A shorter work week, cash to invest: Companies add perks to attract workers

It's a job seekers' market, and employers are stepping up their benefits in a bid to attract and retain workers.

People are walking away from their jobs in droves, with a record number of workers quitting their jobs last year, according to the Labor Department. And with nearly 11 million job openings at the end of December, companies are having a hard time hiring -- and keeping -- employees. READ MORE

Deferring the Tax Hit on a Grant Equity to an Employee – Are You Prepared to Enforce the Forfeiture Provision?

A constant challenge in the world of the closely held business, and one that is likely to become even more daunting as Baby Boomers continue to pass their businesses along to younger family members[i] – many of whom may share the older generation’s appreciation for living well, but neither its drive nor its business acumen – is the retention of key employees who are able to operate the business profitably in spite of changes in ownership or leadership within the family and the business. READ MORE

FTC eyes rule to claw back money from companies that lie about gig worker earnings

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which enforces consumer protection rules, voted on Thursday to embark on regulations that would allow it to win back money from companies that are deceptive about the earnings that workers can make.

The FTC has previously gone after companies such as Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) in 2017 and Amazon.com Inc last year but has been prevented from tackling recent similar cases because of a Supreme Court ruling in April 2021 that said the agency had inappropriately used its rule-making powers to claw back ill-gotten gains. READ MORE

Here's what workers really want from their employers

It's no surprise that anyone looking to quit their current job for a new one will want a position that offers better pay and work-life balance.

But what may be surprising is just how much more motivating these issues are in a person's decision to switch jobs today than they were a few years ago, according to a new Gallup study of more than 13,000 US employees. The last time Gallup did a similar survey was 2015. READ MORE

Coca-Cola Ties Some Exec Compensation to Diversity, Green Issues

Coca-Cola Co. on Wednesday said its board's Talent and Compensation Committee approved new performance measures for executives to include certain social and environmental goals.

The company said it will now include goals to promote employee diversity, equity and inclusion, which will make up 10% of executives' 2022 annual incentive. Net operating revenue, growth and operating income growth will equally comprise the remaining 90%. READ MORE

Benefits & compensation best practices for 2022

Why do employees feel they can call the shots when it comes to the benefits their employers provide?

Because those who stuck with their companies through 2020, despite the many layoffs, mandates and shortages, expected to be compensated for their loyalty and perseverance. When they weren’t, they jumped ship to employers who were offering bigger and better compensation packages. READ MORE

Inflation eroded pay by 1.7% over the past year

High inflation overshadowed a big increase in wages over the past year, amounting to a nearly 2% smaller paycheck for the average worker, according to federal data published Thursday.

Employers have raised wages at about the fastest rate in 15 years, as they compete for talent amid record job openings and quit levels. But consumer prices for goods and services are rising at their fastest annual pace in four decades, eroding those gains for many Americans. READ MORE

Employers Need To Invest In Low-Wage Employees To Prevent The Great Resignation

It's estimated that around 44% of Americans are in low-wage jobs, which despite the low pay are often among the most dangerous in the labor market. These often tedious and dirty roles can be overlooked by society and employers alike but the so-called Great Resignation has shone a fresh light on these roles as organizations have struggled to fill what are underappreciated yet hugely important roles for the efficient and effective functioning of so many organizations. READ MORE

There's A New Way To Watch The Widening Income Gap in (Almost) Real Time

Goldman Sachs paid its CEO David Solomon $35 million in 2021, the investment bank announced recently. The handsome sum— a reflection of the fact that the investment bank netted nearly $60 billion under his watch last year—puts Solomon in the top 0.01% of earners in 2021, alongside such other lucre luminaries as Morgan Stanley’s James Gorman ($35 million), JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon ($34.5 million) and 30,000 or so other folks. Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, American households in this teensy tiny slice of society have increased their income by about 8%. READ MORE

Common Reasons for Flagged Pay Differences

Some employers have a practice of periodically conducting statistical analyses of employee compensation, under attorney-client privilege, to identify potential areas of risk related to pay equity concerns. These analyses are usually focused on gender and race or national origin. Through these statistical analyses, employees are placed into comparator groups and the compensation of the employees in those groups is analyzed for differences that remain after controlling for relevant factors available in the data set. Such factors may include data points such as job title, tenure with the company, time in position, location/market, and performance ratings. Once the analysis has controlled for the available factors, the statistical model will flag those comparator groups where the pay differences are statistically significant and adverse to a particular demographic. READ MORE