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Compensation & Benefits

Paycheck Fairness Act stalls, lacking Senate votes

06/17/2021
Legislation that would amend the Equal Pay Act to make it easier to sue for sex-based pay discrimination won’t become law this year, failing to win the backing of 60 senators necessary to overcome a filibuster.

Do your obligations follow digital nomads?

06/17/2021
Many employees who worked remotely through the pandemic will soon begin returning to work in person this fall. Before then, however, many of your pandemic teleworkers are likely planning to hit the road this summer—and taking their laptops with them as they can continue to work remotely from some location away from home. Here’s what to consider before giving them the green light.

Revise policies to protect health, encourage taking sick leave

06/15/2021
Now that the pandemic is ebbing and more workers are coming back into the office or resuming retail and restaurant jobs, it may be time to revisit your sick-leave policies. While coronavirus infections are on the decline, more familiar illnesses are starting to return.

Help hard-working staff recharge this summer

06/15/2021
Last summer there was nowhere to go and no one to go with. Thanks to vaccinations, things are looking up this summer. Make it easy for your employees to disconnect, whether that’s to take a much-needed real vacation or just leave work on Friday afternoon so they can enjoy the weekend with friends and family.

Friday wrap: Child tax credit, new collection procedure, IRS webinars and more

06/11/2021
Here’s our first, official June Friday wrap. Read it and then go to the beach.

Consider paying back employees’ PPE costs

06/10/2021
Responding to the coronavirus pandemic added unexpected line items to many employers’ budgets. But what about expenses employees incurred? If you required employees to wear masks, face shields or other personal protective equipment, you should consider reimbursing them.

Snapshot: Paid parental leave grows sharply

06/08/2021
Paid parental leave has become a standard time-off benefit, now offered by most employers.

Monday mashup: Draft Form 941, Biden budget and other good stuff

06/07/2021
It’s an old government trick—dump stuff on a Friday afternoon, especially during the summer (and most especially during this summer), when our attention is elsewhere. Mondays, of course, are the day we sort it out.

Buried by burnout, employees plan long vacations this year

06/01/2021
Fully 44% of professionals surveyed said they are more burned out on the job today than they were a year ago, up from 34% in a similar 2020 poll. Nearly half of employees—49%—experiencing increased fatigue blamed it on a heavier workload.

EEOC: OK to require employees to be vaccinated against covid-19

06/01/2021
Federal equal employment opportunity laws do not prevent an employer from requiring all employees physically entering the workplace to be vaccinated for covid-19, according to new guidance issued by the EEOC on May 28. However, employers must comply with the reasonable accommodation provisions of the ADA and Title VII.