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Compensation & Benefits

New law puts curbs on Social Security numbers on paychecks

12/01/2007

Q. We’ve heard that a new law changes how we use Social Security numbers in the workplace. Is that true? …

Did Clearmore Construction clear more than it earned?

12/01/2007

Construction company owner Paul Garrett, of Warne in western North Carolina, has been charged with conspiring to defraud Alabama Power Company (APCO) of $250,000 …

Can direct deposit be compulsory?

12/01/2007

Q. Can we require employees to use direct deposit? …

Bill would require 401(k) fee disclosure

12/01/2007

A congressional proposal would require retirement plan service providers to disclose all conflicts of interest to help employers and participants decide whether it’s the plan for them …

Do temporary employees count?

12/01/2007

Q. We’re a small company with about 45 employees, but we have another 20 employees who are temporary. Do we have to count the temps when complying with the EEO or other employment laws? …

$27.5 million settlement in law firm’s age discrimination suit

12/01/2007

The international law firm of Sidley Austin LLP, Chicago, will pay $27.5 million to 32 former partners to settle an EEOC lawsuit. The EEOC claims 29 of the partners were either expelled or demoted during a 1999 reorganization, and the remaining three retired under the firm’s age-based retirement policy …

New rules make it easier to auto-Enroll employees in 401(k) plan: Should you do it?

12/01/2007

If a frustratingly large percentage of your work force doesn’t participate in the organization’s 401(k) plan, you’re not alone. The government reports that one-third of eligible employees shrug off their employers’ 401(k) plan. But final U.S. Labor Department rules published last month could change all that …

EEOC drives a stake into heart of age-Based retirement policies

12/01/2007

Does your organization have a policy requiring employees to retire (or step down to a lesser position) once they hit a certain “unbecoming” age? If so, a groundbreaking $27.5 million EEOC settlement shows that you’d better retire those policies … not the people …

Section 409A extends beyond formal deferred comp plans

12/01/2007

The IRS recently issued final regulations for implementation of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. Section 409A regulates deferred compensation. Deferred compensation benefits traditionally have been viewed as compensation reserved for executives and upper management level employees. But the effects of Section 409A extend much further. Now is the time to familiarize yourself with the regulations …

Consider paying for lunch breaks to avoid overtime claims

12/01/2007

Overtime lawsuits are becoming an epidemic. Lawyers file class-action lawsuits at the first hint that employees worked “off the clock,” either before the workday started or by working through parts of their unpaid lunch periods. There’s a simple way to avoid problems …