Don’t Confuse the Cost of LIVING with the Cost of LABOR

In working with clients in the development and management of base pay programs, we may hear about or receive questions about geographic cost of living being used to determine or justify pay rates. For example, “our Stanford, CT location has a much higher cost of...

Compensation Philosophy – A Foundation for Decisions

What is a Compensation Philosophy?  Does your company have a compensation philosophy? What does that even mean?! A compensation philosophy is a description of the objectives, guidelines and principles on which compensation policies, programs, systems and practices are...

Top 10 Mistakes Made with Incentive Plans – by Susan Malanowski

Too many measures “Less is more” when determining the criteria or metrics to use in the plan. Plans with 3 to 5 measures can provide balance and focus. Too many measures dilute a participant’s attention and motivation. Metrics with a weight less than 10% of the total...

New England Companies Paying More for Talent in 2017

According to a recent study by Wilson Group, Concord, MA, and Bose Corporation, New England companies are expecting modest growth in their business. Sixty-two percent (62%) of companies recently surveyed expected growth exceeding 4% in 2017; this compares to only 44%...

New FLSA Regulations Impact Variable Pay Design

Variable pay programs are becoming more common for non-exempt employees. The new FLSA regulations have clarified the impact on overtime pay and the standard threshold salary level for FLSA exemption. For non-exempt employees, any non-discretionary bonus needs to be...