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Compensation & Benefits

Adult care facilities cited for wage theft violations

06/27/2013
Three Bay Area adult care facilities face nearly $600,000 in fines for not paying overtime or the minimum wage and failing to provide meal breaks.

When terminating or laying off employees, be sure to pay out accrued leave

06/27/2013
California wage-and-hour law requires employers that provide vacation benefits to pay out unused vacation immediately upon termination. However, there’s an exception for union workplaces if the employer and union clearly and unmistakably agree to waive that payment.

Temp nursing firm settles wage claims for $1.77 million

06/27/2013
U.S. Nursing Corp., a temp agency that provides replacement nurses to hospitals when staff go on strike, has agreed to pay $1.77 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by California employees.

Court to decide: Are meal-break waivers legal?

06/27/2013
Here’s an important case to watch if some of your em­­ployees can’t take regular meal breaks. The Court of Appeal of California will soon determine if an agreement requiring employees to eat while working (and being paid) violates California labor codes for one class of employees.

Pay regular salary to preserve exempt status

06/27/2013
Adhere to standard payroll practices if you want to avoid paying unnecessary overtime for otherwise exempt employees. One of those standards is to pay a set salary regardless of the quantity or quality of work performed in a particular week.

DOMA strike-down will ripple through HR

06/27/2013
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 26 ruled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, a decision that has already set in motion a sweeping rewrite of federal rules affecting employee benefits administration and payroll operations.

Gas cards and gift cards: Are they taxable benefits, or not?

06/27/2013
Q: An employee who has a gas card gets reimbursed 100% every month from Accounts Payable. Is this a taxable benefit? If so, how much is taxable—the full amount or the portion related to personal use?

Truckers put brakes on OT suit, accept settlement

06/26/2013
Gravel truck drivers at a Houston-area concrete company will split $173,863 in back overtime pay following a settlement with their employer, Porter Ready Mix. Instead of paying the 16 truckers an hourly rate, the company paid them by the trip.

Domino’s rewards boss for saving stranger’s life

06/25/2013
Domino’s Pizza recognizes employees for their best work, even when it’s not about pizza. The winner of its national Delivering More award won it after he dropped the pizza he was about to deliver and jumped into a river to help rescue a drowning man.

2014 inflation adjustments for HSAs/HDHPs released

06/25/2013
The IRS has announced the 2014 inflation-adjusted figures for health savings accounts (HSAs) and high-deductible health plans (HDHPs).