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Compensation & Benefits

What can we do about an employee who racked up hours of unauthorized overtime?

09/28/2011
Q. We orally warned an employee not to work overtime. Recently, he claimed to have worked 56 hours straight, eating and sleeping only on regular break times. The timecards say he was here, but we don’t have any night staff, so we can’t verify if he was actually at work. Is there anything we can do?

Challenge it! ADA suit, disability claim don’t mix

09/28/2011

Employees who file for Social Security disability benefits, alleging they are totally disabled, sometimes have ADA cases pending. If you discover that’s the case, scour your files for evidence of contradictory claims. You may be able to get the ADA lawsuit dismissed.

Think twice before challenging unemployment–former worker may well qualify for benefits

09/28/2011
When former employees file for unemployment compensation after they quit for medical reasons, some employers routinely challenge the claims. But whether an employee is eligible to receive unemployment benefits depends on the specific circumstances of the case.

Feds offer partial amnesty for contractor misclassification

09/27/2011
If you’ve been worried that some of your workers may be incorrectly classified as independent contractors, but leery about opening a legal can of worms to fix potential problems, Uncle Sam is offering to cut you a break. Learn about a new program designed to help you get your records in order—and avoid penalties.

Perks persist in high-tech markets

09/27/2011
It’s 1999 all over again for at least some in-demand job candidates and employees: those with IT expertise. Companies looking to lure candidates are offering unusually generous inducements and perks. Who’s benefiting from the largesse? Cloud computing engineers, data security experts, mobile app developers and tech sales people.

Illinois workers’ comp reform rules now in effect

09/21/2011
The state of Illinois has taken a series of steps to cut employers’ workers’ compensation costs. Employers should consult with their workers’ comp carriers to ensure workplace injury reporting procedures and posted notices are up-to-date and comply with the new law. The following reforms took effect Sept. 1:

End the silence: The case against secret salaries

09/21/2011

It’s a golden rule in most businesses: Salaries must be kept secret. It’s almost universally accepted that mayhem would ensue in the workplace if people knew what their co-workers, their managers or—gasp—the CEO was making. Three major reasons why secret salaries are silly, according to consultant Alexander Kjerulf:

L.A. ‘hostess’ dancers sue for wage violations, harassment

09/20/2011
A group of dancers at a Los Angeles “hostess club” are suing for wage-and-hour violations, claiming the owners of Club 907 also subjected them to “exploitative, substandard and degrading working conditions.”

Does San Francisco car wash soak its Latino workers?

09/20/2011
The city of San Francisco has filed suit against a car wash for overtime and waiting-time violations. City Attorney Dennis Herrera and La Raza Centro Legal allege that Tower Car Wash, which has a contract with San Francisco to wash city-owned vehicles, failed to pay employees for the hours between when they arrive at work and when they’re permitted to clock in.

NUMMI pays $6 million to settle plant-closing suit

09/20/2011
The EEOC and the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) have settled claims that the company denied benefits and locked out disabled workers before a plant shutdown in Fremont.