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Compensation & Benefits

Employers move slowly to reverse salary cuts

04/30/2010
While 13% of employers cut employees’ pay between late 2008 and October 2009, about 29% of those planned to rescind those cuts in the following 12 months, says a recent survey by HR association WorldatWork. About 15% said the pay cuts were permanent.

5 steps for getting beyond comp & benefits benchmarks

04/30/2010
I get nervous when HR professionals use benchmarks as their primary criteria to determine how much to pay employees or spend on benefits. My proposal: Put less stock in external benchmarks, and figure out what your company needs to attract and retain high-quality employees. Then devise a strategy to get what you need. Here are five ideas to consider:

Absent-minded employees: The 4 key steps to get absenteeism under control … legally

04/29/2010
The costs of employee absenteeism—reflected in lost production, overtime and temporary replacements for the absent worker—can add up quickly. What’s the best way to combat the problem? With a clear policy, careful documentation, consistent application of the policy and progressive discipline.

Lowe’s to offer free employee health screenings

04/28/2010
Home improvement giant Lowe’s is offering free health screenings to its employees. Lowe’s partnerships with health care providers throughout New Jersey mean employees will be able to get free checks of their blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, waist size, hip size, weight, height, body fat percentage and body-mass index.

You must pay promised wages under the Wage Payment Act

04/28/2010

When a manager promises an employee a specific wage for doing certain work, the company is obligated to pay that wage after the employee performs the work. If the employer doesn’t pay, the employee may collect under the New Jersey Wage Payment Act.

Should we pay for employee’s drive from his home to a training seminar?

04/28/2010
Q. What if an employee drives his own car to a seminar that’s two hours away? Should he get paid for his driving time to and from the seminar, even if he leaves from home and drives straight home afterward?

Can we require women to repay maternity leave benefits if they quit before returning to work?

04/28/2010
Q. Our maternity leave policy offers paid leave for female employees who plan to return to work after the birth of the child. If the employee quits before returning to work, she’s required to reimburse the company for the paid leave. Is this lawful?

Can we limit cash awards to just some employees?

04/28/2010
Q. When we win contracts, we recognize employees with cash awards. But these awards may be given only to the select few employees who were involved. Is this legally OK?

Lowe’s to offer free employee health screenings

04/28/2010
Home improvement giant Lowe’s is offering free health screenings to its employees. Lowe’s partnerships with health care providers throughout Pennsylvania mean employees will be able to get free checks of their blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, waist size, hip size, weight, height, body fat percentage and body-mass index.

Inability to work overtime doesn’t constitute disability

04/28/2010
Employees with psychological problems may claim they can’t handle the stress of working more than a regular 40-hour week. But if that’s the only restriction the employee has, he’s probably not disabled.