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Compensation & Benefits

Cost of diverting prevailing wages: $20 million

08/19/2021
A Pennsylvania construction contractor pleaded guilty earlier this month in what is thought to be the largest criminal prevailing-wage theft case in U.S. history. The cost for short-changing employees who worked on state paving contracts: $20 million.

U.S. employers planning larger pay raises for 2022

08/17/2021
Pay raises are making a comeback. U.S. companies plan to give employees larger raises next year as they recover from the economic fallout from the pandemic and face mounting challenges attracting and retaining employees, according to a new survey by the Willis Towers Watson consulting firm.

Apply leave policy equally to all employees

08/13/2021
You probably have a well-defined leave policy that gives employees time off for vacations, illness and tending to personal business. Whether you provide separate pots of leave or lump it all into paid and unpaid time off, your leave policy must treat all employees equally.

Education perks become a key retention tool

08/13/2021
Employers aren’t just struggling to attract new workers; they’re scrambling to retain current employees, too. Enter the education benefit wars. Large employers are betting that paying employee tuition will be a key retention tool.

Rule would raise minimum wage for federal contractor workers to $15

08/10/2021
The Department of Labor has issued a proposed rule raising the minimum wage for employees working on federal contracts to $15 per hour.

Health insurers say covid unlikely to affect 2022 costs

08/10/2021
After a tumultuous year of unpredictable covid-related effects on health care delivery and spending, a review of early rate filings for insurers participating in Affordable Care Act marketplaces finds that most are expecting a return to normal in 2022.

5 tips to improve open enrollment this fall

08/10/2021
While everyone else is on vacation this month, HR pros are busy planning for the upcoming open enrollment season. Follow these tips to make the process run better.

DOL plans to explore raising exempt overtime threshold again

08/03/2021
The Department of Labor has confirmed it is reviewing the exemptions of executive, administrative and professional employees from the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Manage FLSA basics: minimum wage and OT

07/29/2021
Managing a restaurant is tough these days. Staffing is next to impossible. Wages are rising. New covid-19 safety rules have added layers of extra costs. Those are just the new complications. But all the old requirements remain, too, such as complying with the wage-deduction and overtime rules covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Beware choosing wrong vaccine incentive

07/20/2021
Forcing all employees to be vaccinated presents significant legal risks, and most employment law attorneys recommend against it. A popular work-around has been to encourage vaccinations by offering incentives to employees. That can help. But the incentive offered matters. Here’s what works and what can get you in trouble.