• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Compensation & Benefits

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).

Moving? Remember to tell IRS

06/24/2013
If your business is moving, be sure to file Form 8822-B with the IRS. Failure to notify the IRS of a change of address recently prevented a taxpayer from contesting a lien for unpaid taxes.

Summer Payroll maintenance: It’s time to tidy up!

06/24/2013
Summer is the perfect time to perform simple payroll maintenance tasks. Here are some items you can check off your to-do list.

ACA young-adult provisions shifting health costs to insurers

06/21/2013
The Affordable Care Act provision that allows adult children to remain on their parents’ health insurance policies through age 26 shifted at least $147 million in health care costs from patients and hospitals to insurance companies in 2011, according to a RAND Corp. study.