Journal – Benefits and Rewards

Benefits are a form of non-monetary compensation which an employer usually states in a contract. On the other hand, rewards are an employer’s motivation tool to get the best out of employees. Whereas benefits are included in a contract and not dependent on an employee’s performance, rewards are not included in a contract and vary depending on employees’ performance. Different federal and state laws require employers to provide a set of mandatory benefits to employees, and failure to do so attracts enormous penalties.

Federal Mandated Benefits

Minimum Wage

Minimum wage refers to the minimum hourly pay businesses can pay their employees. The federal-mandated minimum wage currently stands at $7.25 per hour (Lester et al., 2021). While most states comply with the federally-determined minimum wage, some states have set their minimum wage requirements. State-based minimum wage requirements can be more or less than the federal requirement. Employers are free to apply either the state-mandated or federal-mandated minimum wage, but whichever they decide to apply, it must exceed the federal limit (Lester et al., 2021). The primary purpose of mandating the minimum wage is to protect employees against unduly low wages. A minimum wage ensures an equitable and just distribution of wealth as the company progresses.

Parental Leave

Parental leave is an employee benefit that allows for paid or unpaid leave for new parents. New parents are expected to use parental leave to bond with children, care for a sick child, or deal with pregnancy-related complications. Some parental leaves are based on federal law and compulsory, especially where FMLA applies, while other types of leaves are optional (Casey & Corday, 2008). Paid parental leave is usually provided to employees who meet specific minimum criteria, such as working for an employer for a given period.

As mentioned, parental leave is important as it allows both parents to bond with their children in the best way they would want. Parental leaves also help distribute parental roles between male and female parents, thus reducing the parenting burden that traditionally rested on women (Casey & Corday, 2008). The leaves later help parents decide how to distribute money to childcare in later years. The federal government mandates parental leave for both parents because of the emotional and social benefits that comes with the bonding (Casey & Corday, 2008). Since the law mandates even men to take leave, they will not play hooky since the law mandates it.

Benefits/Rewards Required in Tennessee

Breaks and Meal Periods

According to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (n.d.), Tennessee law requires employers to provide employees with a 30-minute unpaid meal break after six hours of consecutive working. The law is compulsory in every workplace unless the working conditions allow employees to take appropriate breaks in between work. Examples of jobs requiring breaks after six working hours include food/beverage industry jobs or security guards. Taking a break from work allows employees to focus and be more productive once they return to work. Also, breaks allow employees to relieve stress and improve their mental well-being. These factors lead to increased job satisfaction among employees.

The Tennessee law on meal breaks is mandated to avert health problems for workers. Employees who work for long hours without breaks report high instances of stress and anxiety (Department of Labor and Workforce Development, n.d.). With a clear meal break plan, employees report lower absence rates in the long run, which is good for the business.

Final Paycheck

Tennessee law requires that an employee gets paid full wages earned until the day following a dismissal or 21 days after the dismissal, whichever comes last (Department of Labor and Workforce Development, n.d.). There is no exemption under this law; hence no employer may withhold an employee’s salary once dismissed or leave voluntarily. Also, employers are not allowed to withhold an employee’s salary because they have retained work uniforms or other wear unless they signed for that before employment.

Although Federal law does not require employers to pay employees the final paycheck, Tennessee laws require that employees receive the pay. One of the reasons for making the final paycheck mandatory is to protect employees from rogue former employees. Employees who feel defrauded may report to the state labor department for follow-up.

References

Casey, J., & Corday, K. (2008). Parental leave policies in 21 countries: Assessing generosity and gender equality.

Department of Labor and Workforce Development. (n.d.). Wages & Breaks. Www.tn.gov. https://www.tn.gov/workforce/employees/labor-laws/labor-laws-redirect/wages-breaks.html#:~:text=These%20include%20paid%2Dtime%2Doff

Lester, G. V., Brock Baskin, M. E., & Clinton, M. S. (2021). Employer-sponsored benefits in the United States: The past, present, and future. Compensation & Benefits Review, 53(1), 24-42.

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Question

Organizations need to identify critical benefits and rewards programs that impact recruitment/selection and retention required to maintain a superior talent pool. The primary reason companies offer total rewards benefit packages is an increased ability to recruit/retain top talent. However, federal and state law also dictates mandated benefits not related to wages.

Journal – Benefits and Rewards

Instructions:

Describe at least two benefits/rewards mandated by federal law
Describe at least two benefits/rewards required by the laws in your state
Explain why each is important
Explain why each may be “mandated.”

Requirements:

Submit a Word document in APA
Maximum three pages, minimum 500 words in length, excluding the Title and Reference
Include at least one resource/citation for each benefit listed.