Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
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.
Employers with employees who seek coverage under their benefit plans for their same-sex spouses would be justified in wondering exactly what they should do under federal law. The federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is still in force, but the Obama administration will not enforce or defend it. And now another court has found it […]
Violence in the workplace is one of several concerns when you have conflict between employees. HR professionals need to take complaints and investigations seriously to ensure that situations don’t escalate, and they also need to be sure that safety and other legal obligations are being met. In a BLR webinar titled “Workplace Conflict Resolution: Peacekeeping […]
One of the keys to this determination is comparing the cost of providing the meals to the revenue the operation brings in. There are “direct” and “indirect” costs, the latter of which do not go toward the calculation of the cost-to-revenue ratio that determines whether you are providing a de minimis benefit (and therefore one […]
Employers in New Jersey won’t have to adjust their plans, documents and policies to accommodate same-sex spouses any time soon. But Maryland may be a different story. The New Jersey Senate on Feb. 13, and the Assembly on Feb. 16, passed a bill that would have made same-sex marriage legal in the Garden State. But […]
The failure to administer COBRA continuation coverage notices correctly can cost employers and plan administrators money, time and aggravation, says COBRA expert Paul M. Hamburger, Esq. of Proskauer Rose LLP. He provides four tips they can use to help avoid COBRA notice missteps: (1) prepare clear, accurate and complete COBRA notices; (2) be sure to […]
In a BLR webinar titled “Smart Compensation Strategies for Small Employers: How to Maximize Your Budget and Reduce Legal Risks,” David J. Wudyka outlined some tips on implementing effective incentive plans. Why Implement an Incentive Plan? Incentive plans can be an effective part of a company’s compensation strategy. However, it is important to analyze whether […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, compensation expert David Wudyka helped smaller employers to maintain a “big company” compensation system. Today, his suggestions about an inexpensive way to evaluate and rank jobs, plus an introduction to an all-in-one compensation supersite. Big companies use complex quantitative job evaluation systems, says Wudyka, who is managing principal of Westminster Associates in […]
The administration doesn’t mind taking the occasional detour on its route to health reform implementation, it seems, perhaps because until the Supreme Court decides on the constitutionality of its “individual mandate” (oral arguments will be March 27), the fate of the law’s employer provisions has to be considered uncertain. Backpedaling also may be occurring with […]
Smaller businesses often can’t afford the resources that larger competitors can, says compensation expert David Wudyka, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have an effective compensation program. What’s Different About “Small Business”? When it comes to running compensation, small business have several challenges, says Wudyka, who is managing principal of Westminster Associates in Wrentham, Massachusetts. […]
There are more than half a million 401(k) plans in the United States, covering 60 million Americans, says the IRS. That is just some of the information in the 401(k) Compliance Check Questionnaire Interim Report, which the IRS released on Feb. 16, 2012. The report summarizes survey responses from 401(k) plan sponsors that filed a […]