• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Wages & Hours

OK to vary pay–as long as there’s no sex bias

05/28/2013
Employees are supposed to receive the same compensation for the same work regardless of sex. But that doesn’t mean you can’t pay some men more than some women, even if it’s crystal clear that they’re doing the exact same job. That’s because the Equal Pay Act allows for differences that can be accounted for by any factor other than sex.

Hey, kid, get a job! Rules for employing teens

05/27/2013
If you’re tempted to say that to the teenagers in your house, and thankful that someone else will be employing them this summer, remember that somewhere out there other parents are saying the very same thing to their teens. And you may end up employing them.

Women earn $24K less

05/24/2013
Women earn an average of $44,400 annually, compared to $68,300 for men, according to a study by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists.

San Jose minimum wage increases to $10 per hour

05/20/2013
The San Jose Minimum Wage Ordinance, which took effect on March 11, raised the minimum wage for “covered employees” to $10 per hour. A “covered em­­ployee” is anyone who works two or more hours per week within the city limits.

Is it OK to volunteer for your own nonprofit?

05/10/2013
Q. I work for a nonprofit organization. Several hourly employees of the organization volunteer during nonworking hours. Is that OK?

St. Paul Chamber musicians, management achieve harmony

05/10/2013
After being locked out since Oct. 21, 2012, musicians with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra are prepared to complete a shortened season with a smaller contingent. A tentative agreement ending the lockout cuts the orchestra from 34 members to 28 and lowers the guaranteed minimum salary to $60,000—19% less than the previous contract that expired last September.

Sugar lockout comes to sweet conclusion for employer

05/10/2013
The 20-month-long American Crystal Sugar lockout is finally over. In April, 55% of the members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Local 167G ratified a contract that closely resembles a deal they rejected on four previous votes.

Failing to pay workers on time may cost you a big penalty

05/09/2013
In Minnesota, employees are supposed to be paid promptly and receive an accounting of their time worked. Failure to comply may mean you’ll have to pay a penalty.

Discovered wage-and-hour irregularities? Act fast to fix

05/09/2013
When it comes to paying hourly employees for all hours worked, the best policy is to fix any mistakes as soon as you can. Chances are, doing so will reduce your liability down the line.

OT expectations take toll on working moms’ careers

05/09/2013
Working mothers are 52% more likely than other women to leave their jobs if they work more than 50 hours a week in a field dominated by men, according to researchers at Indiana University.