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Compensation & Benefits

Exempt employees and negative leave balances

07/24/2008
Q. I know I must pay exempt employees their full salaries even if they have no accrued benefits in their leave plans and their accounts have negative balances. But can I keep negative balance tallies and then subtract the negative balances as the employees earn more leave? …

Contractor decision costs FedEx $319 million as class action grows

07/24/2008
Official class notices were sent out in June to 27,165 present and former FedEx delivery drivers in the multidistrict lawsuit challenging the company’s independent contractor model. The court certified class-action status for drivers from 19 states, including Pennsylvania …

Feds ask former steelworkers to pay up for government’s mistake

07/24/2008
Hundreds of retired steelworkers in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and New York have been notified that their pensions are being cut by as much as 75% due to miscalculations by the federal government …

Employers pumping gas perks: 8 high-Octane tactics

07/24/2008
In a recent survey, nearly a third of HR professionals said they know at least one employee who quit in the past year because the high price of gas made the commute too expensive. Rather than watch those employees jump ship for jobs closer to home, some employers are actively addressing the driving dilemma …

Is that leave legit? You can discipline for FMLA ‘Vacation’

07/22/2008
Do you suspect that some of your employees take FMLA leave for something a little less serious than tending to the health care needs of themselves or their relatives? If so, here’s some good news: You can and should check up on suspicious FMLA usage …

When termination follows military family leave

07/22/2008
Q. Our medical practice has a night nurse who answers calls for patient emergencies and then relays those emergencies to the doctor, if necessary. Recently, business has been slow, and we are considering eliminating the night nurse position and using an answering service instead. Our night nurse (who has not been informed of the company’s plans regarding her position) has notified us that she will be taking off several days to spend time with her husband who is returning from active military duty. We don’t want her to think that we are eliminating her job because of her planned leave. Any suggestions? …

Employees, IRS challenge FedEx’s driver classifications

07/22/2008
Current and former FedEx Ground/Home Delivery drivers are eligible to join a class-action suit that challenges the company’s long-standing practice of classifying drivers as independent contractors. The suit—which more than 27,000 drivers could join—argues that they are employees …

Former steelworkers suffer huge pension meltdown

07/22/2008
Hundreds of retired Indiana steelworkers once employed by Republic Technologies International (RTI) recently received some unwelcome notices in the mail: Due to miscalculations, their pensions are being cut by as much as 75%—some to as little as $300 per month …

HEART Act Adds Retirement, Pay Benefits for Reservist Employees

07/22/2008
The HEART Act is a new federal law that expands the retirement and pay benefits to which employees called to active military service are entitled. If you administer your organization’s retirement plan or work with payroll, you need to know about the law’s provisions. Our primer will get you started.

Gas pains: Compressed workweek can help workers manage high prices

07/22/2008
Employees across the country are finding their budgets stretched by rising gas prices, and that means employers are feeling pressured by the pump, too. Companies are struggling to find ways to help workers deal with high prices without raising pay. One of the most popular ways employers are dealing with the problem is to implement a compressed workweek …