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Compensation & Benefits

In the Payroll Mailbag: February ’19

01/17/2019
Are expenses paid directly to third parties still taxable? … Are parking stipends excludable as transportation fringes?

Seven on eight: Don’t overpay for daylight-saving time

01/17/2019
Daylight-saving time begins at 2:00 a.m., March 8, 2020.

‘Fair reading’ of FLSA exemptions gets a test drive

01/17/2019
In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Encino Motors v. Navarro that exemptions to the Fair Labor Standards Act should be given a “fair reading,” instead of a narrow construction. Two federal appellate court decisions have put their stamp on just what counts as a fair reading.

Special analysis: Free lunch or employer heartburn?

01/17/2019
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s extension of the 50% corporate deduction limit to convenience meals shines a new light on these meals and has allowed the IRS to refine its previous guidance.

Avoid the tax fraud trap when filing Forms 1099-MISC

01/17/2019
Workers are using a civil damages statute to claim they are employees.

2019 standard mileage rate increases 3.5¢ a mile

01/17/2019
The IRS’ standard mileage rate, which you can use to reimburse employees who drive their own cars on business, or to value employees’ personal use of company vehicles first made available to employees this year, increases to 58¢ a mile for 2019, up 3.5¢ from the 2018 rate.

California weighs 6 months’ paid parent leave

01/17/2019
In a recent study, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco concluded that expanding paid parental leave and subsidizing child care would enable as many as five million working-age mothers to reenter the workforce after having children.

Help staff cope with annual deductible reset

01/15/2019
Tracy Watts, senior partner in the Mercer consulting firm’s health insurance practice, recommends offering tips to help employees better manage their out-of-pocket expenses.

Employees with HDHPs more engaged in their care

01/08/2019
Employees enrolled in high-deductible health plans are significantly more engaged in their health care than employees who have lower deductibles.

New Year brings minimum wage changes for Minnesota employers

01/02/2019
Now is the time to review labor and employment laws that will affect Minnesota employers in 2019. The minimum wage has been raised by the state of Minnesota and in the Twin Cities.