning the proper methodology for calculating damages when an employee is misclassified as exempt.

Stormy weather: How to pay when Old Man Winter causes absences

12/02/2013

When harsh winter weather bumps up against the FLSA, the result can be a blizzard of pay problems for you. Employees often come in late, leave early or miss work altogether. How should you count their hours—and their pay? Here’s a flowchart that breaks down your options.

10 hot gifts on employees’ holiday wish lists

12/02/2013
A year-end bonus isn’t the only way an organization can say “Happy Holidays!” to hard-working employees. Here are 10 alternatives to cash:

FMLA: Military Family Leave

12/01/2013

HR Law 101: The National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 granted new leave rights to family members of men and women who serve in the military. Because the NDAA amended the FMLA, the changes apply only to employers with 50 or more employees.

Is probationary employee entitled to holiday pay?

11/29/2013
Q. Are we required to offer holiday pay to employees who are within their 90-day probationary period? Or can we start paying extra for holiday work only after the probationary period is complete?