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

Compensation & Benefits

Don’t do it! Agencies clarify stances on ACA coverage dodges

02/18/2015
There is such a thing as being too clever by half, when it comes to enforcing the group health mandates of the Affordable Care Act. The IRS and its sister agencies have been putting out fires caused by promoters who claim compliance with the law through a hyper-technical reading of its provisions. Here’s the latest.

Perks at digital marketing firm encourage employee creativity

02/18/2015

Employees of Boston-based C-4 Analytics joke that they “already get to play on Facebook all day” as part of their work as digital marketers, says managing partner Michael Weiss. Yet execs have woven time into employee schedules to get them away from their workstations to “recharge their creativity and focus.”

Safeway adds benefits for LGBT employees

02/17/2015
Safeway is making its support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and shoppers visible with some perks for workers and the communities where its grocery stores are located.

Final IRS regs clarify ACA’s individual mandate

02/16/2015
The IRS has issued final regulations that cover how group plans’ design affects affordability.

Reissued W-2s: Round up the usual suspects

02/13/2015
Who are the usual suspects? Employees who call every year, saying they lost their W-2s and could you please give them new ones now, because April 15 is, really, just weeks away. Here are some tips for managing the reissued W-2 process.

Don’t overpay for first shift of daylight saving time

02/13/2015
Daylight saving time begins at 2:00 a.m., March 8, 2015. Graveyard-shift workers, therefore, will actually work only seven hours that day.

Can we delay paycheck until personnel file is done?

02/13/2015
Q. We allow employees to begin working without handing in the documentation we require, such as reference letters. (We always have legal documentation, such as I-9s and W-4s) Are we legally allowed to hold an employee’s paycheck until their personnel file is complete?

Women trail men in retirement savings growth

02/13/2015
Women invest 6% to 12% more than men in defined contribution plans such as 401(k)s, according to the Vanguard investment firm’s “2014 How America Saves” report.

Form W-2c: The agony of errors

02/12/2015
The earlier you fix errors on your 2019 W-2s, the less likely it is you’ll be penalized by the IRS. Procrastinators don’t win: If you correct errors within 30 days, the penalty is $50 a form. If you wait until after Aug. 3, 2020, the penalty spikes to $270 a form.

Performance drives pay in 72% of workplaces

02/12/2015
Pay-for-performance continues to define U.S. employers’ compensation strategies. According to a new study by the WorldatWork nonprofit, 72% of 600 organizations surveyed report that they directly tie pay raises to job performance—and 67% say their best employees earn increases that are 1.5 times higher than those of average workers.