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 Your Balance Amid Surge of Pay Transparency Laws

The 2023 and 2024 legislative landscape witnessed a surge in states and cities implementing diverse pay transparency requirements. Despite the progress in recent years in reducing the wage gap, gender pay disparities persist, with current studies indicating that women—particularly women of color—earn only 84 cents for every dollar earned by men. Pay transparency laws aim […]

Ask the Expert: When Does FMLA Allow for Intermittent Parental Leave?

Question: If an employee takes Family Medical and Leave Act (FMLA) leave to bond with his new child, would he be able to take additional bonding time later the same year if he still had FMLA time available? Answer: The FMLA has some restrictions on when an employee can take leave for birth or bonding […]

NCAA Settlement Roils College Athletics . . . and Union Organizing

A landmark $2.8 billion settlement announced by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in an antitrust class action filed by former college athletes reportedly sets a path for schools to share revenue with players. Although many of the details of the settlement haven’t been made public and the judge has yet to approve it, many […]

3 Ways Employers Should Be Up-Leveling Their Health and Wellbeing Programs  

Despite the increased attention on self-care, people struggle to find the time and resources to make this practice part of their lives. At the same time, alarm bells are ringing about the global mental health crisis, the rise in obesity and diabetes, and the rise in cancer diagnoses among younger individuals. If ever there was […]

Older worker at desk

Financial Strain Puts Retirement Out of Reach for Many American Workers

A recent survey by Willis Towers Watson (WTW) reveals a growing financial strain among U.S. workers, with 88% struggling to meet basic living costs. Nearly half of employees (46%) are extremely worried about essentials such as food, healthcare, housing, and transportation. As a result, 44% of employees report living paycheck to paycheck, and 59% say […]

Making DOL’s Overtime Rule Changes Make Cents

On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued its highly anticipated final rule that will raise the standard minimum salary level needed for most white-collar exempt employees on July 1, 2024, and then increase it again beginning January 1, 2025. The final rule will also increase the total compensation minimum for highly […]

Ask the Expert: What Time Is Considered Compensable?

Question: What’s considered compensable time during the onboarding process under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)—for example, time completing paperwork before the start date, as well as time reviewing policies and procedures and completing training? Answer: Under the FLSA, employees must be compensated for all working time. Even if the employer didn’t specifically request that […]

17 State Attorney Generals Sue to Stop EEOC’s Final PWFA Regulations

On April 25, 2024, attorneys general from 17 states filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) seeking to stop the implementation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act’s (PWFA) final regulations, which were published on April 19, 2024. The 17 states include Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, […]

Doubling Down on Care in Cost-Constrained Times

Human resource decision makers are facing an array of challenges as the strained U.S. macroenvironment increasingly weighs on the financial, physical, and mental health of today’s workforce. Consequently, HR departments must balance an important need to deliver heightened care for their employees while also managing potential cost constraints for their businesses. MetLife’s latest research found […]

How Your Benefits Can Support Your Employees from Stressful “Life Change” Events

It’s been over five decades since the Holmes-Rahe stress scale recognized the impact of life events on a person’s stress level, and the correlation with physical wellness and well-being. Although more recent research has refined the original stress index, it remains uncontroversial that navigating a life event affects every pillar of a person’s well-being (physical, […]