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Compensation & Benefits

Under a PTO plan, how should we handle payouts when employees quit or get fired?

03/22/2011
Q. Our company is considering replacing sick leave and vacation benefits with a paid time off (PTO) system. Under a PTO plan, how should we handle it when an employee resigns or is terminated?

Metallica drummer will try to beat overtime lawsuit

03/22/2011
The former personal assistant to Lars Ulrich filed a lawsuit claiming the Metallica drummer violated state and federal laws by failing to pay him overtime. Steven Wiig claimed he worked between 50 and 70 hours per week, on duty at Ulrich’s home, in recording studios and during Metallica’s worldwide tours.

Ask attorney to help set up independent contractor deals

03/22/2011
If you want to create independent contractor relationships, get expert legal advice on how to structure the contract.

Mutual wage agreements may trump OT requirements

03/22/2011
Under limited circumstances, employers and nonexempt employees can agree to set a salary that covers regular work and overtime.

Firing hourly worker? Starbucks’ big win shows how to handle wage statements and pay

03/22/2011
Terminating an employee is never easy. But thanks to a recent California Court of Appeal decision, at least you don’t have to worry about wage statement violations—if you follow the common sense guidelines the court announced.

9th Circuit: Pharma reps are salespeople

03/22/2011
Typically, federal courts tend to uphold the U.S. Department of Labor’s interpretations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. But now the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the DOL’s interpretation of what it means to be an outside salesperson under the FLSA.

37 ways to lower your health care costs

03/22/2011
Average employer-paid health benefit costs have increased about 6% per year for the last five years. At least in the short term, the year-old health care reform law may make the problem even worse. All the more reason to act now to get your health care costs under control. One of the most effective ways: conducting a dependent audit to make sure the people you’re covering are actually eligible for insurance benefits.

Nice work if you can get it: 12 years of full-time time off

03/22/2011
Heads are rolling in Norfolk, Va., following the discovery that a government worker who was suspended 12 years ago and hasn’t done a day of work since then has been drawing a paycheck the whole time. And get this: Now that she’s been officially fired, she’s suing.

Push is on for space and time for breastfeeding at work

03/22/2011
New moms who want to continue breastfeeding after they return to work have powerful supporters behind them—and a new law that says their employers have to give them time, privacy and space to pump. Here are six factors to consider if your organization is planning to set up space for breastfeeding moms:

Put muscle in your flex: Quit justifying, start implementing

03/21/2011

In recent years, it’s become clear that companies are slow to adopt flexible workplace practices. Employees at award-winning workplaces continue to lament their lack of flexibility. While 80% of Americans say they want workplace flexibility, only a third report having it. There are big barriers to adopting and sustaining flexible workplace practices within an organization. We need to shift our focus from the “why” to the “how.”