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 legal protections exist at the federal level for the survivors of domestic violence? The answer: surprisingly few. The reason this is surprising is because domestic violence has a direct impact on the workplace. People dealing with domestic violence are likely to need to take time away from work for things like medical treatment, obtaining […]
A new survey from Willis Towers Watson points to some diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) impacts that can be driven by something many organizations may not have considered: their benefit packages. The Emerging Trends in Health Care Survey, which is based on input from 446 employers and was conducted between February 23 and March 12 […]
It’s hard to believe many of us have been working from home because of the COVID-19 outbreak for more than a year. In addition, many teleworkers have been operating on flexible schedules. The consistent question for employers is: How do we pay nonexempt employees working flexible schedules from home? Here is the answer (at least […]
On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) became law in the United States. Provisions of this law state that employers are now required to pay a 100% subsidy of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) continuation coverage premiums for certain people during the period of April 1, 2021, through […]
The pandemic’s sweeping impacts shifted how, when, and where millions of people work. Firms that previously did not allow remote working under any circumstances changed their tune and offered flexible working options. As part of this broader change, companies also altered the benefits they offered to new hires and existing workers. As the pandemic fades […]
Now that we’re more than 1 year removed from the outbreak of COVID-19, researchers are uncovering what healthcare utilization looks like amid a global pandemic. Did the influx of patients who contracted the virus put a greater burden on the healthcare system, driving up costs? Did the sudden drop in preventive care visits and elective […]
The newest version of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is heading for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, where it passed with ease in 2020 but didn’t make it into law.
An employee had to recertify his qualifying condition because of an established pattern of potential Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) misuse, but he failed to cooperate with the recertification process and didn’t provide the requested information. If he seeks FMLA protection for future absences, should we deny the request, or are we required to […]
The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin employers) recently interpreted the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in a case involving an interesting set of facts. The employer altered an employee’s position while he was on leave, but his compensation was frozen at a pre-leave level […]
A recent decision by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio illustrates the relatively low bar an employee must clear to proceed with a regarded-as-disabled claim. Facts Douglas McGonegle worked for Sleep Number, a mattress and sleep accessory store, as an at-will employee (that is, he could be fired at any time […]