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Compensation & Benefits

Unpaid interns teach some employers a costly lesson

08/12/2010

For employers and job-seekers alike, unpaid internships seem like an attractive option. But internships come with risks. Before you begin taking on interns, do a thoughtful and careful analysis to make sure state and federal law allows you to classify an individual as an unpaid intern rather than a paid employee.

Former Opus West employees allege pension fraud

08/12/2010
Minnetonka-based Opus Corp. and its founder, Gerald Rauenhorst, face charges they illegally shifted corporate funds so they wouldn’t have to pay a subsidiary’s employees and fund their pensions.

Illness won’t bar unemployment; violating call-in policy may

08/12/2010
Employees who are terminated because they become ill and can’t meet attendance standards can still collect unemployment compensation benefits. But employees terminated because they didn’t follow call-in policies can’t. That’s misconduct, which bars receiving benefits.

Creative thinkers awarded with $2,500 plus a sabbatical

08/12/2010
Managers at public relations and marketing agency CRT/tanaka want employees to have a “what can be” spirit, so they reward three who do that with $2,500 and a sabbatical each year. The agency’s annual “whatcanbe award” winners have helped create “a bigger, brighter, better future” for the agency, its clients and the community at large, notes company spokesman Jeff Wilson.

Feds will go easy on health-law mistakes–for now

08/09/2010
The regulations explaining the new health care reform law have begun to roll out of Washington. Michael Aitken, SHRM’s director of government affairs, says employers will make mistakes but the IRS, Department of Labor and HHS are expected to be understanding—at least for a while.

Checking up on alleged leave abuser? Document why you suspect particular employee

08/06/2010

Do you think some employees may be taking advantage of your paid leave plan? If so, it’s OK to set up a surveillance program to catch the worst offenders. Just make sure you document why a particular employee’s behavior is suspicious. Good reasons to check up include “coincidental” timing like absences clustered around weekends or holidays.

Must we pay workers who have been suspended?

08/06/2010
Q. We recently sent an employee home for not following his supervisor’s instructions. Do we have an obligation to pay him for the full day regardless? How should we handle this situation in the future? Is this considered administrative leave?

Fired employee for poor judgment? He may still qualify for unemployment comp

08/06/2010

Employees who are terminated for misconduct aren’t entitled to unemployment compensation. However, what rises to the level of misconduct requires an individualized assessment. In fact, using poor judgment alone isn’t misconduct. Employees who make a mistake are eligible for benefits, and the mistake doesn’t have to be a work mistake.

Ohio Supreme Court OKs maternity leave waiting period

08/06/2010
Ruling against the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that a nursing home’s policy of requiring one year of service before providing maternity leave did not violate state law.

Bounced payroll checks? Make good on them right away

08/06/2010

These are tough times, and sometimes businesses run short on cash. Or a banking mistake may result in fees that cause other checks to bounce. If that happens to payroll checks, make every effort to fix the problem as soon as possible. Not only are employees entitled to their pay, some have resorted to suing their employers for bouncing paychecks.