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Compensation & Benefits

Irked over stagnant pay, N.Y. judges favor ‘union’

02/02/2011
New York state judges have gone 12 years without a pay raise, making some of them a little hot under the robes. A survey conducted by two state judicial groups indicates that an overwhelming number of judges favor an association that could negotiate wages and benefits—in effect, a union.

Be prepared to justify newcomer’s higher pay

02/02/2011

Employers that pay new hires more than employees with the same or similar experience should be prepared to prove why they needed to sweeten the pot. Otherwise, they risk an Equal Pay Act lawsuit if it just so happens the hire is of the opposite sex as an incumbent.

Snow days: Must you pay when weather keeps workers home?

01/28/2011

In the wake of the recent snow emergencies that swept across the Northeast, many employers have been trying to figure out when and if they have to pay their employees when work is shut down due to severe weather conditions. For the most part, the answer depends on an employee’s status under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Always remind employees of their FMLA rights

01/28/2011
Some employers are especially generous when it comes to allowing employees time off for illness and other needs. Some even pay employees during their leave and allow them to use accumulated leave that extends far beyond 12 weeks. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t also tell employees about their FMLA rights.

N.J. family-leave tax rates, benefits lower for 2011

01/28/2011
New Jersey employees will be making smaller contributions to the state’s family leave fund this year than they did in 2010. Last year, workers paid 0.12% of their wages until they reached the maximum amount of $35.64 per year. For this year, the rate is 0.06%, with an annual cap of $17.76.

Are we allowed to require overtime?

01/28/2011
Q. Right now, we don’t want to hire anyone permanently and think it would be more cost effective to require our employees to work overtime instead. Can we force employees to work overtime?

The postponed Medicare reporting requirement: what you need to know

01/28/2011
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently postponed until next year a requirement that certain partially self-insured employers must report any one-time or lump-sum payments to persons entitled to Medicare benefits. The requirement was to have applied to payments made in connection with settlements, judgments or awards involving the release of potential liability for medical expenses.

SoCal fashion company owes $887K in unpaid wages, overtime

01/28/2011
Orange County’s Laundry Room Clothing had a hard time making payroll during the depths of the Great Recession. Now the men’s fashion manufacturer must make amends big time to the employees it stiffed.

Paid organ and marrow donor leave law now in effect

01/28/2011
As of Jan. 1, California employers with 15 or more employees must provide up to 30 days of paid leave to employees making organ donations, and up to five days of paid leave to employees who donate bone marrow.

Study: Paid family leave hasn’t burdened business

01/28/2011
The California Paid Family Leave Law that went into effect in 2004 hasn’t increased employer costs or hurt productivity as critics once predicted, according to a new study.