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Compensation & Benefits

Report EEOC claims or lose insurance coverage

05/01/2007

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas has dismissed a lawsuit filed by an employer against its employment practices liability insurance company because the employer didn’t tell the insurer about an EEOC complaint right away …

A growing problem: Obese workers cost Texas employers $3 billion

05/01/2007

In 2005, obesity cost Texas employers approximately $3.3 billion, including direct health care costs and related costs for employee absenteeism …

Can we make smokers pay higher premiums?

05/01/2007

Q. I have to admit I am not a fan of smokers, but what really concerns me is the cost they are adding to our benefits programs. I don’t think it is fair to the nonsmokers that their costs should keep going up year after year when it’s likely smokers are fueling a part of that cost. Can I make smokers pay more in premiums?—S.S.

Quit or fired? That’s the question

05/01/2007

Q. We had an employee who was not working out. We gave her the choice of resigning or being terminated. She chose to resign. We were happy because we understand that an employee who resigns is not entitled to unemployment compensation under Texas law? Are we right?—S.G.

Compassion of ‘Donated Leave’ Comes With Caveats

05/01/2007

When a health crisis drains an employee’s regular allotment of paid time off, some companies allow other employees to donate their own leave to help out. Here are some suggestions for making it work, as well as a few caveats …

You (not the employee) determine FMLA leave

05/01/2007

Q. At a recent FMLA seminar I attended, the speaker said that employers have the responsibility to ask employees if they want their absences applied to their 12 weeks of available FMLA leave. I understand that we can run FMLA leave concurrent with paid sick leave, but what if an employee doesn’t want to use up his FMLA leave and has other paid or unpaid leave available under our company leave policy?—J.G., Ohio

Employee can’t take FMLA leave for jail time

05/01/2007

Q. Does the FMLA apply to employees who are in jail, too?—A.B., Texas

Send working mothers to Mom-Camp to recharge, relax

05/01/2007

Think sending an employee to a fashion show or a workshop about how to organize her home is an odd use of employee benefit dollars? Employers like Minneapolis-based Landscape Structures and BankCherokee paid for some of their employees to do just such things, and welcomed them back rejuvenated and ready to work …

Watch calendar to keep clear of intermittent-Leave trap

05/01/2007

Employees who have serious health conditions may be eligible for intermittent leave, and their eligibility is determined once per eligibility year …

Failing to ask for 2nd and 3rd medical certs doesn’t bar later challenge to FMLA eligibility

05/01/2007

Under the FMLA, employers who don’t ask for a second or third certification of an employee’s serious health condition aren’t forever barred from challenging the employee’s condition, as a recent Michigan case shows ...