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Can You Motivate Employees Without a Raise?
Some years are tough and funds are not available to give employees the raises they deserve. There are still ways to motivate employees and boost morale. Here are a few simple and inexpensive ways to make your employees feel valuable:
- Donate to causes they value, such as their children's school fundraiser or a charity they support.
- Add a handwritten note to their paycheck. Highlight something positive they did and the effect it will have on the company.
- Take them to lunch.
- Wash their car or buy them a car wash.
- Give them something their whole family can enjoy. Movie passes or a gift certificate to a restaurant can make the whole family happy.
- Send them to a training they want to attend. Invest in their continued success.
Most importantly, be honest with your employees. If the company cannot afford to give raises, make sure they understand that it is not a reflection on their individual performance. |
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The Trouble With Payroll Deductions
Payroll deduction is the simplest and most effective way for an employer to collect money that an employee owes to them. However employers must be careful not to violate the Fair Labor Standards Act or a state wage law. Keep these things in mind before deducting from an employee's paycheck:
- The deduction should not decrease the employee's hourly rate below minimum wage.
- Deductions for medical, surgical or hospital care or service and approved retirement plans are permitted, as long as there is no financial benefit to the employer and the deductions are clearly recorded in the employer's books.
- The deduction must be for something that was a benefit to the employee. Here are a few examples:
- To allow the employee to repay a loan or advance which the employer made to the employee during employment;
- To allow for recovery of payroll overpayment;
- To compensate the employer for the value of the employer's merchandise or uniforms purchased by the employee;
- To provide payment for medical, accident, disability, or retirement benefits, or insurance premiums, not including worker's compensation or unemployment;
- To provide for contributions to a deferred compensation plan or other investment plan provided by the employer as a benefit to the employee;
- To compensate the employer for breakage or loss of merchandise, inventory shortage, or cash shortage caused by the employee, where the employee was the sole party responsible for the cash or items damaged or lost, at the time the damage or loss occurred.
Any payroll deduction agreement must be in writing, and signed by the employee before a deduction can be taken.
For more information or to request a review of your payroll deductions, contact ProValue today. |
