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Compensation & Benefits

Keep salary offers in check for new college grads

04/01/2005
Starting pay for new grads will remain modest this year, except in certain fields, such as tech and engineering, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) predicts.
In a …

Office business manager: Exempt or nonexempt?

04/01/2005

Q. We’re a nine-physician medical clinic, and we employ a salaried business manager. She makes less than $100,000 but more than $23,660 per year. Her duties include personnel, hiring and firing, and office work. We don’t give her comp time or overtime pay. If she takes a partial day off, she must use vacation time (paid time off). In light of the new (FLSA, overtime) rules, are we handling this correctly? —B.B., Missouri

Monthly pay is OK, but keep payday consistent

04/01/2005

Q. Doesn’t federal law say employees must be paid within two weeks of completing their work, no matter the excuse (computer glitch, etc.)? —A.L., Virginia

Help employees simplify expense reporting

04/01/2005
If employees waste a lot of work time filling out expense reports from a bundle of receipts, check out a new NeatReceipts software and scanner package that captures images of receipts …

Paying men more than women with the same job titles?

04/01/2005
Issue: As a new ruling shows, a female’s job must be “virtually identical” to a male’s to support an equal-pay lawsuit.
Benefit: You don’t have to fear paying different wages …

Where your religious-accommodation responsibilities stop

04/01/2005
Issue: How far must you go to oblige an employee’s religious practices under federal job-discrimination law?
Benefit: A new ruling says that you don’t need to accommodate religious requests when …

Don’t let managers hire or fire based on family health costs

03/01/2005
Issue: Can you terminate, or refuse to hire, people based on their impact to your health plan?
Risk: Employees have two paths to sue you for such cost-trimming employment actions. …

Expand your benefit options; more insurers offer HSA plans

03/01/2005
Issue: More health insurance companies are offering plans that include Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
Benefit: HSA popularity will take off in 2005-2006. And more insurers will translate into better plan …

Do your managers know an FMLA request when they see one?

03/01/2005
When employees request leave, especially for unforeseen circumstances, they don’t need to assert their FMLA rights explicitly by saying, “I need FMLA leave.” In fact, they don’t need to mention FMLA …

FMLA certification: Collect medical-leave proof the right way

03/01/2005
THE LAW. The FMLA lets eligible employees take up to 12 weeks of un-paid, job-protected leave each year for their own “serious health condition,” or if the employee is caring …