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Compensation & Benefits

Reinstate employees right after leave; don’t delay

12/01/2004
Issue: Employees’ right to immediate reinstatement when returning from leave covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Risk: Any delay in returning employees to their jobs after FMLA …

Buying Savings Bonds via payroll deduction is now easier

12/01/2004
Under new Treasury Department rules, it’s now easier for em-ployees to buy U.S. Savings Bonds through payroll deduction. Employees can arrange for a specific amount from their paychecks to be placed …

No need to give notice of demotion or pay cut

12/01/2004

Q. We’re planning to demote an employee for performance reasons. He’d move from a supervisory job (salaried/exempt) to an hourly job, so we’d cut his pay by about $10,000 a year. What kind of notice must we give him regarding the pay cut and exemption status? —L.K., Missouri

New rules define employers’ reservist-leave responsibilities

11/01/2004
Employers confused over how to comply with the Uniformed Services Em-ployment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) now have new guidelines to follow. For the first time since USERRA’s passage in 1994, …

No pressure to ratchet up pay raises in 2005

11/01/2004
Issue: Even with the economy moving again, employers are playing it safe, budgeting for modest employee pay raises in 2005. Benefit: By pointing …

Warn managers not to exaggerate pay and perks

11/01/2004
Issue: In their zeal to lure top-shelf applicants, hiring managers may embellish on the pay, perks and promotion opportunities. Risk: Failing …

Boost employee morale at low cost, with surprise days off

11/01/2004
Issue: How to improve benefits and employee morale without busting the budget.
Benefit: Employees soon forget how they spent bonus money but will remember what they did with a surprise …

5 ways to avoid legal risks of converting temps to regular staff

11/01/2004
Issue: More employers are testing job candidates by hiring them as temps first.
Risk: Temps converted to regular staff often fly under the radar of pre-employment checks, plus create other …

Help employees ease holiday-season stress

11/01/2004
The most popular thing U.S. employers do to help employees alleviate holiday-related stress is to schedule holiday events during business hours …

Skeptical of ‘Spouse’ on benefit plan? Ask for proof

11/01/2004

Q. A few of our employees have added their spouses to our health benefits plan. We’ve heard through the grapevine that some of these “couples” aren’t actually married. Can we check on this without being discriminatory? —L.C., Illinois