The federal Department of Labor (DOL) released a final rule on May 20, 2020 addressing whether employers may pay bonuses, commissions, and other types of incentive payments to employees paid under the fluctuating workweek (FWW) method of paying overtime.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced a new rule that potentially could allow more employers to take advantage of the overtime exemption allowed for certain employees who are paid on commission.

Has your organization considered offering employee loans as a benefit? Given the number of people in the United States who live paycheck to paycheck, there are a lot of employees out there who are one emergency away from needing financial assistance in some form.

Salary history bans continue to gain in popularity across the United States. Over 10 states and half a dozen cities have enacted laws that prohibit employers from inquiring about an applicants’ prior or current compensation. This map highlights which states and cities have such laws in place and provides more detail about who is impacted.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created much uncertainty in the employment sector. One issue employers are facing is how to handle paid time off (PTO) payouts.

The U.S. Department of Labor issued guidance March 12 that outlines the flexibility states have in this area to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. For example, federal law allows states to pay benefits when an employer temporarily ceases operations due to COVID-19, preventing employees from coming to work. Employees affected by coronavirus-related closures generally will be eligible for unemployment compensation. Most states have acted to waiving the usual one-week waiting period and other requirements.

By Tammy Binford, Contributing Editor
The COVID-19 pandemic that has sent the nation’s unemployment rate soaring may eventually—at least in some cases—affect employers’ unemployment insurance tax rates. Just who will be affected, though, remains an open question.