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Compensation & Benefits

Must we mail former employee’s last paycheck?

04/02/2009

Q. We have terminated an employee who has moved out of state and requested we mail his last check to him. Do we have to mail it? If so, when?

ESOP’s fable: The tightwad and the vanishing money

04/02/2009

According to a complaint filed with the DOL, Kellogg Auto Supply of Cortland disbursed ESOP benefits in 1999 based on the stock’s 1998 valuation. But it made no further distributions until 2008. The DOL filed suit charging the company and its president, Richard Coates, with violating ERISA.

Will economic stress increase workers’ comp cases? State panel evens playing field

04/01/2009

Coupled with the stress of worrying about the economy and whether their jobs will be gone tomorrow, more employees may develop psychiatric or stress-related illnesses. Some will file workers’ compensation claims.

Former Wachovia exec doing well at Wells Fargo

03/31/2009

Enough doom and gloom already! Here’s a feel-good story! Sure, the AIG bonus debacle has soured the financial world on retention bonuses, but one company is still offering stick-around cash. To be precise, Wells Fargo is paying a bonus to keep one particular employee.

To do this week: Confirm new tax withhholding, begin using new I-9s

03/31/2009

HR pros have two important items to add to their to-do lists this week:

  • Ensure that this week’s payroll reflects more generous federal income tax withholding levels mandated by the economic stimulus law enacted in February.
  • Start using the new Form I-9 on Friday, April 3.

Ledbetter’s lesson: Revamp salary guidelines to make pay as fair as possible

03/31/2009

Now that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is the law of the land, it may be time to revisit how you set starting and incumbent salaries. If you currently allow managers and supervisors flexibility on pay issues, consider reducing that discretion.

N.J. Supreme Court: Strikers may be entitled to unemployment

03/30/2009

The New Jersey Supreme Court recently held that an employer that continues to provide all or substantially all of its services during a strike will be hard-pressed to oppose its striking employees’ applications for unemployment benefits. That’s true even if the strike results in significant losses in revenue and profits.

Courts crack down on workers’ comp for minor injuries

03/30/2009

It used to be that an employee who continued to suffer any pain following a work-related injury could continue receiving workers’ compensation payments until she was fully healed. Now, however, Industrial Commission judges are getting tougher on pain that isn’t backed up by medical evidence. That’s good news …

North Carolina Legislature considers new employment laws

03/30/2009

Barely two months into the 2009-2010 session, the North Carolina General Assembly has already introduced a profusion of employment-related bills. Employers should keep a watchful eye on several bills that already appear to have strong support this new legislative year.

May we supplement unemployment comp benefits for temporarily laid-off workers?

03/30/2009

Q. We need to temporarily lay off some employees. It will be hard for them to make it on the amount of unemployment benefits. Can we supplement their unemployment benefits without interfering with the unemployment benefits?