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Compensation & Benefits

Secure the right certification to push your career forward

08/01/2004
Issue: Several types of valuable HR certifications exist, and new ones emerge all the time, especially in compensation and benefits. Benefit: HR credentials …

Why you need a forfeiture clause in every job contract

08/01/2004

If your organization writes employment contracts for key employees, it may be making one costly mistake: unconditionally guaranteeing salary and benefits to employees, even if they commit misconduct that would warrant firing …

Tips & tactics from 2004 SHRM conference

08/01/2004
The HR Specialist joined more than 12,000 HR professionals in New Orleans this summer for the annual Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conference. Here are some …

Are departed employees eligible for bonuses?

08/01/2004

Q. Our company pays out bonuses in the year after the work is completed, sometimes late into the first quarter. If an employee resigns prior to the bonus payout date (say in January), do we have to pay that employee the bonus? —A.G., South Carolina

Resumes that scream ‘I’m healthy’ can sicken hiring process

08/01/2004
Applicants will slap anything on their résumés if they think it will attract the recruiter's eye. So, recognizing the soaring cost of health insurance, more applicants are adding a Health Profile …

12 ways to slay the health care inflation dragon

08/01/2004
Issue: The CEO is looking over HR’s shoulder, expecting you to find the magic bullet to reduce health-insurance costs. Benefit: Saving the organization money …

Birth-control health coverage jumps dramatically

08/01/2004
In 2004, 86 percent of employer health plans cover costs for birth-control choices, up from only 28 percent in 1993, says a new study published in the journal …

Courts Differ on Half-Day Deduction Rules

08/01/2004

Q. You’ve said that a company can’t deduct a half-day for an exempt employee who has used all her sick and vacation time; it must be in full-day increments. But what if the employee hasn’t used all her banked sick and vacation time? Could an employer require the employee to use that instead? —S.V., North Carolina

ADA doesn’t give employee freedom to redefine his job

08/01/2004

Q. One of our employees has been out on disability leave for almost 16 months. He says he wants to return to work, but only if we give him a supervisory position without a lot of strenuous activity. We have no such position available. We’ve offered him other positions, but he’s refused them all. Can we legally terminate him? —L.B., North Carolina

Exemption Class Doesn’t Matter for Part-Timer

08/01/2004

Q. Does the new salary threshold of $455 a week (under which employees are automatically eligible for overtime) hold true even if the person works part time, say one or two days a week? We have employees who meet the professional exemption, but they work part time and wouldn’t reach the $455 threshold. —L.S., Pennsylvania