Category: Benefits and Compensation

This topic provides guidance on how to handle compensation issues in a way that attracts and retains the best talent and advances the strategic goals of your business. You get news and tips on what’s going on nationally and in the states, and updates on changes in regulations, possible governmental action, and emerging compensation trends.

Finding the Win-Win When Offering Employees Financial Wellness Programs

It’s no surprise to employers that too many workers are more than a little distracted from stress over how to make ends meet, leading many organizations to launch financial wellness programs. But employers have questions. Chief among them: What should such programs include, and how well do they work for employees? Healthcare Help an Option […]

In A Win for Public Employers, CA Supreme Court Rules PAGA Penalties, Other California Wage & Hour Laws, Do Not Apply

In August 2024, the California Supreme Court decided Stone v. Alameda Health System, which clarified that the meal and rest break requirements of the California Labor Code at sections 226.7 and 512 and other Labor Code provisions do not apply to public employers. The Court also held that the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) penalty […]

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Ask the Expert: Can Employees Be Held Legally Accountable for Paying Overpaid Wages Back?

Question: Is there a statute of limitations regarding when employers must inform employees of an overpayment of wages, and can employees be held legally accountable for paying the overpayment back? Answer: The Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) doesn’t address how long an employer has to recover overpaid wages. In the absence of federal law, state […]

Workplace Mental Health Concerns on the Rise

Mental health concerns in the workplace continue to plague businesses of all kinds. Recent research indicates that 83% of U.S. workers suffer from some form of work-related stress; 25% say that their job is the top stressor in their lives. That stress can lead to absenteeism and relationship impacts. For instance: The top causes of […]

Evaluating Family-Friendly Benefits for Working Parents

When reviewing benefits for a new role or an updated benefits package, the first thing working parents think about is “how will this support my family and foster my success at work?” Benefits can make a significant impact on employee performance, success, and work-life balance, creating improved outcomes for the business overall.  The corporate world […]

Keeping Salaries Secret—A Losing Game

Employees have long been exhorted not to share their salaries with others. Of course, those exhortations have notoriously not worked, as a recent survey demonstrates. What the Survey Tells Us A survey of 1182 employed Americans conducted by Self Financial revealed some interesting insights into what they do, and don’t share about their salaries—and how […]

Leveraging LinkedIn to Grow Your Network and Influence

LinkedIn is a great social media platform for business professionals—arguably the best social media platform for business professionals. Whether using it to build a network to aid in job search or business development, to assist in professional development, to market B2B products and services, or simply to share and learn with others, LinkedIn can be […]

Ask the Expert: When Do Employees Qualify for Pregnancy Accommodations?

Question: Do employees have to be employed for 12 months or work 1,250 hours to qualify for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), or do they qualify as soon as they begin employment? Answer: The PWFA applies to employees as soon as they begin employment, and it also applies to applicants. Under the federal PWFA, […]

3 Steps Employers Can Take to Promote Pay Equity Through Data and Transparency

Over the last decade, numerous laws have been enacted across the U.S. to advance pay equity and transparency in the workplace. Pay data reporting laws, in particular, have gained significant momentum, becoming a key driver of progress toward fairer compensation practices.   Several U.S. states, including California and Illinois, have enacted pay data reporting laws, while […]

Court Ruling May Necessitate Overhaul of Paid Sick Time Policies and Practices

The Arizona Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act requires all employers to provide a certain amount of paid sick time (PST) depending on the number of employees. Employers with at least 15 employees must provide at least 40 hours of PST to employees each year. The act also requires employers to follow certain notice requirements, […]