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Compensation & Benefits

Retirement plans growing in post-recession rebound

10/31/2013
Since the Great Recession ended, a higher percentage of employees work for employers that offer retirement plans and a higher percentage of them are participating in the plans, according to a report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Draft severance agreements to prevent future lawsuits

10/30/2013
Have a lawyer draft any release that accompanies a severance payment. If the employee sues and the release was carefully written, the court will probably say it bars suing—and may require repaying severance money before the worker can even try challenging the release’s validity.

Save money upon termination by including ‘use it or lose it’ leave policy in handbook

10/30/2013
Here’s another reason your hand­­book must include clear, concise and specific explanations of vacation and other leave policies: By carefully explaining that em­­ployees who quit forfeit unused leave, you won’t have to pay them for that un­­used time under the North Caro­­lina Wage and Hour Act.

FICA wage base, retirement contribution limits increase for 2014

10/30/2013
Uncle Sam has released new cost-of-living adjustments affecting Social Security tax withholding and retirement plans for 2014.

March of Dimes offers array of benefits to expectant employees

10/30/2013
CEO Dr. Jennifer L. Howse says the March of Dimes’ attention to employee benefits reflects its mission of supporting healthy families, starting with its own employees.

Can work continue during paid lunch break?

10/29/2013
Q. Our hourly employees have a paid 30-minute lunch break. Sometimes we ask them to do some work during that time. Is this OK since we pay them or are we required to provide them with a complete break?

Must we offer benefits to same-sex partners?

10/29/2013
Q. One of our employees claims she has a marriage certificate for herself and her female partner and now wants to put that partner on her insurance plan. Do we have to do that?

Worker fired for lack of wheels is eligible for unemployment

10/29/2013
A former employee of Bell Sociali­­zation Services in York has won unemployment compensation benefits after she was fired for not having “reliable transportation.”

EEOC: Even Guardian Angel must honor settlement

10/29/2013
Pittsburgh’s Guardian Angel Ambu­­lance Service faces an EEOC lawsuit alleging it breached a previous settlement agreement with a now-deceased former employee.

2014 holiday scheduling: Compare your plans to other employers

10/29/2013
Are you offering too many (or too few) holidays off work for your employees? To compare your holiday closing plans with those of other U.S. employers, review these findings of the 2014 Holiday Schedules survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) …