Compensation & Benefits

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?

State High Court rules that tips are always wages