DOCKING EXEMPT EMPLOYEE PAY
The application and rules for the federal FLSA salary basis test are often misunderstood and not administered accurately or consistently. During my human resource career I have seen mistakes made...
View ArticleINTERN PROGRAM: RULES AND BEST PRACTICES
Hopefully you have your summer intern program ready to launch but whether you do or not, here is some important information to help make your program a success. First ensure your program is compliant...
View ArticleMARKET PRICING VERSUS JOB EVALUATION
I began my career in Compensation in the early 1990s using a combination of market pricing and job evaluation to establish pay structures. Market pricing is the ‘external’ method, collecting salary...
View ArticleMINIMUM WAGE UPDATE JULY 2016
Maryland, Minnesota and D.C. have increases scheduled for mid-year 2016. Nevada will announce in July whether or not there will be a cost of living increase to their indexed minimum wage. State...
View ArticleWHEN DOES SALARY MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES?
Studies have shown that salary can just as easily de-motivate employees as motivate them. In fact, salaries generally operate as negative reinforcement rather than positive. For example, an...
View ArticleGET MORE OUT OF YOUR TURNOVER METRIC
Most HR departments miss an opportunity when it comes to measuring and reporting turnover. The goal of any HR metric is to provide information on how to improve the measured item. As Peter Drucker...
View ArticleTO CHECK OR NOT TO CHECK: A BACKGROUND CHECK PRIMER
Thorough pre-employment background checks are a critical tool in mitigating new hire risks. There are many types of background checks available to HR professionals that can be conducted in house or...
View ArticleCOMPENSABLE TIME
Employers need to ensure they count all worked hours as paid hours for their non-exempt staff. For example, when an employee eats lunch at their workstation or desk and their lunch is interrupted by...
View ArticleBUDGET SEASON: ARE YOU PREPARED?
It’s that time of year again when companies are preparing their budgets for the upcoming year. For HR professionals, it is probably not one of your favorite tasks, but by embracing the process, it...
View ArticleJOINT EMPLOYER LIABILITY
The use of sub-contractors, temporary staffing, leased employees and independent contractors can provide employers with quick temporary staffing and reduce benefits and payroll costs. However, the...
View ArticleHOW TO BENCHMARK HYBRID JOBS
The traditional procedure for market pricing a job title begins by accurately matching your company’s job to the survey’s benchmarked job. To aid in this effort, WageWatch collects employee payroll...
View ArticleWHEN TO EMPLOY SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM INCENTIVES
An employee compensation plan should provide a competitive wage and reward employees fairly and equitably for behaviors while accomplishing goals and objectives for the organization. Compensation is...
View ArticleMERIT BUDGET ALLOCATION
A primary goal of any compensation program is to motivate employees to perform at their best. Most organizations have pay for performance at least in the form of a merit pay system. An accurate,...
View ArticleALIGNING COMPENSATION WITH COMPANY CULTURE
Many organizations today are focusing on their company’s culture including determining their culture, deciding what it should be, aligning with strategic goals and transitioning to the desired culture....
View ArticleINNOVATION IN HUMAN RESOURCES TODAY
How can human resources contribute to innovation? How can we turn new ideas into reality, break old paradigms and step outside of the box with new solutions to old problems? Innovation may begin with...
View ArticleSALARY STRUCTURES: WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR?
Established salary structures aren’t mandatory. There is no law that requiring them, but they serve many useful purposes. Having salary ranges in place can ensure that salary decisions, from new...
View ArticleHUMAN RESOURCES ROLE IN MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Mergers and acquisitions are extremely challenging and even chaotic events. Therefore, it is critical that everyone involved has a clear understanding of their role in the process. Mergers and...
View ArticleJOB ANALYSIS AND JOB EVALUATION PROCESSES
The Job Evaluation Process consists of a broad spectrum of activities which begins with the Job Analysis Process. Though two separate processes, Job Analysis data will be needed and used during the Job...
View ArticleWHY ORGANIZATIONS ARE FINDING VALUE IN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (EI)
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is about being able to control your own emotions and the emotions of others. Having emotional intelligence means being emotionally aware, able to identify, harness and...
View ArticleINCENTIVE PLAN ESSENTIALS
Well-designed and well-implemented incentive plans can be an important tool for overall company success, but they also have the potential to be ineffective and even damaging if not carefully thought...
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