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Compensation & Benefits

Heads up! Employment law in the news means employee chatter

01/31/2012
There’s plenty of employment law news making its way into the mainstream media. That means the workplace will be buzzing with em­­ployee chatter about working conditions, pay and unions. Prepare now for how to react.

‘Black Swan’ interns sue, say they should have been paid

01/31/2012
Fox-Searchlight Pictures faces a class-action lawsuit in New York from un­paid interns who worked on the production of the hit film “Black Swan.” The interns claim Fox-Searchlight failed to pay them for their work in violation of the FLSA and re­­cent DOL guidelines.

President proposes new pay rules for home health workers

01/31/2012
In an attempt to right what he ­­per­­ceives to be a wrong-headed Supreme Court decision, Presi­dent Obama is asking the U.S. De­­­part­­ment of Labor to change Fair Labor Stand­­ards Act regulations covering home health care workers.

10 unemployment compensation factors that affect payouts

01/31/2012
How much your organization pays for unemployment insurance is based, in part, on how many former employees have successfully filed claims against you. Under­­standing who is eligible for unemployment benefits and who isn’t can go a long way toward keeping insurance rates low.

Get expert help when classifying commercial drivers

01/31/2012
Here’s a bit of advice to any employer using commercial drivers in their enterprise: Before concluding those employees are exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act because they’re covered by the Motor Carrier Act, call your attorney.

Social Security rate stays at 4.2%–likely through ’12

01/31/2012
In December, a last-minute congressional vote allowed the year-long 4.2% employee Social Security tax rate to remain at least through Feb. 29. But if congressional negotiations break down, be aware that the rate could jump back to 6.2%.

Start your engines! Mileage rate at 55.5 cents a mile

01/30/2012

The standard mileage rate, which employers may use to reimburse employees who drive their own cars on business, remains 55.5 cents a mile for 2012. You can also use the standard mileage rate to value employees’ personal use of moderately priced company cars.

President proposes new pay rules for home health workers

01/27/2012
In an attempt to right what he ­­per­­ceives to be a wrong-headed Supreme Court decision, Presi­dent Obama is asking the DOL to change Fair Labor Stand­­ards Act regulations covering home health care workers.

How to ward off some class-action pay-bias suits: Grant managers limited discretion to set pay

01/27/2012

Do your managers have limited discretion in setting pay? If so, you may have a built-in way to prevent large class-action lawsuits over equal pay. It’s all because of last summer’s big Supreme Court decision in Wal-Mart, Inc. v. Dukes.

Is it legal to lower salesperson’s pay?

01/25/2012
Q. We are planning to change a salesperson’s pay from straight salary to a lower salary plus commission. Can we do this without violating wage laws?