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Compensation & Benefits

Wal-Mart touts savings from generic drug program

04/23/2008
Arkansas-based Wal-Mart says its $4 generic prescription drug program has saved consumers $1 billion as of March. The company reports that the $4 prescriptions now account for 40% of all prescriptions it fills. North Carolina consumers benefited from the third-highest savings nationwide: $48,241,530 …

Continuation medical coverage and small North Carolina employers

04/23/2008
Q. Does North Carolina have a “little” COBRA Act that requires small employers to offer continued health insurance to terminated employees? …

Termination and unemployment comp

04/23/2008
Q. We have terminated a poorly performing employee and she has applied for unemployment benefits. Since she was terminated, is she entitled to benefits? …

Legislators debate paid family leave bills

04/23/2008
New Jersey has become the third state, following California and Washington, to grant mandatory paid family leave to employees. And it looks like the idea is gaining momentum: 14 states, including North Carolina, will consider mandatory paid family leave in this year’s legislative sessions …

Top 10 things to know about North Carolina Wage and Hour Act

04/23/2008
Many employers are familiar with the basic requirements of federal wage-and-hour law—the minimum wage, how to calculate overtime and who must receive it. But the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act is often a mystery to employers and employees alike. Here are the top 10 things you should know about the act …

Wachovia sued for back wages

04/23/2008
Carrie Williams, an employee at a Wachovia call center in Alabama, has filed a lawsuit alleging the company failed to pay employees for time spent logging onto computers before taking calls …

Mishawaka guardsman prompts national benefits policy change

04/22/2008
Brendan Milczynski, a member of the Indiana National Guard, noticed a discrepancy in benefits for the staff members who serve his unit and those who serve Army Reserve units. Milczynski contacted U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, who asked the Department of Defense to review its policies …

Georgia Tech issues pink slips for alleged misuse of p-Cards

04/21/2008
Two former Georgia Institute of Technology employees were charged with theft in March for allegedly abusing state-issued credit cards, known as p-cards. At least 17 university employees have resigned, retired or been fired over p-card abuse. A recent audit revealed inadequate oversight of card use at the university …

FMLA entitles you to request proof worker’s parent has serious health condition

04/21/2008
Do you routinely accept employees’ claims they need FMLA time off to care for an elderly parent? If so, consider a new policy. While it may be easier to approve leave than to challenge it, blanket approvals may prove costly in the long run as more and more “sandwich generation” employees find themselves having to care for both their children and their elderly parents …

How to respond when employees’ creditors come calling

04/21/2008

Record numbers of bankruptcies and foreclosures have been making news for years. However, a quieter phenomenon—one fraught with traps for unwary employers—is a concurrent and growing trend of court-ordered or government-issued wage garnishments. Here’s practical advice on what to do when someone wants a piece of your employee’s paycheck.