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Compensation & Benefits

Per-employee health benefit costs up slightly in 2014

10/22/2013
Employers expect health benefit costs per employee will rise by 4.8% on average in 2014, based on early responses from an annual survey conducted by Mercer.

Teleconference firm keeps employee fitness in focus

10/22/2013
Twice a week, a group of ReadyTalk employees meets at the company’s on-site gym for yoga class. On occasion, staff members enjoy head-and-neck massages, acupuncture and visits from a chiropractor—right at the office.

5 most common recognition awards

10/21/2013
More than three-quarters of em­­ployers polled say they hand out certificates and plaques to reward employee accomplishments. Frankly, we’ll trade a plaque for a tasty snack any day.

Health clinic is latest wellness perk at bio-tech firm

10/18/2013
With 400 employees, Colorado-based AlloSource is joining the ranks of much larger organizations as it launches an on-site health clinic for its staff. Employees of the nonprofit tissue-donation organization (and their dependents) have access to the clinic, part of the company’s wellness program.

Office manager off the hook for the 100% penalty, for now

10/17/2013

Fail to deposit your payroll taxes on time and the IRS can go after anyone in the company it considers to be a responsible person. The IRS recently lost its bid to hold an office manager responsible after a federal trial court ruled that whether she was a responsible person was a matter for a jury to decide.

Employers forecast health benefit costs to rise slightly in 2014

10/16/2013
U.S. employers expect health benefit cost per employee will rise by 4.8% on average in 2014, according to early responses from an annual survey by consulting firm Mercer. Cost growth slowed to 4.1% in 2012, a 15-year low. The projected increase for 2014, while still relatively low, represents a slight uptick in the rate of growth.

IRS/DOL extend benefits to all same-sex married couples

10/16/2013
Under new IRS and DOL guidance, legally married same-sex couples are entitled to all federal spousal tax and ERISA benefits, even if they live in states that don’t recognize same-sex marriage.

Lady Gaga assistant’s suit moves closer to trial

10/14/2013
Jennifer O’Neill, former personal assistant to entertainer Lady Gaga, is one step closer to getting her day in court. She claims Mother Monster kept her on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for over a year. Her lawsuit seeks overtime pay for every hour of each of those days.

Sheetz execs take N.C. recognition party on the road

10/14/2013
Sheetz execs celebrated the convenience store chain’s placement on a statewide “best companies” list this summer with a rolling party that brought them to all 56 of the organization’s North Carolina locations.

May we collect ‘walkout’ shortages from tips?

10/10/2013
Q. We operate several restaurants and have issues with customers who walk out without paying. We expect our ­servers to help prevent this and want to implement a program that makes servers responsible for these losses. May we deduct the amount of the shortage from employees’ gratuities instead of their wages?