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Compensation & Benefits

IRS releases first round of guidance on new health care law

06/11/2010
Don’t panic if you’re not fully conversant on all the details of health care reform. The IRS, Department of Labor and other federal agencies will be rolling out regulations to put meat on the bones of this often-confusing law. The IRS last month published the first round of this avalanche of regulations. Find links to all IRS rules on the new health care law at www.IRS.gov.

General Mills recognized as tops for multicultural women

06/10/2010
Golden Valley-based General Mills has been dubbed one of the top five employers in the nation for multicultural women by Working Mother magazine.

Worker who earned a master’s degree says she wants a raise: Must we give it?

06/10/2010
Q. We have an employee who just earned a master’s degree. She wants a raise. Is there any legal requirement that we pay someone with an advanced degree more than other employees?

How should we handle pay for employee who will be out two weeks on National Guard duty?

06/09/2010
Q. One of our full-time employees has just informed us that he will be on two weeks of National Guard duty soon. He will be absent from work to attend an annual encampment in a reserve branch of the armed forces. What are our legal obligations concerning pay to this employee?

Prepare for the crackdown: DOL focuses on wage underpayment

06/09/2010

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is stepping up efforts to encourage and support certain types of wage-loss claims by low-income workers. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis announced in April that the department was rolling out its “We Can Help” campaign to address this issue. If you employ relatively low-wage workers, you need to be aware of this program.

No STD documentation? OK to discipline–or fire

06/09/2010

If you offer short-term disability (STD) benefits for employees who can’t work because of illness, you probably insist on medical documentation. If the employee doesn’t provide that information within the reasonable timeline your STD plan requires, you can count the absence against the employee and terminate her.

What legal issues should we weigh before allowing employees to bring their pets to work

06/09/2010
Q. We run a pretty laid-back office and are considering allowing employees to bring their pets to work. Anything we should be thinking about?

What are the legal risks of not paying interns?

06/09/2010
Q. For years, we have used student interns during the summer months. Because they are interns, we do not pay for their services. Is this legal?

Recession bloats waistlines as well as unemployment rolls

06/08/2010
The combination of work stress and economic pressures appears to be playing a role in the U.S. labor force’s weight gain. Overall, 44% of workers say they have gained weight in their current jobs, up slightly from 43% in 2009, according to a new survey.

Reform result: Brace for higher health costs

06/08/2010
Employers are bracing for health care costs to go up—not down—now that health care reform has become law, according to separate surveys conducted by Towers Watson and Mercer, two of the nation’s largest comp and benefits consulting firms.