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Compensation & Benefits

Tell applicants upfront about schedule, seniority system

02/01/2008

If you have a system that gives the most senior employees their picks of the best days off, it’s fair to both job applicants and the organization to be clear about what hours new hires should expect to work. The best approach is to ask about work availability upfront—right on the job application …

Employment law lite: Court says monkeys, chimps can’t sue

02/01/2008

A Texas appeals court had dismissed a lawsuit filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on behalf of nine chimpanzees and monkeys. The court said the primates don’t have an independent right to sue …

Colorado Minimum Wage Law

02/01/2008
On Jan. 1, 2008, the Colorado minimum wage rose to $7.02 per hour, compared to the current federal minimum wage of $5.85 per hour …

Colorado Child Labor Law

02/01/2008

Besides the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, Colorado employers must also comply with the state’s child labor law, administered by the Colorado Division of Labor …

Minnesota Minimum Wage Law

02/01/2008

Minnesota has a two-tiered minimum wage. Large employers (with annual receipts of $625,000 or more) must pay workers $6.15 per hour. Small employers (with receipts of less than $625,000) must pay $5.25 per hour. But many of those small employers must also comply with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which requires paying a minimum wage of $5.85 per hour …

Minnesota Child Labor Law

02/01/2008
Minnesota employers must comply with the state’s extensive child labor regulations, enforced by the Department of Labor & Industry …

Local Ordinances in Minnesota

02/01/2008
Local governments in Minnesota sometimes legislate their own rules for employers within their jurisdictions. For example, Minneapolis and St. Paul have living-wage laws stipulating higher pay than the state minimum wage ($6.15 per hour for large employers), while a Duluth ordinance prohibits discrimination based on familial status …

Tired employees can stay in hotels near work

02/01/2008

Employees at SC Johnson’s campus in Racine, WI, can stay at a local hotel for just $20 when they have to work late. Located between Chicago and Milwaukee, the campus attracts employees with long commutes …

University finds partners for low-Cost lactation rooms

02/01/2008

At the University of California, Davis, new moms express milk in the privacy of janitor closets, utility rooms and restroom lounges. At least that’s what these rooms once were. Today, 34 8-by-8 nooks around campus are equipped with hospital-grade breast pumps, comfortable chairs, literature about parenting and pumping—and lots of baby pictures …

Toy-Stocked playroom invites employees’ kids to work

02/01/2008

When babysitters cancel on parents who work for Redmond Minerals’ corporate office in Heber City, UT, moms and dads tote their preschoolers to work, where the kids have their own playroom. Rather than have employees miss work to take care of their kids when day care closes unexpectedly, Redmond created the playroom eight years ago for a few hundred dollars …