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Compensation & Benefits

Hand Out Paychecks in Most Efficient, Legally Safe Way

07/01/2008

Putting paychecks (or pay stubs) in employees’ hands is a basic HR chore: No glory, but it must be done right. What’s the best way to do it? HR specialists around the country chimed in on this topic. Here are some of their best ideas … 

Beware hazards when calculating N.C. unemployment insurance tax

07/01/2008
Under the North Carolina unemployment insurance tax law, employers pay a quarterly tax based on a percentage of their payroll. Most newly liable or startup employers are assigned the standard beginning tax rate of 1.2%. Problems can arise when an employer is not truly a “startup” or when two employers combine by merger or other acquisition forms … 

Must we pay for employee uniforms?

07/01/2008
Q. We require our employees to wear uniforms, and we make employees pay for them. A new employee said the employer must pay for uniforms. Is he right? …

OK to withhold pay to cover missing laptop?

07/01/2008
Q. An employee who recently quit hasn’t returned a company-owned laptop computer worth over $1,000. Can we withhold the value of the computer from the employee’s last paycheck? …

IRS Increases Mileage Rates through End of 2008

07/01/2008
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The HR I.Q. Test: July ’08

07/01/2008
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

Flex schedules: Do we have to offer to everyone?

07/01/2008

Q. Two of our employees are struggling with serious family issues that make it hard for them to get to work on time. We’ve let them adjust their schedules. Now we have others who want to adjust their schedules … Do we have to give schedule flexibility to all employees?

Tech writers’ wage-Hour suit gets class action status

07/01/2008
A California judge recently certified a class of about 250 to 300 technical writers employed by Sun Microsystems and SeeBeyond Technology who claimed they were misclassified as exempt from overtime pay and denied meal breaks …

Don’t delay paying overtime for workers on temp assignments

07/01/2008
Sometimes, employers send employees away on temporary assignments. Often, that means long hours in strange locations and less communication between employees and the home office. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can delay paying legitimate wages—such as overtime—if the employee isn’t exempt …

Public employers, take note: Appeals court rules on firefighter/Paramedic exemption

07/01/2008
The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over New Jersey employers, has finally ruled on a sticky point that has perplexed many fire departments. The court has concluded that paramedics who also have firefighting responsibilities can be paid less than time-and-a-half for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act …