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Compensation & Benefits

New EEOC guide could spur severance-plan gripes

08/20/2009

Departing employees who are asked to sign severance packages now have a new tool to discover if those packages comply with federal law. The EEOC just unveiled a new guidance document that is expected to cause more people to question their severance packages—either to HR or to a court.

Are we liable for injuries to the cleaning crew?

08/20/2009

Q. We employ a husband/wife team to clean our office. We pay them on a monthly contract basis and provide a Form 1099 at year-end. Would we be liable for an injury they might suffer while cleaning?

Are we liable for injuries to the cleaning crew?

08/20/2009

Q. We employ a husband/wife team to clean our office. We pay them on a monthly contract basis and provide a Form 1099 at year-end. Would we be liable for an injury they might suffer while cleaning?

HR Specialist releases agenda for Nov. 4-6 conference in D.C.

08/20/2009

President Obama is delivering on his promise of change—particularly in the workplace-law arena. To prepare HR professionals for what’s happening—and what’s going to happen—the HR Specialist is hosting its annual Labor and Employment Law Advanced Practices Symposium (LEAP) Washington Conference Nov. 4-6.

Same job, different pay: Is that legal?

08/20/2009

Q. We have two employees who have the same job title, job description and functions. We pay one a flat salary ($120,000). We pay the other a base salary plus a fixed rate for hours that are billable to the customer ($70,000, plus $20 for every billable hour). Can we do this or should their salary structures be identical?

Reducing salaries: The impact on exempt status

08/20/2009

Q. Legally, is there a difference between exempt employees “volunteering” their time or being required to reduce their salaries (or work hours) during these slow economic times?

How to change employees’ health habits — one click at a time

08/18/2009

When employees hunch over keyboards all day, all the motivational posters in all the break rooms of the world won’t improve their health. Solution: Deliver practical, actionable advice directly into employees’ e-mail in-boxes. Learn how one company did it with great results.

What constitutes FMLA notice?

08/14/2009

Q. An employee called in sick but did not provide any information, other than that he was sick and would not be at work. He didn’t mention the FMLA by name. Was his phone call sufficient notice that he might need FMLA leave?

Federal court defines limits for FLSA retaliation lawsuits

08/14/2009

As with many other federal employment laws, the Fair Labor Standards Act includes a retaliation provision that protects workers who complain that their employer has violated the law. Until recently, it wasn’t clear what kinds of complaints actually triggered the FLSA’s protections. That’s now changed.

Poor performance terminations and COBRA: Can we deny the new COBRA subsidy?

08/13/2009

Q. We had to terminate an employee for failure to adequately perform his job responsibilities. Can we deny him the COBRA subsidy because the termination was not a layoff or a result of the economy?