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Compensation & Benefits

No more bonuses just for showing up on time

08/23/2011
The South Jersey Port Corporation (SJPC) has heeded Gov. Chris Christie’s call for austerity in state agencies by taking a heretofore unusual step: It will no longer pay bonuses for not being late.

Small business? Use tax credit to help pay for insurance

08/23/2011
One goal of last year’s federal health-care reform legislation was to make it more affordable for small business owners to offer health insurance benefits to employees. So, tucked into the Affordable Care Act is a little-noticed but potentially invaluable provision that could save small businesses thousands of dollars per year.

University offers energy audits to help employees conserve, save

08/22/2011
More than 44,000 employees and alumni can get home-performance assessments and discounts on energy upgrades through the “Greening Your Work­force” program at La Salle University in Philadelphia.

Standard mileage rate increases for the rest of 2011

08/19/2011
In recognition that gasoline prices remain high, the IRS has raised the standard mileage rate to 55.5 cents per mile (up 4.5 cents) for expenses employees pay or incur between July 1, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2011.

New law clarifies leave for organ, bone marrow donors

08/18/2011
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation that spells out insurance and time-off requirements related to California’s new law that guarantees paid leave for employees who donate organs and bone marrow.

It’s not your money! Never demand employees hand over their tax refunds

08/18/2011
Employees are entitled to their wages—and they can’t be forced (or persuaded) to turn over tax refunds to an employer.

Must we pay instructor for time between classes?

08/18/2011
Q. We operate a fitness club and employ many fitness class instructors. They have time between classes that ranges from 15 minutes to several hours. They are free to spend that time anyway they want, on or off premises. Do we have to pay them for the time between classes?

Since the economy tanked, what have you done to control health care costs?

08/16/2011
About 60% of respondents to our HR Weekly poll say they have taken specific steps to address rising health insurance costs.

Conn. is first to mandate sick leave for service staff

08/15/2011
In what could be the start of a national trend, Connecticut lawmakers OK’d a new law that requires employers with 50 or more workers in Connecticut to provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave to their “service workers.”

20/20: Small business best benefits practices

08/12/2011
Only big companies can offer generous benefits, right? Wrong! SHRM and the Families and Work Institute have uncovered dozens of examples of small organizations—those with staffs of 20 or fewer—that think big when it comes to employee benefits. See how many of these ideas might be right for your small business.