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

Compensation & Benefits

Payroll goes totally paperless, saving time and money

02/01/2008

The Container Store has an entirely paperless payroll department. The transition to a paperless system began five years ago when the Texas-based company adopted new payroll software that allows employees to change their information online …

State employees’ payroll deductions to fund PACs

02/01/2008

The Michigan Civil Service Commission voted 3-1 in December to allow state workers to have political donations deducted from their paychecks, despite warnings from the attorney general’s office that the commission lacks the authority to grant that right …

Deducting cost of intentional damage from former employee’s final paycheck

02/01/2008

Q. We fired an employee for destroying company property. The manager wants to deduct the value of the damaged property ($2,500) from the employee’s final paycheck (approximately $2,700). I don’t think we can take so much from the employee’s final paycheck …

When can we dock commissioned worker’s check?

02/01/2008

Q. We have an employee on pure commission who is taking three days off this week. Can we subtract the average of three days’ commission from his check? — L.L., Texas …

Handing over the final paycheck

02/01/2008

Q. When and how must I deliver a fired employee’s final paycheck? …

Colorado Wage Payment and Collection Act

02/01/2008
The Colorado Wage Payment and Collection 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 Colorado private employers, even those with only one employee …

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 …