To achieve organizational cost savings through base pay reductions

To increase employee identification with the organization's success

To defer compensation expenses to future reporting periods

To reward individual employees for some significant contribution   

Mental health coverage and health care coverage

Pay for time not worked and income protection programs

Unemployment and disability

Defined contribution and defined benefits plans   

Americans with Disabilities Act

Vocational Rehabilitation Act

Civil Rights Act of 1991

Age Discrimination in Employment Act

Fixed costs must be kept to a minimum, but variable costs can fluctuate since they tend to correlate with revenue.

Variable costs often have a heavier focus than fixed costs, which applies to all areas, including compensation.

Fixed costs and variable costs are equally important and both should be kept to a minimum.

Fixed costs are not a concern because they cannot be changed, so the focus is primarily on variable costs.

An employer who should have inquired further into whether its conduct was in compliance with the act and failed to do so.

An employer that had a prior finding by the Labor Department, court or another tribunal with the authority to make such a finding

An employer knowing its conduct was prohibited under the act or showing reckless disregard for the requirements of the act

When the Labor Department has advised an employer that its actions were unlawful

Because you will be more informed when differences of opinion occur, lending more credibility to your position

Because you can demonstrate your understanding of issues from multiple perspectives

Because you will be able to explain the negative consequences of opposing your position

Because stakeholders with diverse opinions tend to compromise when they are aware that others know their weaknesses

Investors and Finance want to see money spent wisely. Legal must ensure compliance, and HR and operating departments want to see their needs taken into account to attract, retain and motivate a high quality workforce.

Operating departments and HR understand the company must live within its means and Finance cannot allocate funds to a budget if it is likely that profitability will be adversely affected.

Investors want to maximize gains and want to see compensation tightly controlled and Legal needs to ensure that compensation plans do not attract undue scrutiny.

Operating departments view compensation as it applies to them, HR must balance available resources to attract, retain and motivate employees and Finance knows the value of a motivated workforce and will provide the budget necessary to achieve it.

Various federal minimum wage rules

Employee rights under the H-2A Program

Laws and procedures for filing complaints

Laws and rules for employee polygraph protection

There is a decreasing number of females in the workforce.

Employees are expressing a greater desire for choice in their benefits.

Employees have longer career expectations.

Decreasing costs are causing growth in the numbers of benefits employers offer.   

The current value of holdings

The current value of holdings and how much it will grow over time at a given rate of return

The desired value in the future and what needs to be invested today to realize that amount

The difference between the desired value in the future and the current value as a percentage of the desired value