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.

What Atypical Benefits Are Your Competitors offering?

In yesterday’s Advisor, we presented non-healthcare survey results from M Lee Smith Publishers. Today, more survey results and an introduction to a special program just for smaller or even one-person HR departments. About 500 employers participate in the survey. Here are the detailed results. (Go here for yesterday’s survey results.) If your organization has a […]

Survey Says: Non-Health Benefits Staying Strong

A recent survey conducted by M Lee Smith Publishers offers some surprising insights on non-healthcare benefits. For example, only about 19 percent of respondents offer telecommuting, although 35 percent allow flex time. Nearly a third offer PTO, and about a third offer a wellness program. About 500 employers participated in the survey, which revealed many […]

You Violated a Safety Rule—Comp or No Comp?

In yesterday’s Advisor, we looked at two informative comp cases. Today, another case, plus an introduction to the one-stop, online HR problem solver, HR.BLR.com. If you violated a safety rule and were injured, do you get workers’ compensation? When Peter Mars first joined Bowman Company as a machine operator, his supervisor, Jim Larson, gave him […]

Workers’ Compensation—It Just Won’t Go Away

Worker’s comp—little changed for many years, yet still a hassle, day after day. In today’s Advisor, we’ll feature case studies—all based on real situations—that help us deal with this frustrating part of HR management. Can an Employee ‘Under the Influence’ Be Denied Workers’ Comp Benefits? Jason Kohler wore 42-inch drywall stilts on his job installing […]

Short-termism Always a Challenge for HR, says Al Gore

In yesterday’s Advisor, we got Steve Forbes’ and Al Gore’s take on critical HR issues. Today, Gore on short-term thinking and compensation, and an introduction to the “Compensation Bible.” Challenge #4: Organization Development [Go here for Challenges 1 to 3.] Gore worked on the “reinventing government” program at the country’s largest employer, the United States […]

DOL Plans Will Encourage More Lawsuits

In yesterday’s Advisor, Attorney Christine Walters, SPHR, covered classification and deduction challenges. Today, her take on inclement weather and DOL’s plans, plus an introduction to a unique checklist-based HR audit system. Walters is an independent consultant with FiveL Company in Westminster, Maryland. Her remarks came at the recent Society for Human Resources Management Legal and […]

To Pay or Not to Pay: Wage and Hour Is Heating Up

The number one question topic in HR is still FMLA, but wage and hour is now a close second, says Attorney Christine Walters, SPHR. You might think that people would have wage and hour down by now, but no. First, wage and hour lawsuits are coming hard and fast. Walters offered a few examples of […]

‘No Raise This Year’ (Again): Handling the Compensation Conversation

Yesterday’s Advisor showed how author Jathan Janove’s Star Profiles can help managers avoid “Peter Principle” promotions. But it left unanswered the question of how to handle the top salesperson who didn’t get the promotion to sales manager. And, we’ll find help for tackling the tough “no raise this year” talk. If Mike (less successful as […]

Use Star Profile to Avoid Peter Principle Promotions

Author Jathan Janove says he’s had a ringside seat for innumerable employee/employer battles that led down a path of frustrated desires and expectations. To make that relationship work better, he developed the “Star Profile.” Janove developed the “Star Profile” to provide a basis for mutual understanding between direct reports and their supervisors. One of its […]

Comp Decisions Are Urgent, but Take Your Time

Many companies are making major decisions about their compensation programs without even running their plans by HR, says Attorney Lisa Van Fleet. You can’t let the financial people make those decisions, she adds. Yesterday’s Advisor featured Van Fleet’s advice for dealing with deferred compensation changes. Today we’ll get her specific recommendations about compensation decisions, and […]