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Compensation & Benefits

Setting sound vacation policies requires understanding NC law

02/01/2008

Employers and employees alike often misunderstand North Carolina’s legal requirements concerning vacation benefits. Those misunderstandings often can become emotional and heated. The best way to avoid such disputes is to publish a clear vacation benefits policy based on a solid understanding of North Carolina law …

Set crystal-Clear rules governing employee absences

02/01/2008

Employers are free to set reasonable no-call/no-show rules for all absences, including those that qualify for FMLA time off.  On the other hand, if you discharge someone for failing to follow a rule that doesn’t spell out exactly how you expect employees to call in, don’t be surprised if you end up embroiled in a long, time-consuming and expensive legal battle …

OK to place employee on paid leave pending investigation

02/01/2008

Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Burlington Northern retaliation decision in 2006, employers have been struggling with exactly what to do while investigating wrongdoings. One vexing issue has been whether it could be retaliation to place an employee on paid administrative leave pending an investigation …

To pay or not to pay when inclement weather closes the office

02/01/2008

Q. During a recent patch of inclement weather, our company president determined that the roads were too unsafe to ask our employees to come in to work. We notified our employees that they would not be needed that day, and that they were welcome to use a vacation day if they wanted to be paid. (Normally, our policy requires 48 hours’ notice if employees want to take a vacation day.) Some of our employees do not have any accumulated vacation time. Must we offer to pay them? …

Scheduling summer vacations in the most fair and efficient way

02/01/2008

A reader of the Forum section of HR Specialist posed this question: “We’re going to be incredibly busy this summer. What’s the best way to schedule vacations without employees complaining?” Here’s how some HR professionals replied …

Colorado’s Leave Laws

02/01/2008
All Colorado employers, both public and private, must provide limited paid leave to workers called for jury duty and must allow time off for workers to vote. Additionally, state employees are entitled to family and medical leave as well as paid leave for organ donation and disaster services work …

Minnesota Leave Laws

02/01/2008
Minnesota employees have enhanced parental leave options beyond what the federal FMLA provides. Additionally, all Minnesota employers must provide paid time off to allow workers to vote and unpaid leave for jury duty …

Payroll goes totally paperless, saving time and money

02/01/2008

The Container Store has an entirely paperless payroll department. The transition to a paperless system began five years ago when the Texas-based company adopted new payroll software that allows employees to change their information online …

State employees’ payroll deductions to fund PACs

02/01/2008

The Michigan Civil Service Commission voted 3-1 in December to allow state workers to have political donations deducted from their paychecks, despite warnings from the attorney general’s office that the commission lacks the authority to grant that right …

Deducting cost of intentional damage from former employee’s final paycheck

02/01/2008

Q. We fired an employee for destroying company property. The manager wants to deduct the value of the damaged property ($2,500) from the employee’s final paycheck (approximately $2,700). I don’t think we can take so much from the employee’s final paycheck …