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Compensation & Benefits

Federal minimum wage jumps to $5.85 per hour on July 24

05/25/2007
Congress voted to increase the federal minimum wage from the current $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour in a three-step process. The federal minimum will jump 70-cents per hour in July 2007, July 2008 and July 2009.

FMLA in a Nutshell: How to Comply With the Family and Medical Leave Act

05/15/2007
White Paper published by The HR Specialist, copyright 2009 ______________________ The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which became law in 1993, provides qualified employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for the birth or adoption of a child, for caring for a spouse or an immediate family member with a […]

Ban smoking or ban smokers? How far can you legally go?

05/15/2007

Thirty states and the District of Columbia have established “lifestyle discrimination” laws that prohibit employers from discriminating against employees or applicants based on the person’s off-duty use of tobacco or participation in other legal though controversial activities …

Extend your grief benefits beyond simple bereavement leave

05/15/2007

Your organization probably allows grieving employees to take a few paid days off when a family member dies. But employees who lose loved ones are unlikely to return to normal in just a few days.

No need for extra severance when laying off litigious staff

05/01/2007

Employers that want to trim their work force often sweeten the exit with severance payments. In exchange, employees sign away rights to lawsuits they may otherwise have contemplated. But what about employees who already have pending employment discrimination lawsuits or EEOC or state agency complaints?

Fighting words over ‘Fighting 529’

05/01/2007

When Latino advocate Jerry Gonzalez showed “Fighting 529,” his documentary slamming Georgia Senate Bill (SB) 529, at Georgia Tech in March, the last person he expected to see in the audience was state Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), author of the bill …

Casino workers organize, joining United Auto Workers

05/01/2007

Dealers at Caesars Atlantic City voted to join the United Auto Workers (UAW) Union on March 19, followed closely by Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino dealers on April 1 …

Morgan Stanley wins in whistle-Blower firing case

05/01/2007

Morgan Stanley won the latest round in its high-profile battle with IT employee Arthur Riel, who was fired for sharing e-mails that revealed questionable management practices at the firm …

Teacher bonuses linked to higher student performance

05/01/2007

Administrators in Arkansas’ Little Rock School District wanted to link financial awards for teachers to academic improvement in their students. The teachers agreed to the program without knowing what the payoff would be …

Early workers’ comp suspension costs 19-Month salary payout

05/01/2007

How do four days translate into 19 months? That was the math that left Reliance Electric Company, based in Greenville, S.C., scratching its head after a workers’ compensation ruling …