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.

Supreme Court in McCutchen: Clear Plan Terms Prevail Over Broad Equitable Remedies

Clear plan document terms in ERISA group health plans are the best defense against legal claims asserting broad equitable remedies, the U.S. Supreme Court reinforced in an April 16 decision. In its holding, the Court affirmed that equitable theories, such as make-whole, common fund, unjust enrichment and double-recovery doctrines should not be allowed to override […]

3 Ways Employers Can Improve Benefits Communication

Any employee benefit program will better meet its objectives if an employer communicates about it effectively. And perhaps no other employee benefit plan requires as much careful attention to employee communication as a 401(k) plan (see ¶102 in Thompson’s The 401(k) Handbook). Pre-tax 401(k) plans are unlike employee savings plans that use after-tax contributions, and […]

Tough Love: Your Employees Won’t Tell You, But I Will

Attorney Jonathan Segal, SHRM’s top-rated speaker, has been listening to what employees say about HR and compensation, and he’s distilled what he learned into 15 principles all managers should abide by. Segal, who is a partner with law firm Duane Morris LLP in Philadelphia, shared what he’s found in engagement surveys, discussions with CEOs and […]

Perks, Insurance, and Atypical Benefits–How Do You Compare?

  Beyond health insurance and retirement benefits (covered in previous surveys), the number one perk provided by the employers responding to our survey was paid holidays, with 91% percent of them offering it. Other highlights: Flextime is offered by 53% of respondents. About 33% relax their dress code in the summer, at least for some […]

8 Steps to Stop Bullying in Your Workplace

Yesterday’s Advisor featured attorney Allison West’s take on bullying in the workplace. Today, her guidance for dealing with the bully, plus an introduction to the all-compensation-in-one-place website, Compensation.BLR.com. West, who is principal at Employee Practices Specialists in Pacifica, CA, delivered her suggestions for dealing with bullying in the workplace at the SHRM Employment Law and […]

Yes, There Are No Laws Against Bullying, No, You Can’t Ignore It

While it’s true that there are no specific antibullying laws in the United States, that doesn’t mean that bullying can’t be the basis of a lawsuit, says attorney Allison West, SPHR. West, who is principal at Employee Practices Specialists in Pacifica, CA, delivered her suggestions for dealing with bullying in the workplace at the SHRM […]

DoD to Begin Extending Employee Benefits to Same-sex Partners

Some employee benefits such as child care and transportation benefits are soon to be offered to the same-sex domestic partners of military members, U.S. Department of Defense recently announced. Outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta indicated in Feb. 11 memo that the move was a step toward conferring benefits to same-sex partners that currently are only […]

Never Say Never, and Never Say These 4 Things

[Go here for killer phrases 1 to 6.] 7. AVOID: “… don’t you think?”  Or, “… isn’t it?” Or “… okay?”  To convey a confident commanding presence, eliminate validation questions. Make your statement or recommendation with certainty and avoid tacking on the unnecessary approval-seeking question.  Don’t say, “This would be a good investment, don’t you […]

Assessing Your Sales Compensation Strategy: Dashboard Considerations

How can you measure the effectiveness of your sales compensation strategy? The goal is to craft sales compensation plans that motivate team members to perform strongly. To measure this, you need hard, quantifiable proof that the return on investment (ROI) truly aligns with your organization’s overall sales compensation strategy. Many companies create sales dashboards to […]

ROI of Sales: 3 Approaches You Can Use

Yesterday’s Advisor featured consultant Joseph DiMisa’s comp design challenges for 2013. Today, how to make selling comp a little easier by using concrete ROI measures, plus an introduction to an upcoming free webcast on strategic HR. DiMisa, who is senior vice president, Sales Force Effectiveness, at Sibson Consulting, outlined eight design challenges during a recent […]