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Compensation & Benefits

Class action may be price for policies that invite off-the-Clock work

10/01/2007

Does your organization have top-down policies that tacitly create incentives for hourly employees to work extra hours without pay? If so, you may be risking a class-action wage-and-hour lawsuit. That’s what happened to one large employer when a disgruntled hourly employee claimed the company practically forced him to work extra hours in order to keep his job …

This cup’s for you: The right way to test for drugs

10/01/2007

With an increasing number of employees just saying “yes” to drugs these days, you can expect more Indiana companies to develop random drug-testing programs and establish rules that allow them to fire workers who test positive or don’t cooperate with the test. One note of caution: Make sure you can demonstrate that your drug test results are accurate and reliable …

South Bend contractor hit with max fine for fall-Protection error

10/01/2007

OSHA inspectors slapped steel contractor National Store Fixtures Division of United Fixtures in South Bend with a $79,500 fine for failing to protect workers at a construction site last year. Following a tip, OSHA conducted a site inspection and found employees working more than 15 feet off the ground without fall protection while installing steel walls …

At Indy-Based trucking firm, the biggest losers are winners

10/01/2007

Employees of Indianapolis-based trucking company Celadon Group have lost nearly 1,000 pounds through the company’s Highway 2 Health wellness initiative. More than 70 employees participated, completing a 12-week on-site Weight Watchers course …

Is return to work after workers’ comp guaranteed?

10/01/2007

Q. An employee has been out for the past few months on workers’ comp. During his recovery, we placed someone else in his position. His replacement has performed better than the injured employee, and we want to keep the replacement. Do we have to return the original employee to his job following his return from workers’ comp leave? —R.P. …

Unintended consequences: Co-Pays up, productivity down

10/01/2007

If your employees have to shell out for co-pays that they believe are too high, they might opt not to buy their medicine or even seek treatment, even for major health ailments. That can be a problem for your organization because sick employees are not productive …

Stay competitive by aligning benefits with staff expectations

10/01/2007

An organization’s HR professionals and its employees don’t always see eye to eye when it comes to benefits. The Society for Human Resource Management’s “2007 Job Satisfaction Survey Report” revealed some good examples …

Save hours, employee worry with identity-Theft protection

10/01/2007

More than 10 million people a year fall victim to identity thieves—and some of them work for you. It could take up to 600 hours to undo the damage caused by identity theft. And those hours are usually workday hours. That’s why more organizations are beginning to offer identity-theft protections …

Public supervisors who report fraud are immune from defamation claims

10/01/2007

Good news for supervisors who work in the public sector: Reporting suspected fraud and workers’ compensation abuse won’t lead to losing a defamation case. Nor will commenting on the possibility that someone is facing criminal charges for fraud. That’s true even if the employee suspected of wrongdoing is cleared entirely and the accusations were largely unfounded …

The smoke-Free workplace: complying with Florida law

10/01/2007

Florida employers were required to have smoke-free workplaces since the mid-1980s, but the state recently amended the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act to comply with the Florida Health Initiative. The law prohibits smoking in an “enclosed indoor workplace” with the exception of …