Compensation & Benefits

Walmart pay saga continues with appeal to Pa. Supreme Court

05/28/2013

Retail giant Walmart has appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, asking it to overturn a $187.6 million class-action verdict issued two years ago. That decision followed a 32-day trial in 2006 that sent shock waves through the Pennsylvania employer community.

OK to vary pay–as long as there’s no sex bias

05/28/2013

Employees are supposed to receive the same compensation for the same work regardless of sex. But that doesn’t mean you can’t pay some men more than some women, even if it’s crystal clear that they’re doing the exact same job. That’s because the Equal Pay Act allows for differences that can be accounted for by any factor other than sex.

Hey, kid, get a job! Rules for employing teens

05/27/2013

If you’re tempted to say that to the teenagers in your house, and thankful that someone else will be employing them this summer, remember that somewhere out there other parents are saying the very same thing to their teens. And you may end up employing them.

Make the case: Direct deposit saves big bucks

05/27/2013

According to research by the Electronic Payments Association and the American Payroll Association, an employer currently printing 500 weekly paychecks can save $82,000 each year by switching to direct deposit.

Game on! Competition is favored wellness motivator

05/25/2013

When U.S. employers seek better worker wellness, 62% of them turn to games and contests to encourage healthier behavior. Competition is widely seen as the most effective way to promote health engagement among employees, according to researchers at WorldatWork and Buck Consultants.

June 2013: Employer’s business tax calendar

05/25/2013

NOTE: Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays as observed in the District of Columbia are taken into account to determine due dates. Under the federal deposit rules, you’re allowed a deposit shortfall of the greater of $100 or 2% of your tax liability.

Women earn $24K less

05/24/2013

Women earn an average of $44,400 annually, compared to $68,300 for men, according to a study by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists.

Uncle Sam’s 2014 budget: Will it cap retirement savings?

05/24/2013

Recent FY2014 budget proposals by President Obama include a major change for retirement savers: A new $3 million limit would apply to assets in qualified retirement plans such as 401(k)plans, as well as defined-benefit pensions and IRAs.

ACA regs keep rolling along

05/23/2013

Full implementation of the Affordable Care Act health care reform law is mere months away, which means that the IRS and the Department of Health and Human Services have a lot of work to do in a short period of time. The latest regulations cover the 90-day waiting period for new employees and temporary reinsurance fees.

Special analysis: How to tax and deduct bonuses

05/22/2013

The IRS has confirmed that how you withhold income taxes from supplemental pay, such as bonuses—by using a flat withholding method or aggregating the supplemental pay with other wages—is entirely up to you; employees can’t specify a withholding method.