Compensation & Benefits

DOL seizes, sells owners’ real estate to obtain back pay

09/15/2022

It took seven years, but the Department of Labor—a tenacious litigator if ever there was one—finally secured back pay for 478 workers who were employed by four related Massachusetts construction companies.

Survey says, ‘Take off!’ You need a vacation!

09/13/2022

If you haven’t taken a vacation in the past year, you’re not alone. An August survey found that 42% of U.S. workers had not taken any vacation time off in the preceding 12 months.

Hot benefits trends for 2022 open enrollment

09/13/2022

With open enrollment season once again upon us, employers are focused this fall on updating their benefits packages to attract and retain talent. A significant focus, driven by pandemic-related burnout and turnover: Providing benefits options that closely align with the individual needs of employees and their families.

New Calif. fast-food worker law could spread

09/08/2022

The California legislature has enacted a first-in-the-nation law designed to grant broad protections to employees working in fast-food restaurants. As is often the case, it’s a California employment law that could well become a model for similar legislation in other states.

New research projects 6.5% higher health costs in 2023

09/06/2022

Average costs for U.S. employers that pay for their employees’ health care will increase 6.5% to more than $13,800 per employee in 2023, predicts the Aon consulting firm.

Health benefits costs expected to rise 5.6% in 2023

08/30/2022

U.S. employers anticipate they will have to spend 5.6% more for health benefits on a per-employee basis next year, according to the Mercer consulting firm’s National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans 2022.

Offer inflation bonuses to retain employees

08/30/2022

Like covid-19 bonuses that employers paid to retain front-line workers during the height of the pandemic, making one-time bonus payments to offset higher costs of living can help keep workers from leaving for other jobs.

Snapshot: Which workers will get better benefits in 2023?

08/23/2022

Employers say recruiting and retention challenges will prompt them to enhance benefits for line workers next year.

Remote I-9 document inspection takes one teeny step toward permanence

08/22/2022

Since the onset of the pandemic, employers have generally been allowed to inspect employees’ Form I-9 documents remotely. ICE would now like to actually write this flexibility into the I-9 regulations. Here’s a preview of what that might look like.

E-Verify returns to pre-COVID rule on SSA mismatch

08/18/2022

During the pandemic, employees were given extra time to resolve discrepancies found in E-Verify between their Social Security numbers and government records. But that flexibility has now ended.