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Compensation & Benefits

Don’t expect heroic catch-up after FMLA leave

11/08/2010

Exempt employees are generally expected to work as long and as hard as they need to in order to get their jobs done. But that doesn’t mean employers should expect exempt employees returning from FMLA leave to burn the midnight oil to get caught up if there was no plan in place to pick up the slack during the absence. Insisting on that is an invitation to be sued for retaliation.

DOL to require more disclosure of 401(k) fees

11/08/2010
Starting Jan. 1, 2012, employers will need to more clearly spell out—in quarterly statements—the fees charged by their 401(k) plan so employees can comparison shop among the plan’s investment options, say new Department of Labor rules.

Disabled or injured workers ready to return? Here’s how to help

11/05/2010
Employees may be absent from work for extended periods of time because of illness or injury. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy recently released an online “Return to Work Toolkit” that serves as a one-stop portal to numerous free, online resources for employers and employees coping with return-to-work issues.

Terminating employee? Don’t forget appropriate notifications

11/05/2010

Terminating employees is never easy. Not only do you have to think about the employee’s reaction and those of co-workers who may be worried about their own jobs, you also have to worry whether the employee will sue and how to minimize the risk. One area you have control over is making sure that every terminated employee receives legally mandated termination notices. Here’s a quick guide.

NYC dollar stores settle FLSA complaint

11/05/2010
The owners of 11 New York City dollar stores will pay more than $485,000 to settle complaints they violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by paying workers less than minimum wage, and failing to pay time-and-a-half for overtime hours.

Manhattan’s swank Del Posto restaurant sued for lost tips

11/05/2010
A group of 27 current and former employees at celebrity chef Mario Batali’s Del Posto restaurant are suing the restaurant because they say managers illegally skimmed tip-pool funds meant for service workers.

The HR I.Q. Test: November ’10

11/05/2010
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

Confusing paystubs? Brace for a class-action

11/03/2010

How understandable are your employee paystubs? Do you get repeated questions about the same line items? As the following case shows, inconsistent payment methods and ambiguous deduction rules may spark employees to band together and sue.

Aerospace IT provider includes families in celebration

11/02/2010
Between workplace events for employees and their families to recognize National Aerospace Week in September, the staff of Harris Corp., a communications and IT company for the aerospace industry, has been celebrating by teaching science to school children—including their own kids.

What’s the Texas law on voting leave?

11/01/2010
Q. We have had a hard time determining whether we must allow employees to miss work so they can vote? So this isn’t a problem in 2012, what rules must we follow?