• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Compensation & Benefits

Independent judgment, discretion key to administrative exemption under Pa. law

04/28/2010

Under the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act (PMWA), employees engaged in administrative work aren’t eligible to collect overtime pay. But what about employees who spend a lot of time in the field—calling on clients or prospects, for example?

COBRA subsidy expanded, extended through May 31

04/28/2010
On April 15, President Obama signed into law amendments to the COBRA subsidy provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus. Those amendments—plus amendments enacted in March—not only extend the time that the subsidy is available, but also offer it to certain individuals whose hours were reduced before they were involuntary terminated.

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 North Carolina 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.

Georgia firm adds ‘medical tourism’ to benefits

04/28/2010

Employees of IDMI Systems in Warner Robins, Ga., who are willing to travel out of the United States for medical procedures could pay 80% less than they would if they had surgery at home. The firm, which develops automation software for the insurance industry, has added an international medical travel option to its employee health plan.

5 keys to boosting participation in your health plan

04/27/2010

Innovative employers are applying five new principles when they talk to employees about health and health insurance. As you look for ways to encourage employees to be active, informed consumers of the health benefits you offer, see how many you can incorporate into your own communication plans.

Take a hike: Tomorrow is National Walk @ Lunch Day

04/27/2010
Get ready to trade working lunches for walking lunches. On April 28, employees at thousands of companies will take part in “National Walk @ Lunch Day.” It’s not too late to organize your own lunchtime trek—we’ve got links to the planning tools you need.

Miami-Dade enacts first county ‘wage theft’ law

04/26/2010
Miami-Dade County last month became the first county in the nation to pass a “wage theft” law—and it likely won’t be the last. The ordinance says a wage-theft violation occurs when an employer fails to pay any portion of wages due to an employee. It allows the county to step in to help workers win back pay.

‘Dream grants’ keep employees adventurous

04/26/2010

The HR pros at Columbia, Md.-based database marketing company Merkle have a recruiting slogan: “It’s not rocket science: Treat your employees well and they’ll return the favor.” To that end, the 1,100-employee firm offers “dream grants” to employees, which pay for individuals or groups of colleagues to take an adventure.

New amendments extend COBRA 65% subsidy to May 31

04/23/2010
Effective April 15, 2010, the 65% COBRA premium subsidy program that originally took effect in early 2009 will remain available until May 31, 2010. The new date became official on April 15 when President Obama signed the Continuing Extension Act of 2010, which stretched eligibility for the subsidy and extended several other federal benefits designed to help unemployed workers.

Is paid family leave in New Jersey on last legs?

04/23/2010
A bill before the Legislature proposes to abolish the state’s paid family leave and deposit funds now kept in the state’s Family Temporary Disability Leave Account into the unemployment compensation insurance fund.