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Compensation & Benefits

Beware pay cuts that disadvantage minorities

03/03/2022
Many employees who began working remotely two years ago decided to relocate to areas with low costs of living.  Some employers responded by cutting relocated workers’ pay—not always a popular practice, but somewhat defensible. But that calculus could trigger legal trouble, potentially affecting some protected classes of employees more than others.

Merit increases, bonuses got big bumps last year

02/22/2022
Faced with a persistently competitive labor market, 52% of organizations participating in Salary.com’s Annual Pay Practices and Compensation Strategy Survey said they increased funding for merit increases in 2021. This is a significant jump from the 19% of organizations that did so in 2020.

Dems push for more covid paid leave

02/22/2022
A group of 15 Democratic senators wants to restore a requirement to provide paid sick leave and caregiver leave for employees affected by covid.

3 steps toward pay transparency for new hires

02/17/2022
More employers seeking a recruiting advantage in today’s tight labor market have started advertising exactly how much they’re paying. It might be time for you to try that bold tactic, too.

Software glitch not enough for penalty abatement

02/16/2022
Nothing is perfect, even tax filing software. Through a programming glitch, it can, for example, fail to file your information returns. Warning: You’re still liable for failure-to-file penalties. One employer must now persuade the Tax Court otherwise.

Consider adding fertility-care coverage to health benefits

02/15/2022
In the battle to beat the labor shortage, some employers are enhancing their benefits portfolios. One newly popular offering that appeals to both recruits and current employees: fertility benefits.

DOL raises penalties for 2022

02/15/2022
The Department of Labor has announced the 2022 inflation adjustments to penalties for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the FMLA and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

Never manipulate pay or hours to avoid OT

02/10/2022
Tempted to play loose with the overtime rules to save money on labor? Bad idea. You will attract the Department of Labor’s attention.

DOL wants 100 more wage inspectors

02/08/2022
Look for the Department of Labor to ramp up enforcement in coming months. The DOL announced Feb. 1 that it plans to add 100 investigators to the Wage and Hour Division, bolstering oversight of the Fair Labor Standards Act and other laws that affect compensation.

Prepare for health-cost inflation, but not this year

02/08/2022
With inflation running at a 40-year high, it’s only a matter of time before higher costs start creeping into the health-care market. The Mercer consulting firm urges employers to start preparing to pay more to keep employees healthy.