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Compensation & Benefits

‘New’ paid family leave arrives this summer

12/24/2013
More California employees will be eligible to take paid family leave starting July 1. That’s when grandparents, grandchildren, siblings and parents-in-law will be added to the list of relatives for whom caregiver leave is authorized.

Northstate restaurants face $1.8 million in W&H citations

12/24/2013
State Labor officials have fined two Ukiah restaurants more than $1.8 million for wage-and-hour violations involving 47 workers over a three-year period. The complaint alleged the workers were not paid minimum wage or proper overtime.

Sad but true: Sick employee may not get unemployment

12/24/2013
When an employee who would other­­wise qualify for unemployment benefits can’t work because she’s too ill, she loses her eligibility.

Warn bosses: No griping about pregnancy-related absences

12/24/2013

Some bosses openly resent it when subordinates announce that they’re pregnant. Warn them to never do or say anything that indicates anger, disappointment or annoyance.

Ensure bosses understand break obligations

12/24/2013
Ignorance of the law—and labor regulations—is no excuse. If your supervisors don’t understand that they need to give employees regular breaks and an uninterrupted meal period, they’re likely to trigger a class-action lawsuit.

CEO pay-ratio reporting requirement opposed by compensation group

12/24/2013
The nonprofit HR organization WorldatWork has urged the Securities and Exchange Commission to reject proposed regulations that would require corporations to report the ratio of CEO pay to that of median employee pay.

Market pricing is No. 1 method for setting pay rates

12/24/2013
Market pricing continues to ­outpace all other methods em­­ployers use to determine management and executive compensation levels, according to a new report by the nonprofit HR organization WorldatWork.

They just can’t make beautiful music together

12/23/2013
Long-running negotiations in the Minnesota Orchestra lockout broke down in November after musicians’ representatives walked out of negotiations to resolve disputes about staffing, pay and artistic differences.

Software firm’s culture centers on celebrations

12/19/2013

On the desk of every Benefitfocus employee is a cowbell, which the associate may ring to announce that he or she has closed a big deal—or gotten engaged or is expecting a baby. In fact, employees of the Charles­­ton, S.C.-based benefits software company spend a lot of time celebrating personal and professional milestones.

The 2014 Payroll Checklist

12/18/2013

Year-end for Payroll and Accounts Payable doesn’t just begin in the third quarter, ramp up in the fourth quarter and wind down at the end of the first quarter of the next year. Year-end is, really, a year-long process. Download our 2014 Payroll Checklist to help guide you through each pay period, month and calendar quarter.