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Compensation & Benefits

DOL: Unused FFCRA leave need not be paid

01/07/2021
The Department of Labor has clarified how the new coronavirus relief law—formally known as the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021—affects paid sick leave and paid family leave that was authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act last year.

Coronavirus relief law adds more flexibility to flex funds

01/05/2021
The coronavirus relief legislation signed into law Dec. 27 grants some financial leeway to employees who participate in health and dependent care flexible spending account plans.

DOL rule updates tip-sharing rules for restaurant workers

12/30/2020
Waiters and bartenders can be required to share their tips with cooks, dishwashers and other back-of-the-house food service workers under a final rule issued Dec. 22 by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Prepare to start paying for home office costs

12/30/2020
During the initial migration to home offices, many employees gladly picked up the incidental costs of working remotely. That probably won’t last.

Relief bill causes paid family leave confusion

12/24/2020
The massive coronavirus relief and appropriations legislation that Congress passed Dec. 21 includes an extension of some features of the emergency paid sick leave and paid family leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. But the bill was drafted in a way that creates some confusion about how HR departments should treat that leave in 2021.

The impact of COVID on workers’ comp claims

12/21/2020
With fewer people in the workplace, employers have seen a big decrease in non-COVID workers’ compensation claims, down about 25–50% since early March.

Health costs flat despite (or because of) pandemic

12/15/2020
Large employers encountered a paradox among the financial ruins of the coronavirus pandemic: Their health care costs rose just 1.9% in 2020, the lowest increase since 1997.

Coronavirus drives shift in employer-provided benefits

12/15/2020
The past year saw a significant increase in employer-offered telemedicine, paid and unpaid caregiver leave, tuition discounts and hazard pay, according to the WorldatWork association.

Identify pay disparities, correct them now

12/10/2020
Here’s a reminder that employers should proactively revise their pay practices with an eye toward ending pay disparities. The fact is, agencies such as the EEOC are going all out to make sure women are paid as much as men, even if the differences are small or don’t last long.

Hazard pay is back—and so are its risks

12/10/2020
Covid-19 cases are spiking again and employers are again beginning to offer hazard pay. In some cases, workers are demanding even higher pay and greater safety protections than before. How employers respond and structure round two of hazard pay may have lasting impact on operations.