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Compensation & Benefits

You don’t need to accommodate totally disabled workers

09/01/2005
Issue: How to handle employees who claim disability benefits but also want ADA-related job accommodations.
Risk: Sometimes, you must offer those accommodations, sometimes you don’t. One mistake can trigger an …

Clarify ‘for cause’ terminations in severance-pact wording

09/01/2005
Issue: Severance agreements that deny severance payments to employees fired “for cause.”
Risk: Failing to clarify “for cause” could result in having to pay severance to people fired for blatant …

Congress moves closer to association health plan

09/01/2005
This finally may be the year Congress authorizes association health plans, which would allow small businesses to participate in health insurance plans through trade associations that span state lines. The House …

You can use surveillance to spot workers’ comp fraud

09/01/2005

Q. How far can we go to make sure that employees aren’t taking advantage of our company while they’re out on workers’ comp leave? Can we, for example, call them at home to make sure they are resting and not out working another job or abusing the system? —D.V., Illinois

FMLA caregivers must stay close; calls don’t count

09/01/2005
While the FMLA allows employees time off to care for a sick spouse, child or parent, such “care” doesn’t have to be physical. FMLA regulations say employees can take FMLA leave …

Know your ADA responsibilities for employees with cancer

09/01/2005
The EEOC published a Q&A document last month explaining when cancer is a “disability” under the ADA and how you should accommodate employees with cancer.
More than 1 million Americans …

Know your ADA duty to employees with cancer

09/01/2005
The EEOC just published a Q&A document explaining when cancer is a qualified disability under the ADA and how you should accommodate employees with cancer. Reasonable accommodations may include intermittent leave, …

Don’t make ex-Employees pay training costs

09/01/2005

Q. We’ve started requiring employees to repay the company (through payroll deduction) for training costs if they quit or are fired within one year. Are we OK legally? —S.M., Kentucky

You can cut wages for ‘Maxed Out’ employees

09/01/2005

Q. We have some employees who are earning the maximum salary for their job classifications. Can we cut their pay if we feel they’re overpaid? —D.N., Colorado

Fewer employers offering flextime schedules

09/01/2005
A study by the Society for Human Resource Management says only 56 percent of employers now offer flex schedules, down from 65 percent in 2002. Why the change? Experts say …