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Compensation & Benefits

Avoid discrimination trap: Don’t make promises you can’t keep

03/01/2008

To avoid losing essential and talented employees, some organizations make promises about continued employment that later turn out to be hard to keep. It’s especially common in organizations going through transitions, such as mergers or moves to outsource internal functions. But the tactic can backfire …

Can we refuse to reinstate an employee who has been out on CFRA leave?

03/01/2008
Q. Under what circumstances can we deny reinstatement to an employee who has been out on leave under the California Family Rights Act?

Pennsylvania employers make Fortune’s ‘Best to work for’ list

03/01/2008
Fortune magazine recently published its 2008 list of “100 Best Companies to Work For,” and two Pennsylvania health care providers made the cut …

Can we dock pay for punching in late? Does the employee have a grace period?

03/01/2008
Q. Is there a rule for docking someone’s pay if he punches in late, and if so, how many minutes grace time does he get before you dock him 15 minutes?

What to do? Doctor’s appointments seems awfully conveniently scheduled

03/01/2008
Q. We don’t usually require employees to provide notes when they take time off for doctors’ appointments. However, one of our employees is known for scheduling her “appointments” on the Friday before holiday weekends. Can we request verification from the doctor’s office on a case-by-case basis?

New Jersey employers make ‘Best to work for’ list

03/01/2008
Fortune magazine recently published its 2008 list of “100 Best Companies to Work For,” and five New Jersey employers made the cut …

13 Texas firms make Fortune’s ‘Best to work for’ list

03/01/2008
Texas came in second only to California in Fortune magazine’s annual list of the 100 best companies to work for. Winners headquartered in Texas were National Instruments and Whole Foods, Alcon Laboratories, The Container Store, Shared Technologies …

Warning: Draft clear compensation agreements to avoid needless litigation

03/01/2008
Texas contract law grants great leeway to employers that create incentive payment plans, especially when it comes to how employers calculate what payment is due employees. Essentially, if the incentive plan says the employer has the right to interpret the agreement language and its decision is final and binding, courts won’t interfere unless the employer interprets it in bad faith …

Repeated outbursts bar unemployment comp

03/01/2008

Employers have a right to expect a certain level of decorum in the workplace. Employees fired for using crude language or engaging in threatening behavior won’t likely be able to collect unemployment compensation, since their own misdeeds caused them to become unemployed …

Go figure: Ohio Supreme Court says making money illegally bars workers’ comp

03/01/2008

It may seem like common sense, but now the Supreme Court of Ohio has issued a clear ruling: Employees who can’t work because of injuries or illnesses lose their workers’ compensation benefits if they regain the ability to make a living by breaking the law …