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.

United Airlines Pilot’s Sick Leave Claim Ruled Infirm

Employees summoned to military service receive certain job protections under a federal law known as the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). The law requires employers to provide employees on military leave any seniority-based benefit they would have accrued but for the service. A recent case from the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of […]

Ask the Expert: Paying Exempt Employees Overtime

In our latest installment of Ask the Expert, brought to you by the team of industry experts at HR Hero®, we look at a recent question from a subscriber regarding additional non-exempt compensation for an employee who recently moved into an exempt position. Q: We have a non-exempt employee who recently accepted an exempt position with our […]

Let’s Talk About Grief: Bereavement Policies in Evolving Workplace

Grief and bereavement leave are complex issues for many employers. Your policy may provide only three to five days of leave, while the fallout from the death of a loved one can rarely be encapsulated in such a relatively short time frame. In addition, even before the death occurred, you may have been dealing with […]

employee benefits

Employer Perspective: How Voluntary Benefits Can Help Your Business Compete for Talent

Employers’ goals for voluntary benefits —increasingly a core component of any employer’s benefit package that allows employees to self-select from a menu of offerings, typically at reduced or increasingly no cost — have expanded dramatically since 2020. According to Buck’s 2022 Wellbeing and Voluntary Benefits Survey, half of all employers (52%) have added offerings in […]

Ask the Expert: Rehire Waiting Period?

In our latest installment of Ask the Expert, brought to you by the team of industry experts at HR Hero®, we look at a recent question from a subscriber who is looking to rehire a former employee and would like to understand if the same waiting period rule applies as with a new employee. Q: What […]

mental health

Addressing the Second Pandemic: Employee Mental Health

Two years into the pandemic, employee burnout continues to rage on.  According to a 2021 American Psychological Association survey of over 1,500 U.S. workers, 79% of them experienced some form of work-related stress a month before the survey was conducted. Almost 3 in 5 respondents said they’ve suffered symptoms of burnout, such as loss of […]

If Employees Are Stiff and Stressed, Exercise at Work Can Help

With the new year, many people are enthusiastic about New Year’s resolutions, and often those intentions center on fitness and wellness goals. That may be especially true this year as the pandemic drags on. The stress, isolation, and disruption brought on by COVID takes a toll on employees’ mental and physical health and is getting […]

Is COVID-19 a Disability Under the ADA? It Depends

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released guidance regarding whether COVID-19 is a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the ADA, an employer cannot take an adverse employment action against an individual because of a disability, which is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. The […]

Working Parents Face Increased Financial Stress and Inadequate Benefits

The much-discussed Great Resignation has forced a refocusing in the conversation surrounding the needs of hourly workers. Faced with labor shortages, many employers are reassessing how their workers are treated, from hourly wage increases to financial incentives like signing bonuses, down to the benefits offered to hourly employees. For the most financially precarious, however, the […]