Compensation & Benefits

U.S. employers planning larger pay raises for 2022

08/17/2021

Pay raises are making a comeback. U.S. companies plan to give employees larger raises next year as they recover from the economic fallout from the pandemic and face mounting challenges attracting and retaining employees, according to a new survey by the Willis Towers Watson consulting firm.

Apply leave policy equally to all employees

08/13/2021

You probably have a well-defined leave policy that gives employees time off for vacations, illness and tending to personal business. Whether you provide separate pots of leave or lump it all into paid and unpaid time off, your leave policy must treat all employees equally.

Education perks become a key retention tool

08/13/2021

Employers aren’t just struggling to attract new workers; they’re scrambling to retain current employees, too. Enter the education benefit wars. Large employers are betting that paying employee tuition will be a key retention tool.

Rule would raise minimum wage for federal contractor workers to $15

08/10/2021

The Department of Labor has issued a proposed rule raising the minimum wage for employees working on federal contracts to $15 per hour.

Health insurers say covid unlikely to affect 2022 costs

08/10/2021

After a tumultuous year of unpredictable covid-related effects on health care delivery and spending, a review of early rate filings for insurers participating in Affordable Care Act marketplaces finds that most are expecting a return to normal in 2022.

DOL plans to explore raising exempt overtime threshold again

08/03/2021

The Department of Labor has confirmed it is reviewing the exemptions of executive, administrative and professional employees from the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Manage FLSA basics: minimum wage and OT

07/29/2021

Managing a restaurant is tough these days. Staffing is next to impossible. Wages are rising. New covid-19 safety rules have added layers of extra costs. Those are just the new complications. But all the old requirements remain, too, such as complying with the wage-deduction and overtime rules covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Beware choosing wrong vaccine incentive

07/20/2021

Forcing all employees to be vaccinated presents significant legal risks, and most employment law attorneys recommend against it. A popular work-around has been to encourage vaccinations by offering incentives to employees. That can help. But the incentive offered matters. Here’s what works and what can get you in trouble.

Poor time records? Court will believe workers

07/15/2021

Sloppy or incomplete payroll records will doom you in any disputes over employees’ pay. As this new ruling shows, if your organization fails to show detailed records or policies—especially about disputed off-the-clock work—the court will use your employees’ estimates of their work hours to determine your liability.

No FMLA? Consider time off as ADA accommodation

07/08/2021

When an employee is ill but has no leave available, supervisors often tell them they must show up for work or else be fired. But firing her could be a huge mistake. She might have a disability that could be reasonably accommodated by offering unpaid leave.