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Compensation & Benefits

One mistake won’t sink fluctuating workweek election

09/01/2007

Employers that use the Fair Labor Standards Act’s fluctuating workweek method to calculate pay should take heart!  Making one innocent deduction mistake doesn’t mean you can never use the method again …

Free meals bring employees to the table

09/01/2007

Employees of Chick-fil-A headquarters in Atlanta don’t nosh on the organization’s famous breaded chicken breast sandwiches at lunchtime. They don’t “brown-bag” it either. To encourage employee bonding, the organization treats employees each day to entrées, such as pork loin with asparagus and crusted chicken breast with cauliflower …

EEOC Focuses on ‘Family-Responsibilities Bias’

09/01/2007

The EEOC recently issued enforcement guidance declaring that disparate treatment of employees who care for children, parents or other family members violates federal law. “Disparate treatment” generally means an employer intentionally treated employees differently because of a protected factor such as race, gender, age or—in this case—their need to care for family members …

Plan now to reduce impact of flu pandemic in the workplace

09/01/2007

It’s a doomsday scenario worthy of a movie: A virus spreads around the globe, killing millions and sending millions more to hospitals. Panic ensues, infrastructure breaks down and commerce comes to a halt. But this isn’t a scriptwriter’s invention. Many scientists believe this nightmare is only a matter of time—when the next influenza pandemic hits. What should businesses do to prepare for a pandemic? Employers must be proactive and consider how they will sustain their operation in truly trying times …

Who’s exempt, who’s not? Free FLSA checklist helps you decide

08/28/2007

It’s a perennial HR challenge: Determining whether an employee is exempt from the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. We make the job easier with HR Specialist’s free checklist, as well as a free white paper detailing how to comply with the law.

Raises to remain flat in ’08, but bonuses gain favor

08/21/2007

A trio of closely watched national salary surveys say that employers plan to dole out annual pay raises of about 3.8% in 2008. The biggest trend: Employers are devoting an increasing amount of their salary budgets to bonuses. Here’s how to keep your bonus programs fair and legal…

Consulting firm’s ‘Full circle’ program lets new moms put careers on hold for 5 years

08/07/2007

At New York-based PricewaterhouseCoopers,  the HR staff realized there was a group of women who wanted to step out of the work force and into parenthood while keeping their jobs. The result: It created the "Full Circle" program …

Employees earn bonuses despite $12.7 billion in company losses

08/01/2007

Even though Ford Motor Company lost $12.7 billion last year, the Dearborn, MI-based automaker awarded “modest” performance awards in March to more than 115,000 employees …

Hourly bonuses for salaried employees?

08/01/2007

Q. I employ a physical therapist on a salaried basis, making her an exempt professional under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Can I pay her an hourly bonus without causing her to lose the exempt status? …

Unpaid intern not eligible for workers’ compensation benefits

08/01/2007

Employees who are hurt on the job are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, and so are some volunteers. But unpaid interns don’t meet either definition …