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Compensation & Benefits

Can we buy pizza and soda to pay workers for a missed lunch break due to a heavy workload?

01/07/2010

Q. Occasionally, when we receive a big order, our nonexempt employees have to work through their lunch breaks. Although we do not pay them for this work, we buy pizzas and sodas for all the affected workers. Is this lawful?

IBM ponies up 100% of employee premiums

01/06/2010

Starting this month, IBM will begin paying all of its employees’ primary care health costs—with no co-pays or deductibles. At the same time, the organization is offering new cash incentives to encourage employees to eat healthier and exercise. Employees can receive up to $300 in cash a year.

Flex, time off for charity create ‘family culture’

01/06/2010

As a mother of three kids herself, Juli Spottiswood says “work and home balance is a core part of who we are” at employee incentive provider Parago. She should know—she’s president and co-founder of the firm. Parents with sick children are encouraged to stay home with them; the Lewisville, Texas, organization provides employees with the technology to access company files from home. Flexible schedules are a given.

Want to get bosses’ attention on bias problems? Remind them they can be held personally liable

01/06/2010

Here’s a powerful reason for managers and supervisors in New Jersey to understand the ins and outs of discrimination and labor laws. If they commit a discriminatory act, they could be personally liable.

Health insurance cost-shifting expected to accelerate this year

01/05/2010

Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose to an average $13,375 annually for family coverage and $4,824 for single coverage in 2009, and employers are likely to pass even more of the cost to employees this year, according to an annual benchmark survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Closing early due to snow: Must we pay for full day?

01/05/2010

Q. During inclement weather, we sometimes close the office early and send employees home. Do we have to pay them for the whole day?

Health insurance cost-shifting expected to accelerate in 2010

01/04/2010

Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose to an average $13,375 annually for family coverage and $4,824 for single coverage in 2009, and employers are likely to pass even more of the cost to employees this year, according to an annual benchmark survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Pension Protection Act of 2006

01/02/2010
HR Law 101: The Pension Protection Act of 2006 allows employers to more easily move employees from defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans. It also established tougher standards for employers to meet to ensure existing pensions’ solvency.

ERISA: Reporting and Disclosure Rules

01/02/2010

HR Law 101: Employers must comply with the reporting and disclosure requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), designed to protect employees’ rights to benefits. An employer’s benefits package must take the form of a Summary Plan Description, which you must provide to participants and beneficiaries to advise them of their rights under the plan …

FLSA: Record-Keeping Requirements

01/02/2010

HR Law 101: The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to keep records on wages, hours and other employee data, most of which is generally maintained in ordinary business practice. You do not need to keep the records in any particular form or use time clocks …