Compensation & Benefits

Obesity is Now a ‘Disease,’ AMA says; What’s That Mean for HR?

08/09/2013

The American Medical Association (AMA) this summer officially designated obesity as a “disease”—instead of as a condition. The AMA’s designation does not carry any official change in the law or regulations. But experts say it could increase the likelihood that obese employees will be deemed “disabled” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), plus increase your organization’s workers’ comp costs.

Hospital pumps benefits for nonsmoking employees

08/08/2013

As long as they don’t smoke, the 600 employees of Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital in Baltimore can get free annual physical exams and discounted medical plan premiums.

What are the rules for compensating nonexempts for overnight travel?

08/07/2013

Q. Several of our employees will be required to travel to another state for a seminar. What’s the rule for compensating nonexempt employees who take overnight business trips?

Retirement plans defined: A lexicon of benefits options

08/07/2013

Regardless of the kind of retirement plan your company offers, it pays to know what all your company’s options are. Here are definitions of five basic kinds of retirement plans.

Show-and-tell priorities: Kids, pets, parents

08/05/2013

Among American employers, 23% provide “Take your children to work” days, according to a recent SHRM survey.

What’s the right way to record work shifts?

08/01/2013

Q: How do we record this work shift: Our workweek begins and ends at midnight on Sunday. An employee works eight hours Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., for 40 hours, and then works an additional shift from 6:00 p.m. Saturday to 3:00 a.m. on Sunday?

2014: Renew your focus on top performers’ pay

07/31/2013

As the economy slowly gains strength, so do pay increases doled out by U.S. employers. Employers, on average, anticipate increasing employee salaries by 2.9% in 2014, a marginal boost from 2.8% this year and 2.7% in 2012 and 2011, according to an annual survey by consulting firm Mercer.

Consistent equal treatment trumps most retaliation claims

07/30/2013

Make sure you evenly apply your leave policies to all employees.

Which country is the world’s hardest-working?

07/29/2013

We do a good job of keeping our noses to the grindstone here in the United States, where the average employee puts in 1,798 hours per year. But we’ve got nothing on the world’s hardest-working industrialized countries.

What do we need to consider when crafting a policy on unpaid intern injuries?

07/26/2013

Q. We recently started to provide unpaid internship opportunities to local college students… The interns are not subject to the same process as other permanent or temporary employees in terms of background checks and workers’ compensation insurance. Now we’re looking at how best to structure this relationship to address issues such as what happens if an intern is hurt at a client facility. How should we approach this?