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Compensation & Benefits

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?

Are early retirees eligible for the COBRA subsidy?

08/13/2009

Q. We recently offered employees the opportunity to participate in an early retirement program, and several employees elected to take us up on the offer. Are they eligible for the new 65% COBRA subsidy?

How does workers’ comp work alongside FMLA leave?

08/13/2009

Q. We have an employee out of work due to a workers’ compensation injury. Does the employee’s time off count against his FMLA leave?

Problem Solved: Real People … Real Comp & Benefits Solutions, Sept. ’09

08/11/2009

This month’s collection of real-world quick tips from American business leaders, brought to you by members of The Alternative Board.

Respond to unemployment comp notices right away

08/11/2009

An employer that doesn’t file an appeal within 20 days after it receives notification that a former employee has been awarded unemployment compensation benefits loses the right to appeal. Advice: If there’s the slightest chance you’ll contest unemployment benefits, respond to the notice immediately.

Under 50 employees? How FMLA could apply to you regardless

08/11/2009

Under the FMLA, employers with 50 or more employees within 75 miles of the company’s work site are required to provide FMLA leave to their employees. But even if you’re a small employer, innocent mistakes could make the “50/75 rule” meaningless to you — and force you to provide FMLA leave. Learn how to avoid that trap.