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Compensation & Benefits

Shoddy work may cost unemployment benefits

07/13/2012
Are you frustrated with an employee who seems to never get the job done right? Before you terminate her, give her plenty of opportunity to improve. Show her what she is supposed to do and document when she doesn’t.

Ensure you can justify gender pay disparities

07/13/2012

There may be many reasons em­­ployees end up earning different salaries for similar work. Pay disparities often grow gradually, over time. That can mean big trouble under the Equal Pay Act. If you aren’t tracking all pay changes and noting the reason, you may end up liable for sex discrimination.

DOL makes Gainesville eatery pay more than just tips

07/12/2012
“Nopalera” is Spanish for a “patch of prickly cactus.” That’s exactly where the owners of a Gainesville restaurant called La Nopalera found themselves after the DOL discovered they weren’t paying wages to Hispanic employees, making them work for tips alone.

Adjust internal pay scales to end sex bias

07/12/2012
The Equal Pay Act (EPA) requires that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for substantially similar work. If you discover a pay disparity between substantially similar male and female employees, fix the problem right away to let women catch up. Don’t use pay policies as an excuse to slow the process.

Changing compensation systems? Here’s how to avoid age discrimination claims

07/12/2012
If you are contemplating changing your compensation structure to reflect today’s lean job market, do so carefully—especially if you suspect you may be overpaying some employees for the work they do. The problem: Older, more experienced workers may be at the top of your pay scales.

Shorten up your work hours for summer

07/12/2012
As temperatures soar and vacation season kicks into high gear, your organization can score significant points with employees by making short work of summer Fridays.

After Supreme Court’s ACA ruling, 5 strategic steps to take

07/11/2012
Now that the Supreme Court has up­­held the Affordable Care Act, it’s time to weigh the strategic impact on your organization. Take these five steps to clarify decisions you need to make between now and 2014.

Regs shed light on when to tax noncash compensation

07/06/2012

Under tax code Section 83, you don’t have to tax employees who receive company stock, stock options or other property that is subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture until the risk lapses and the property vests. Proposed regulations now define what counts as a substantial risk of forfeiture.

Paying nonexempt employees a salary? Be sure to get agreement on hourly rate

07/05/2012

Determining the amount of overtime pay depends on identifying an em­­ployee’s hourly rate for the first 40 hours. That can sometimes be more complicated than it sounds, especially for organizations that pay their hourly employees a set amount for their entire workweek, including overtime.

Can we talk? Tips for communicating with employees about payroll

07/04/2012
Payroll isn’t an easy subject to master, so it’s a safe bet that employees in your company don’t have a clue about what goes on in your office. That makes explaining key payroll changes to employees difficult. Tips from two payroll managers at large organizations: