Payroll

Just-departed worker owes us money: Can we dock (or withhold) his final paycheck?

07/08/2009

Q. One of my employees who recently quit has failed to pay back a personal charge he made on our corporate credit card. Can I simply deduct the amount of the charge from his last paycheck or withhold his final paycheck until he pays for the charge?

As the Wurld turns: Upstate firm owes $1.2M to 19 workers

07/06/2009

An arbitrator has awarded $1.2 million in back pay and damages to 19 former employees of Wurld Media, Inc. The Saratoga Springs-based Internet startup, which marketed a product similar to iTunes, began having trouble making payroll in 2006.

Beware incentive plans that deduct pay from exempt employees

06/05/2009

The FLSA sets strict rules for who can be classified as an exempt employee not entitled to overtime pay. One of those is the so-called salary-basis test. Exempt employees must be paid the same salary regardless of the quality or quantity of their work in any given pay period. In other words, employers can’t make deductions from pay for poor work.

Must we pay out unused vacation days when we fire employees or they quit?

06/01/2009

Q. Is an employer required to pay workers for their unused vacation days when they resign or are terminated?

Judge approves $8 million settlement in UPS case

05/15/2009

A federal judge recently approved an $8 million settlement between UPS and approximately 38,000 current and former California employees. The workers alleged the company failed to provide meal and rest breaks and did not pay terminated employees their wages on a timely basis.

How can we save on payroll but still have employees work their full schedules?

05/11/2009

Q. We are having trouble making payroll and have asked our employees to give up pay for 20 hours per month while they work their regular schedules. Can we do this?

10 ways to stay out of legal trouble while trimming staff

05/04/2009

Even as we watch the stock market slowly recover, organizations are still laying off employees and searching for ways to cut overhead. If your organization is eliminating even one job, plan it carefully. A hasty layoff can create legal problems that cost more down the road than keeping the employee would have. Here are 10 things to consider:

Cash advances help bank employees dress like pros

05/04/2009

Umpqua Bank makes it easy for its 1,700 employees to comply with a strict, professional dress code: It lends them money to buy clothes. Since 1996, the bank, with 150 branches, has advanced money to any employee who asks for it—up to $1,000 a year—to spend on work clothes.

How can we legally handle paychecks when employees use designees for pickup?

04/22/2009

Q. Once a year, we have employees show a picture ID and provide a signature that allows them to authorize someone else to pick up their paychecks for them. If an employee doesn’t provide ID and a signature, we will mail the check or hold it until he or she personally picks it up. Is this legal?

Street Smarts: Your peers weigh in with 5 real-world comp & benefits solutions

04/21/2009

Try these practical, workplace-proven compensation and benefits tips to recognize employees and save time and money.