• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Compensation & Benefits

Minnesota Wage Payment Act

02/01/2008

The Minnesota Wage Payment Act seems like it should be rather simple, but it’s perhaps the most complicated employment law in the state. Full of traps for the unwary, the law can spell big trouble for even innocent mistakes. The law covers all Minnesota private employers, even those with only one employee …

Employee perks that won’t break the bank and won’t affect compensation calculations

02/01/2008

Q. We are entering our busy season. Although our budget is tight, we’d like to reward those employees who go above and beyond with some sort of additional “perk.” Can you recommend some low-cost ways to reward exceptional performance? …

Illinois among states with underfunded pension obligations

02/01/2008

About half the states have underfunded the retirement plans of their public workers, according to a recent study by the Pew Center on the States. The center warns that states on the bottom half of the list may have to choose between honoring their pension obligations and funding other state programs …

Florida a national leader in pension funding

02/01/2008

Florida is a national leader in saving up for its public-employee pension bill, according to a recent study by the Pew Center on the States. Even so, the state faces a $3.6 billion pension-funding shortfall. Most states are in worse shape …

Georgia a national leader in public-Pension funding

02/01/2008

Georgia is a national leader in saving up for its public employee pension bill, according to a recent study by the Pew Center on the States. The state’s pension trust is sufficient to cover 96% of projected pension costs, compared to the national average among states of 82% …

A pension to die for

02/01/2008

Is it a sad sign of the times, or a story as old as time? David Willis, postmaster for the U.S. Postal Service in Cornelius, has been indicted for soliciting someone to murder his ex-wife so he wouldn’t have to share his pension benefits with her …

Indiana pension funding lags behind national average

02/01/2008

About half the states—including Indiana—have underfunded their retirement plans for public workers, according to Promises with a Price, a recent study by the Pew Center on the States. Indiana’s funding has been uneven in the past and stands at 64% …

New Jersey makes short list of pension skimpers

02/01/2008

New Jersey is among seven states that have consistently underfunded the retirement plans of their public workers, according to a recent study by the Pew Center on the States. The center predicted that states on the bottom half of the list would have to choose between pension obligations and other public programs, as New Jersey has done …

FLSA doesn’t require pay for optional training that prepares for advancement

02/01/2008

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to compensate employees for any time spent on the job that benefits the employer. There are, however, some exceptions. For example, if employees use their own time to study materials that will qualify them for promotions, that time generally doesn’t have to be paid …

Same job titles don’t always demand identical pay

02/01/2008

While the federal Equal Pay Act prohibits wage discrimination against women, it doesn’t require every employee in the same position to earn the same salary. If you can point to factors other than gender (e.g., seniority, education, experience, skills, etc.), you can set different salaries for employees who hold the same job titles …