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Compensation & Benefits

Align comp & benefits with phased-Retirement options

07/01/2007

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 allows employers to pay pension benefits to employees age 62 and older who are covered under a defined-benefit pension plan even if they continue to work. The change makes phased retirement a viable option for employers who want to keep their mature, experienced workers …

Profit sharing and ‘No walls’ management boost job referrals

07/01/2007

About 70% of all hires at Findley, Ohio-based hiring firm Right Thing come highly recommended by the organization’s own employees. What gets employees talking to their friends about joining the firm? It’s the company’s laid-back atmosphere—with no formal managers or departments—and an employee profit-sharing plan that involves half the company profits …

Texas employers to receive unemployment-Tax refunds

07/01/2007

Texas employers who had paid taxes into the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund are set to receive approximately $320 million in refunds …

Workers’ comp department improves web forms

07/01/2007

The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation, recently improved the functionality of more than 90 forms posted on its web site …

UPS drivers win class-Action settlement for back meal-Break pay

07/01/2007

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has approved an $87 million settlement in a case brought by former and current UPS drivers …

Public sector employees entitled to paid time off to donate blood

07/01/2007

Q. We have an employee who insists that he is entitled to take off a full eight-hour day with pay to donate blood. What is the law in Georgia regarding an employee’s right to take paid leave for this purpose?

Punishing exempt worker who exceeds leave time

07/01/2007

Q. Can we deduct something from an exempt employee’s pay if he takes time off, comes in late or leaves early after he’s used up all of his leave time?

Time off for special-needs child

07/01/2007

Q. Our office secretary is the backbone of our company. Her son is in special education, and she periodically asks for time off to attend various school conferences and meetings about his progress. I don’t want to be stingy, but her absences really create problems for us. Do I have to allow her to take time off for these meetings?

How to prevent employees from abusing PTO leave

07/01/2007

A reader of our e-mail newsletter, HR Weekly, recently posed this question:  “We allow employees to take paid time off (PTO) in hourly increments, but they often use PTO when running late in the morning or for unexpected ‘appointments.’ How can we get a rein on our PTO leave?”

Count only hours actually worked for eligibility

07/01/2007

Do you have special incentive programs to make weekend work attractive to employees? If your program pays workers “credit hours” for time not actually worked, you don’t have to include those hours toward FMLA eligibility …