How long do you have to keep records? There's no one answer. However, we've summarized some of the most common federal laws relevant to employment record keeping. Note that applicability may vary by employer size. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Resumes. Job applications. Job advertisements and postings. Interview notes. Preemployment screening tests and results. … [Read more...]

Even back in 2000, the U.S. Department of Labor said, "There is a potentially future  serious long-term care (LTC) crisis in the United States." This prediction is materializing, with studies showing a rapidly growing need for long-term care. One reason for this growth is that Americans are living longer. The U.S. Census Bureau says that the 65-and-over population is projected to reach 83.7 … [Read more...]

Both companies and those who work for them need to understand the very important differences between being an employee and being an independent contractor. The line can be very thin, but it always exists, and since employees and contractors are treated very differently, the Department of Labor has always tried to provide guidance. It recently published a final rule that attempts to provide … [Read more...]

There are many ways to run afoul of overtime laws. Below are some of the most common — review them to ensure that you're always in compliance. Misclassifying exempt and nonexempt employees Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, exempt employees do not have to be paid overtime when they work more than 40 hours in a workweek, but most of them must receive a salary of at least $684 per week. When … [Read more...]

How important is salary? According to Ceridian's 2019 Pay Experience Report, "An employee's experience with pay directly impacts how they feel about working for a company. How compensation is set, and how easily an employee can access what they've earned, is more closely tied to engagement and retention than most imagine." There are five factors that influence the pay experience: Fair … [Read more...]

In the National Payroll Week 2020 survey, 59.99% of respondents say they are "very certain" their payroll withholding and take-home pay are correct each payday. This leaves 40.1% who are not very certain — and that's a problem, because you want your employees to be "very certain" that their paychecks are correct. Assuming you are paying your employees correctly, here are four tips to boost … [Read more...]

Studies show that employees are more likely to stay with their employer if they feel their needs are being met. With retention hinging on employers' ability to dial in to employees' needs, it's not surprising that personalized benefits are gaining eminence. According to MetLife's 15th Annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study, employees want personalized benefits, and employers can score big by … [Read more...]

In August 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor released Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2020-5. The bulletin addresses "Employers' obligation to exercise reasonable diligence in tracking teleworking employees' hours of work." While the bulletin covers issues arising directly from the COVID-19 pandemic, it also applies to remote work arrangements in general. FAB 2020-5 affirms that employers … [Read more...]

On Sept. 24, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a final rule increasing the salary threshold for executive, administrative and professional employees from $455 per week to $684 per week. These "white-collar" employees are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime pay provisions. The final rule took effect Jan. 1, 2020. What the federal overtime exemption rule means It means … [Read more...]

You're finishing up open enrollment, but some employees are only getting started. They stride into your office, or the HR department, requesting guidance on the process; however, their demeanor says they just want to get it over with. Or maybe your employees aren't participating in your benefits program as vigorously as you'd like. Even though you're supplying benefits — such as health … [Read more...]