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Compensation & Benefits

Warn bosses: No negative comments on injuries

05/04/2009

There’s a fine line between legitimate concerns that an employee is abusing the workers’ compensation system and punishing the employee who has a legitimate claim. Here’s the best way to handle the problem.

10 ways to stay out of legal trouble while trimming staff

05/04/2009

Even as we watch the stock market slowly recover, organizations are still laying off employees and searching for ways to cut overhead. If your organization is eliminating even one job, plan it carefully. A hasty layoff can create legal problems that cost more down the road than keeping the employee would have. Here are 10 things to consider:

Unpaid leave for autoworkers at Honda’s Ohio plants

05/04/2009

As the auto sales cluster bomb continues to send shrapnel throughout the industry, Honda is cutting production at its Ohio manufacturing facilities to cope with the damage.

FMLA error costs employer more than $100,000

05/04/2009

A federal court has awarded more than $100,000—plus enhanced pension benefits—to an employee who was fired when the company wrongly believed his FMLA leave had expired.

Insisting on ‘100% healed’ may violate FMLA rules

05/04/2009

Employees who take FMLA leave are entitled to return to their jobs, or substantially equivalent ones. Employers often want a return-to-work certification to show that the employee is healthy enough to come back. But it can be risky to insist that the employee return without any restrictions at all …

U.S. workers using less vacation time, survey says

05/04/2009

Online travel agent Expedia.com probably didn’t hear what it wanted to hear when it conducted its ninth annual travel survey. More than a third of workers said they won’t use all of their vacation this year. The primary reason cited? Work-related pressure.

Cash advances help bank employees dress like pros

05/04/2009

Umpqua Bank makes it easy for its 1,700 employees to comply with a strict, professional dress code: It lends them money to buy clothes. Since 1996, the bank, with 150 branches, has advanced money to any employee who asks for it—up to $1,000 a year—to spend on work clothes.

IT firm shows appreciation every day for a week

05/04/2009

When Arlington, Va.-based IT firm Stanley Associates landed a spot on Fortune’s list of the 100 Top Employers to Work For, it thanked its 5,000 employees—every day for a week.

Help managers supervise staff who work from home

05/04/2009

More than 33 million Americans now work remotely at least one day per month, according to the “Telework Trendlines 2009” survey report. Still, most managers have been trained to work with employees who are only physically present to them. How can you manage what you can’t see? Here are some tips:

What are the rules on employee access to personnel files?

05/04/2009

Q. Do I have to grant employees access to their personnel files?