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.

Pension

11th Circuit: Employers Responsible for Extra Payments When Exiting Multiemployer Plan

Plan withdrawal liability has been in place for U.S. multiemployer plans since 1980. It includes a heavy penalty that requires employers leaving a multiemployer plan to pay their share of the plan’s vested benefits not yet covered by contributions and investment earnings. As a result, healthy companies often seek to leave multiemployer plans before their […]

small package

Good (Nontaxable) Things Come in Small Packages: The De Minimis Fringe Benefit Rule

Do you want to recognize an employee’s 20 years of service by giving a gift? Perhaps you want to refund local transportation costs or open a cafeteria so your employees can eat on-site. Maybe you just want to know how to handle those annual holiday turkeys you give to employees. All of these situations are […]

workers' comp

Some New Mexico Workers’ Benefits Will Take a Hit Under WCA Amendments

During the 2015 legislative session, and later in the 2017 regular legislative session, lawmakers started redrafting the sections of the New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Act (WCA) that seemed unfair and unworkable to many employers. The revisions became law on June 16, 2017. Now, when a worker is fired for cause unrelated to a workplace injury, the worker is no longer eligible for workers’ comp benefits beyond the basic impairment rating benefit.

Short- And Long-Term Reasons for Small Companies to Offer a 401(k)

If yours is a small company, you may feel envious about the fabulous employee benefits packages offered by the big guys. Just like them, you need to attract and retain key talent to move your business forward. But with their fancy dry cleaning pick up service and pet insurance, how can you compete with larger […]

Measuring a Healthy Return on Your Benefits Communication

Employees may be one of the largest expenses for a company, but talent is also a company’s greatest asset. And in today’s increasingly competitive marketplace, more and more companies are looking to benefits packages to maintain their competitive advantage to attract and retain top employees. Because of this, it is critical for human resources departments […]

Hospitality

4 Tips for Your Compensation Planning from the Banking Industry

It’s no secret that the recession of 2007/08 resulted in an array of new regulations, especially in the financial services arena. Banking, especially, became subject to new regulation intended to avoid the circumstances that originally led to the recession. The regulation doesn’t end with your mortgage loan or bank money market account. We spoke with Kathy Smith, President of Bank Compensation Consulting to find out how the industry’s highly regulated environment has led to creative compensation solutions—many of which can apply to any industry.

Workers’ Financial Woes

Living paycheck to paycheck to make ends meet is a way of life for a majority of U.S. workers. And minimum wage workers aren’t the only ones struggling financially.