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Compensation & Benefits

You picked a fine time to leave me: Penalties for quitting without notice

05/01/2008
Q. Can an employer in Colorado fine an employee who quits without giving two weeks’ notice? …

Phoenix firm treats staff to shopping spree

05/01/2008
The 23 employees of Phoenix-based Creative Business Resources got something extra in their holiday bonus envelopes last December: $150 cash for a personal shopping spree. And they got one December afternoon off—with pay—to spend it …

You sometimes can boost benefits during union election

05/01/2008
As a general rule, once a union organizing drive is under way at a nonunion workplace, management can’t make any changes to the terms and conditions of employment. But what if the changes management wants to make are ones that the company has routinely made around that same time of year? …

New resource helps you launch auto-Enroll 401(k)

05/01/2008
Looking to increase participation in your 401(k)? With the government’s recent blessing, more employers are turning their 401(k) plans into “opt-out” plans rather than “opt-in.” …

Can an early lunchtime mean no break time?

05/01/2008
Q. If I work from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., can my employer allow a 10-minute break in the morning, lunch at 11 a.m. and no break in the afternoon because I didn’t work four hours after lunch? …

Training classes and travel time

05/01/2008
Q. Are employers required to pay employees their hourly wages when they are assigned to attend training classes? Our employees travel from Colorado Springs to Denver and are not paid or reimbursed for their travel time. They also are not paid during the two- or three-day training course. Employees travel to and from the training daily. If the employee does not stay with the company for one year and one day after completion of the training, the employee is required to reimburse the employer for the school. Are these practices legal? …

Equal Pay Act claims may hit employers by surprise

05/01/2008
Employers may think last year’s U.S. Supreme Court Ledbetter decision means employees can’t wait years before complaining about sex discrimination if the issue is pay. Surprise! It’s not always true …

‘Service charges’ may be tips—And therefore must go to waitstaff

05/01/2008
When entertainment venues sell prepaid tickets, these often include a “service charge.” If the business tells inquiring buyers that the service charge is a tip, and therefore discourages them from leaving additional money, the business can’t keep the money. It doesn’t matter whether the service charge is voluntary or mandatory …

Careful what you wish for at IBM

05/01/2008
Victory wasn’t so sweet for thousands of employees who sued Armonk-based IBM claiming the company had illegally classified them as exempt. IBM agreed to reclassify them, making them eligible for overtime pay. The catch? The company cut their salaries by 15% …

Ignoring your military pay policy may be costly

05/01/2008
If, like many employers, you honor military service with special pay arrangements for those who serve their country, take note: If you don’t follow your own handbook, you may find a court ready to punish you with big damages …