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Compensation & Benefits

Bring the dog days of summer to heel

07/08/2014
Dog days of summer slowing you down? You can keep cool by keeping busy. Take some time now to make sure your Payroll i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed.

Unlimited time offer: Vacation reconsidered

07/08/2014
A handful of employers are now offering unlimited vacation time. HR pros agree on five guidelines for the concept.

DOL audits: What to expect when you’re expecting one

07/07/2014
Wage-and-hour investigations have become more complex, according to Corey Walton, a community outreach and resource planning specialist with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour Division. His best advice: Stay in touch with your investigator.

IRS limits dumping employees on ACA exchanges

07/07/2014
Employers contemplating simply giving employees tax-free cash to purchase health insurance on public exchanges will have to rethink that plan in light of new IRS regulations implementing the Affordable Care Act.

TGI Fridays served with class-action lawsuit

07/07/2014
Hospitality giant Carlson Res­­tau­­rants, headquartered in Caroll­­ton, faces a class-action suit alleging numerous Fair Labor Standards Act violations at TGI Fridays restaurants nationwide.

NLRB dings Fort Worth company for contract violation

07/07/2014
Three employees of FTSS Joint Ven­­ture will receive $105,000 in back pay and damages after the NLRB ruled the company violated the National Labor Relations Act when it unilaterally eliminated one job and created new, lower-paying positions to replace those held by the employees.

Thinking about skipping workers’ comp? Get ready to risk unlimited liability

07/07/2014
Here’s something to consider before you choose not to be a part of the Texas workers’ compensation system. Employers that forego coverage—as they are permitted to do—leave open the possibility of unlimited liability and have few defenses available.

Bonuses are back, more popular than ever

07/07/2014
A downward trend for bonuses that began with the 2009 recession has been reversed. Part of the reason: Employers may be substituting bonuses for traditional merit raises.

A shot of undergrad studies for Starbucks employees

07/03/2014
Coffee giant Starbucks has a new plan to retain smart, ambitious workers: It’s going to reimburse tuition and offer financial aid for employees who take online college courses offered by Arizona State University.

Act this month to dodge penalties for W-2 problems

07/03/2014
Procrastinators beware: Aug. 1 is rapidly approaching. That’s when penalties more than triple, from $30 to $100 per form, up to $1.5 million, for these W-2 indiscretions: failing to file 2013 W-2s in the first place or filing incorrect 2013 W-2s that you haven’t yet corrected.