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Compensation & Benefits

Beware time clock ’rounding’ errors; push for an upgrade

02/01/2005
Issue: The legal and financial hazards of an improperly programmed time clock.
Risk: Thousands in back pay and government penalties, in addition to unwanted publicity.
Action: Audit your timekeeping …

Revamp employment contracts to account for new tax rules

02/01/2005
Issue: A new IRS ruling says signing bonuses and early-termination payments are considered taxable wages.
Risk: Overlooking that decision can trigger compensation problems or IRS penalties.
Action: Take this …

Check state law before deducting cost of lost tools

02/01/2005

Q. We want to start a policy that would deduct the cost of tools from employees’ final paychecks if the tools aren’t returned or if they’re returned damaged. Can we legally do this? —M.P., Kansas

Overrelying on employee referrals? Beware of the legal risks

02/01/2005
Employee-referral programs have become one of the most successful and least expensive recruiting strategies. But even with their popularity, employee-referral programs can be double-edged swords.
Relying too much on employee …

The new risks of premature job offers

02/01/2005
Rescinding job offers just got more legally dangerous. As incredible as it sounds, if you pull the rug out from a candidate’s job offer, the person may be able to sue …

Encourage staff volunteerism, but don’t link it to pay, promotion

02/01/2005
Heads up: More employers are heaping legal trouble on themselves by tracking employees’ volunteerism ef-forts and, in some cases, using that information (either directly or indirectly) as a prerequisite for promotions …

Employ teens? See new list of ‘too dangerous’ jobs

02/01/2005
The U.S. Labor Department unveiled new limits on the type of responsibilities you can give teen employees in certain industries. The key changes, which take effect Feb. 14: new limits on …

Crank up retention efforts; 75 percent looking to jump ship

01/01/2005
If your organization’s turnover rate hasn’t picked up recently, it’s only a matter of time. That’s the message of
a new Society for Human Resource Management survey that says 75 …

Tread carefully when approving job-sharing arrangements

01/01/2005
Issue: Two employees ask to share one job: Should your organization approve it?
Risk/benefit: Job sharing can improve retention and boost morale, but it also can spark negative side effects. …

Best benefits can be found in the public sector

01/01/2005
Possibly to offset lower salaries, jobs in the nonprofit and government sectors typically come with richer employee benefits than similar private-sector jobs, according to a new Mercer HR Consulting study. It …