Compensation & Benefits

Atlanta ranks second in combined housing & transportation costs

08/01/2007

For families earning between $20,000 and $50,000 a year, Hotlanta may not be so hot …

Employees’ kids in the workplace: To ban or not?

08/01/2007

A participant in the Forum section of our HR Weekly e-letter (www.theHRSpecialist.com/weekly) complained of the “constant, low-grade distraction” of employees’ children in the office—particularly in summer. He posed this question: “Is it best to ban employees’ kids from the workplace?” Here are some of the comments from other HR professionals …

It IS rocket science: Learn from NASA how to prevent ‘Brain drain’ at your company

07/31/2007

Use NASA’s seven-question approach to help stem the loss of critical knowledge at your organization…

Women in HR: Boost your career by writing your own annual report

07/31/2007

The bad news: You don’t earn as much as your male counterparts. And no one wants to hear you ask for a raise. The good news: You can reinforce "Brand You" by writing a personal annual report. Here’s a six-question template …

Federal minimum wage goes up—and so should your new posters

07/24/2007

The new federal minimum wage of $5.85 per hour means you need to put up new posters – even if your state’s minimum wage is higher. We’re making it easy to comply. You can download and print official U.S. Labor Department posters – for FREE – directly from the HR Specialist web site.

Pay for holiday when it’s normally an off day?

07/20/2007

Q One of our employees is assigned to work 32 hours per week. His regular off-day is Monday. If a holiday falls on a Monday (such as Labor Day), is the employee entitled to pay for the day?

Legislature passes ‘Play or pay’ benefits bills

07/20/2007

California’s legislature is moving forward on two “play or pay” bills that would require employers that do not offer cafeteria health plans to their workers to pay into a state-run health plan purchasing pool …

Federal Overtime Law: 4 Tips For Staying In Compliance

07/19/2007

Lawyers who want to make a quick buck are capitalizing on recent overtime class-actions that have netted millions in unpaid overtime and penalties. In fact, overtime and other unpaid-time lawsuits have become a cottage industry in the 21st century …

Worried about ‘Donning and doffing?’ Relax

07/09/2007

The U.S. Supreme Court created a big fuss last year by ruling that time used to put on or remove some work clothes and safety gear outside actual work hours might be compensable time. Many employers changed the way they calculated pay …

Additional workers’ comp benefits end at initial Social Security benefit age