Headlines about "Fringe benefits - transit, discounts, other"
Gathered from the web by the editors at BenefitsLink.com.
\Group Legal Plans Becoming More Popular
Excerpt: "Prompted by the national mortgage mess and myriad other legal issues that people face, more employers are offering group legal plans to employees." (Workforce.com)
Sick-Leave Abuse by Federal Employees Prompts Calls to Compensate for Unused Time
Excerpt: "There is no limit on how much sick leave an employee can carry forward into the next year, and IRS employees had an average balance of 43 days of accumulated sick leave at the end of 2006. 'We believe that the lack of compensation for unused sick leave at retirement has contributed to the higher amount of sick leave used by FERS employees,' the report said . . . ." (Washington Post; free registration required)
[Opinion] A Reconsideration of Tax Expenditure Analysis (PDF)
87 pages. Excerpt: "This document, prepared by the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation . . . reconsiders the utility of the JCT Staff's current implementation of tax expenditure analysis. . . . Driven off track by seemingly endless debates about what should and should not be included in the 'normal' tax base, tax expenditure analysis today does not advance either of the two goals that inspired its original proponents: clarifying the aggregate size and application of government expenditures, and improving the Internal Revenue Code." (U.S. Congress, Joint Committee on Taxation)
Commuter Benefit Plans Increasing
Excerpt: "As of March, 4,011 Milwaukee-area employees had value passes, subsidized by 65 employers. That matches the highest ridership in the program ever and is up 8% from the same time last year, said Jackie Janz, marketing director for Milwaukee County Transit." (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Eldercare Benefit Is Boon to Baby-Boomer Employees
Excerpt: "National studies say companies without elder-care benefits stand to lose $2,500 a year per care-giving employee and that every $1 spent on elder-care benefits gets a return of $1.50 in productivity, retention, and reduced absenteeism. . . . [T]he most important part of Hallmark's elder-care package may be the part that costs nothing at all: flex time." (Kansas City Star)
Cheers and Doubts for New Jersey Paid-Leave Law; Third Such Law in Nation
Excerpt: "Fears of abuse and workforce disruptions were expressed by the business community while proponents praised the N.J. law as 'win-win.' HR leaders in other states should take note: This trend is probably not going to go away." (Human Resource Executive Online)
[Opinion] Report of the Working Group on Financial Literacy of Plan Participants and the Role of the Employer
Excerpt: "For plan sponsors who wish to craft their own program, a best practices grid would point to the core literacy skills needed for a successful retirement. The Working Group recommends that the Department of Labor determine and publish best practices for the plan sponsor and fiduciaries to consider for use in educating plan participants with a focus toward increasing financial literacy." (Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor)
Seven Out of Ten Employers Offer Retirement or Financial Planning to Employees
Excerpt: "A new survey from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) has found that 70% of respondents offered some type of retirement or financial planning initiative, education or program for employees or participants." (Wolters Kluwer)
Paid Maternity Leave Still on the Wishlist for Many U.S. Mothers
Excerpt: "In a selection of 19 countries with comparable per capita income, the United States provides the fewest maternity leave benefits in both length of leave and paid time off . . . . " (Economic Policy Institute)
State, Federal Laws Sidestep Employers' Vacation Promises
Excerpt: "If your employer takes away your vacation benefit, can you do anything about it? That's the question some employees at Spirit Airlines say they've been grappling with since a change in the vacation policy at the start of the year. The employees claim that a gap between the old policy and the new policy stripped many at the Miramar-based airline of vacation days they had earned." (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Podcast: 'Five Minutes with... ' Rita Sororen of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Excerpt: "[The] podcast stars Rita Sororen of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, who talks about workplace adoption benefits on ebn.podhoster.com. . . . The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption recently released its annual list of the nation's 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
Employers Broaden Total Rewards
Excerpt: "The economic downturn and increased competition for the best talent are leading companies to adopt a more holistic approach to total rewards. They are going beyond benefits and compensation and incorporating elements such as career planning, performance management, employee training and work-life balance programs, experts say." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
[Guidance Overview] Maryland Amends Wage Payment and Collection Law; Provides Clear Answer for Employers with Respect to Accrued Leave
Excerpt: "A recent amendment to the Maryland Wage Payment Collection Law finally provides both employers and employees with a clear idea as to when accrued leave is paid out on termination. Whether an employer is obligated to pay out unused accrued time depends on the employer's written policy and whether this policy was communicated to the employee at the time of hiring." (Nixon Peabody LLP)
[Guidance Overview] Legislation Proposed to Eliminate Employment Taxes on Employer-Provided Cell Phones
Excerpt: "In 1989 Congress amended the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to include cell phones among 'listed property.'1 Listed property includes items obtained for use in a business but designated by the IRC as lending themselves easily to personal use. Besides cell phones, other 'listed property' includes automobiles, computers, and entertainment or recreation-related items. From an employer's perspective, business use of listed property is treated as a working condition fringe benefit. However, if the employee uses the property for personal use, such use is treated as additional wages and is subject to income tax withholding, FICA and FUTA taxes." (Littler Mendelson P.C.)
Change in Compensation Costs, December 2007-March 2008
Excerpt: "Total compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.7 percent from December 2007 to March 2008, seasonally adjusted." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
[Guidance Overview] IRS Guidance on Deduction for Leased Employees' Meals and Incidental Expenses – and Dismissal of 'Common Law Employee' Relevance
Excerpt: "The most recent travel and entertainment expense issue involves deductions for meals and incidental expenses as covered in IRC §274(d)(1). That provision dictates the substantiation required to use that deduction and IRC § 274(n) generally limits that deduction to only 50 percent of meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) actually incurred . . . ." (Deloitte via BenefitsLink.com)
Big-Box Retailers Factor Largely Into Employers' Vision Plan Network Selections
Excerpt: "It's no secret that the main attractions big-box stores have among consumers are convenience, accessibility and low prices. Such attributes also attract employers when they are selecting providers for vision plan networks, particularly for serving workers in more rural areas, experts say." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
When Does an Employer Have an ERISA Plan?
Excerpt: "Many employers might assume that an ERISA plan is not created until they actually set up a plan, write a plan document and take formalized steps to create a plan. However, this is not necessarily the case. Employers need to be cautious when establishing an employee benefits program as they can inadvertently create an ERISA plan or find themselves in a situation where a common 'ongoing administrative scheme' can be construed to be an ERISA-governed benefits plan." (Aiken & Aiken)
Should California Require Small Businesses to Offer Sick Days?
Excerpt: "Hundreds of small businesses in California say they can't afford to offer paid sick days to employees, but Assemblywoman Fiona Ma believes businesses actually could save money by doing so. The San Francisco Democrat's Assembly Bill 2716 would let workers earn paid sick days that could be used to recover from illness, care for a sick relative or recover from domestic violence or sexual assault." (The Sacramento Bee)
The Workplace as Clubhouse
Excerpt: "Fat paychecks, pensions and health insurance are not enough to recruit and keep employees these days. Companies are again finding that adding a bit of social context to work is crucial to keeping employees happy and productive. That is where employee clubs come in. Workplace specialists say clubs are a way to build camaraderie and help people get to know fellow employees away from work. Companies benefit, too. Clubs help create loyal employees, reduce turnover and improve morale while costing very little." (The New York Times; free registration required)
Picking the Perks That Employees Value
Excerpt: "When it comes to employee benefits, the best plan for a small company may be to have no set plan. . . . Kahler Slater has also done something that many smaller companies haven't done: It has surveyed employees to get a sense of what the majority of them valued. Before the company began surveying employees, 'we had a clue' of what mattered to employees, 'but we didn't have a pattern,' that showed the perks employees valued most . . . . The surveys 'prioritized it in a very clear way.'" (The Wall Street Journal)
[Guidance Overview] Deduction Limit for Meals/Incidental Expenses Paid to Leased Employees Addressed
Excerpt: "The IRS has issued a ruling addressing which party is subject to the percentage limitation for the deduction of meal and incidental expenses (M&IE) paid to leased employees. The ruling holds that the percentage limit applies to the party that ultimately bears the per diem expense, regardless of which party is the employer under the common law rules." (CCH Incorporated)
Generation Y Causing Employment Policies Change
Excerpt: "Gen Y, it seems, expects a constant flow of promotions, flexible schedules, lots of leave and more moneyas if those benefits were its right, not something to be earned. But because Gen Y represents the workforce of the future, employers are changing their HR policies in response to its demands, according to a US survey of 2546 hiring managers at HR professionals conducted by CareerBuilder and Harris Interactive." (Human Resource Executive Online)
Ohio Paid Sick-Leave Law Supporters Want Legislators to Act
Excerpt: "Calling it 'hypocrisy with a capital H,' backers of legislation requiring employers to provide workers with paid sick leave accused lawmakers yesterday of ignoring the bill while taking their own sick leave at taxpayer expense." (The Toledo Blade Company)
California Assembly Bill Would Mandate Paid Sick Days
Excerpt: "State lawmakers on Wednesday took the first step toward making California the only state in the nation to require employers to provide paid sick days to workers. Although paid sick days have long been a benefit enjoyed by higher-income workers, sponsors of the bill say 6 million California workers, or about 42 percent of the work force, must choose between going to work sick or missing a day's pay." (Ventura County Star)
How Companies Are Adapting to Absenteeism
Excerpt: "Most workers take mental-health days or call out sick to take care of family or personal issues, but many time-off policies remain mired in the 1960s, when there were few dual-income households and less desire for work/life balance. HR should rethink how to effectively manage absenteeism." (Human Resource Executive Online)
Percentage of Workers Who Don't Go to Work Sick Remains at Six or Seven Percent Mark
Excerpt: "We all know people who drag themselves into work when they're sick . . . – but the reason(s) why may surprise you. According to a new poll by LifeCare, Inc., 'Other people depend on me and I don't want to let them down' was the most-cited (29%) reason. In the three consecutive years that LifeCare has conducted this poll, this is the first time this response topped the list." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
St. Louis, Missouri, Pays Big for Public Employees' Unused Sick Time
Excerpt: "Under a system virtually extinct in corporate America -- and increasingly harder to find in government -- St. Louis city employees can bank all sick days they don't take and exchange them for lump sum payments and a higher pension upon retirement." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Corporate Housing Taking Hold As Cost-Effective Means of Providing Temporary Accommodations to Relocated Employees
Excerpt: "Designed specifically for temporary stays, corporate housing consists of fully-furnished apartments, condos and occasionally even houses. Because they are fully furnished with linens, kitchenware and weekly maid service, transferees need only bring their personal effects. They are then able to live as they would at home, cooking their own meals, doing their own laundry, and entertaining guests, all while the corporation foots the bill." (Human Resource Executive Online)
Chart of State and Local Government Workers' Access to Quality-of-Life Benefits
Excerpt: "Long-term care insurance was offered to 26 percent of State and local government workers in September 2007. Such insurance was the quality-of-life benefit most commonly offered to employees of State and local governments." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Connecticut Bill Would Provide Paid Sick Time
Excerpt: "For the second year in a row, a coalition of labor and community groups is urging legislators to pass a paid sick leave bill that would give full-time workers at companies employing 25 or more 6 1/2 days of paid sick leave a year." (The Hartford Courant)
City of St. Louis' Sick-Day Payout Drains City of Millions
Excerpt: "In the last five years, the city of St. Louis has spent more than $4 million buying unused sick days from dozens of employees, an analysis shows. And while advocates say the generous policy helps offset low worker salaries, those who gain the most are managers who already are at the high-end of the pay scale." (AP via Belleville News-Democrat)
BusinessWeek White Paper: The Impact of Commuting on Employees
31 pages. Excerpt: "Purpose of the survey: To explore the challenges and issues that respondents have pertaining to commuting and the role they feel employers should play, as well as the strategies companies are deploying to address these issues. Additionally, to examine the role of commuter benefits as they relate to commuting issues, including level of interest and usage." (BusinessWeek; long registration form required to receive copy)
California Bill Would Mandate Paid Sick Days
Excerpt: "If you are one of the estimated 6 million California workers without paid sick leave, relief may be on the way. Assembly Member Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, has introduced a bill that would allow California workers to earn paid sick days for everything from personal illness to recovering from domestic violence." (The Fresno Bee)
A Great Place To Work - It Isn't About The Perks, It's 'Respect, Dignity, Flexibility'
Excerpt: "Although some of Fortune magazine's top 100 best companies to work for offer unusual perks such as scuba-certification classes and meditation rooms, it's not the bells and whistles that probably got them there in the first place. The real secret to being a good place to work? 'People are treated with respect, dignity, flexibility,' said Richard Hansen, CEO of Johnson Financial Group , one of three Wisconsin companies to make this year's list. 'It's really not all that complicated.' Hansen said his company's business model aims to offer its clients satisfied, motivated associates, producing low turnover rates in employees and customers." (Wisconsin State Journal)
Washington, DC's 'Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act' Likely to Become Law
Excerpt: "The District of Columbia is poised to require employers to provide paid sick leave to their employees and may well be a bellwether for passage of similar bills in other states and localities. San Francisco already has a mandatory paid leave statute on the books, and Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Wyoming and the City of Milwaukee are considering paid sick leave laws." (Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP)
Maryland House OKs Flexible Paid Leave Measure
Excerpt: "Private-sector employees who receive paid leave in Maryland would be allowed to use it while caring for sick members of their immediate family, under legislation approved by the House of Delegates today. An employee who gets more than one form of paid leave could choose the type and amount of the leave to take to care for a sick spouse, child or parent. The measure also would prohibit an employer from taking action against an employee for taking the time off to care for a sick relative." (The Baltimore Sun)
National Compensation Survey - Employee Benefits in State and Local Governments in the United States, September 2007 (PDF)
32 pages. Excerpt: "In addition to presenting data on access to and participation in benefit plans, the tables in this release include data on provisions of life insurance plans, employee contributions to costs of medical care premiums, the allocation of medical plan costs between employees and employers, and employer premiums." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Findings of 14th Annual Deloitte/ISCEBS Top 5 Rewards Priorities Survey Findings (PDF)
9 pages. Excerpt: "More than two-thirds of survey respondents (68 percent) plan to undertake a redesign of other rewards programs within the next year. The most commonly identified programs slated for an overhaul were learning and development programs (51 percent), followed by paid time off (44 percent), flexible work arrangements (39 percent), and mentoring programs (28 percent)." (nternational Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists)
An Intriguing Development for Workplace Concierge Services
Excerpt: "The services are still more the exception than the rule for companies. But late last year, food and facilities management giant Sodexho announced the acquisition of Circles, a veteran concierge service, and said it would make its services available to its roughly 3,000 U.S. corporate client sites. Does that signal greater interest in what concierge companies can do?" (Workforce Management; free registration required)
Paid Time Off: Is It Right for Your Organization? (PDF)
4 pages. The article discusses the benefits of paid time off programs and outlines steps for creating a successful PTO program. (Sibson Consulting via WorldatWork)
Psychologically Healthy Workplaces Good for Business
Excerpt: "Winners of the American Psychological Association's 2008 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award (PHWA) provide evidence that workplaces that invest in the well-being of employees enjoy benefits such as reduced employee stress, lower employee turnover, and enhanced organizational performance." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
[Guidance Overview] IRS 2007 Version of Form 8839 for Determining Adoption Credit and Employer-Provided Adoption Benefits Exclusion
Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: Employer-provided adoption benefits are excludable from an employee's gross income if furnished pursuant to an adoption assistance program that meets the Code's requirements. Benefits under a qualified adoption assistance program may be funded by the employer directly, by employees through salary reductions under a cafeteria plan, or by a combination of both. Employees may also claim a tax credit for qualified adoption expenses, although both the credit and exclusion cannot be claimed for the same expense." (Employee Benefits Institute of America)
More States to Force Firms to Provide Paid Family Leave; Related Push Would Require Employers to Offer Paid Sick Leave
Excerpt: "At least 14 more states will mull proposals in this year's legislative session. They are: Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania." (Kiplinger)
Chart: Employer Costs for Paid Leave in Private Industry, December 2007
Excerpt: "Employer costs for paid leave benefits were highest for management, professional, and related occupations, $3.93 per hour, or 8.4 percent of total compensation, in December 2007." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
[Guidance Overview] Court Holds That High Tech Company Must Allow Employees One Day Off Per Week
Excerpt: "A recent decision from the Superior Court gives a very broad interpretation to a rarely addressed Massachusetts statute that requires some employers to provide their employees with one day of rest in every seven days." (Seyfarth Shaw LLP)
[Opinion] Denver's Sick Leave Scandal
Excerpt: "'You don't change horses in midstream.' With that comment in Tuesday's Rocky, Mayor John Hickenlooper succinctly explained why Denver has an out-of-control problem with career service employees' accumulated sick leave and the burdensome debt it represents, seemingly forever, for the city." (Rocky Mountain News)
[Guidance Overview] Indiana Joins List of States Providing Legal Protections to Nursing Mothers at the Workplace
Excerpt: "On February 27, 2008, Governor Mitch Daniels . . . signed into law a bill that gives rights to nursing mothers in the workplace. The law, which amends Title 22 of Indiana's Code concerning labor and safety, requires private businesses with 25 or more employees to make reasonable efforts to provide a private location, other than a toilet stall, where an employee can express breast milk during any period away from the employee's assigned duties. " (Little Mendelson P.C.)
Points on How to Align Company Culture with Health Initiatives
Excerpt: "If employers want a healthier workforce, they may have to battle it out with their cafeteria vendor, said Raymond Brusca, vice president of benefits at Black and Decker." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, December 2007 - Summary
Excerpt: "Employer costs for insurance benefits -- life, health, and disability -- averaged $2.34 per hour (8.3 percent of total compensation). Paid leave benefits (vacations, holidays, sick leave, and other leave) averaged $1.96 (7.0 percent); retirement and savings averaged $1.24 (4.4 percent); and supplemental pay averaged 72 cents (2.6 percent) per hour worked." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
[Official Guidance] Text of Rev. Proc. 2008-25: Safe Harbor for Deducting Payroll Taxes by Accrual-Method Taxpayers (PDF)
Excerpt: "Revenue Procedure 2008-25 provides a safe harbor method of accounting for taxpayers using an accrual method of accounting that incur FICA tax and FUTA tax (payroll tax) liabilities for compensation (including bonuses and vacation pay), and also provides procedures for taxpayers to obtain the automatic consent of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to change to the safe harbor method of accounting." (Internal Revenue Service)
[Guidance Overview] Washington, D.C. Council Passes Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act (PDF)
Excerpt: "Washington, D.C. will likely soon become the second U.S. city to require employers to provide their employees with paid sick and protective leave. The D.C. Council passed earlier this month the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act (ASSLA), which provides paid leave to employees for their own and family members' health needs. If approved by the mayor, the law will take effect six months after a 30-day mandatory Congressional review period." (Winston & Strawn LLP)
438 Million Vacation Days Went Unused by U.S. Workers in '07
Excerpt: "Psychologists, demographers and others say we pass over time off for many reasons - an entrenched Puritan work ethic, fear of being seen as reckless slackers relaxing while the economy burns, squirreling away time for days we're stuck at home awaiting a repair call. The figure for time left behind comes from Harris Interactive, a polling and research group, which for seven years has examined trends in unused vacation days for Expedia.com, the Internet travel booker." (The Gazette)
[Guidance Overview] IRS Corrects 2008 Employer-Provided Vehicle Valuation Figure
Excerpt: "The IRS issued a correction to Revenue Procedure 2008-13 that provided maximum values used in determining the taxable, personal use of employer-provided vehicles." (Hewitt Associates)
Bill Would Give Federal Retirees Partial Pay for Unused Sick Leave
Excerpt: "A majority of federal employees would be able to cash out part of their unused sick leave at retirement under a bill introduced yesterday by Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.)." (The Washington Post; free registration required)
[Guidance Overview] Fringe Benefit Pointer - Newly Introduced Legislation Addresses Taxation of Cell Phones and BlackBerries (PDF)
Page 2 of 4 pages. Excerpt: "Legislation (H.R. 5450) was recently introduced in the U.S. Congress to update the tax treatment of cell phones and other mobile communication devices (such as BlackBerries) that are commonly used in today's businesses and to reduce the amount of paperwork required for companies to claim a deduction for costs associated with the business use of these devices." (Miller & Chevalier Chartered)
Sick Leave Pay a Hot Topic Among Workers and Employers
Excerpt: "Advocates of making paid sick days a basic labor standard say the United States should follow all other developed countries and require businesses to let ill or injured employees miss work without docking their pay or threatening their employment. But companies argue that such a requirement could drive some of them out of business." (The Dallas Morning News)
[Guidance Overview] Washington, D.C. Council Passes the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "Although the D.C. Council has passed the ASSLA, it does not have the effect of law until the Mayor approves it and after a Congressional review period of 30 'legislative days' has expired without Congress acting on the bill. If the ASSLA becomes law, the District of Columbia will be the second jurisdiction in the United States to require employers to provide paid sick leave." (Seyfarth Shaw LLP)
Lawmakers Try to Get Paid Sick Leave Benefit for Thousands in N.C.
Excerpt: "Supporters of legislation that would mandate paid sick leave for North Carolina employees hope they can ride the coattails of this winter's severe flu season when the General Assembly returns to work in May. Spearheaded by the N.C. Justice Center, a coalition of advocacy groups and unions representing blue-collar and low-wage workers is pushing for a change in state law." (The News and Observer)
Ford Rewards Non-U.S. Employees With $1,000 Bonus
Excerpt: "The bonus also will be paid to managers outside the U.S. and Canada. CEO Alan Mulally says the 'performance awards' are based on improvements in cost performance, quality, automotive cash flow and financial results." (Workforce Management; free registration required)
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