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Compensation & Benefits

January 2024: Employer’s business tax calendar

11/30/2023
Here’s your monthly guide to critical payroll due dates.

Poll: How employers can improve worker well-being

11/27/2023
Time—not money, not benefits—is the measure most critical to employee well-being, according to a new Gallup poll.

These 8 great holiday perks can reduce employee stress

11/27/2023
You can help ease employee stress this holiday season by adding a few low-cost timesavers to your holiday bonus package. Small holiday kindnesses on the part of the company can pay off in a big way for the organization all year. Here are a few ways your organization can help holiday-harried employees stay productive at work.

Holiday scheduling: How to keep the peace

11/22/2023
Federal law says you must make a reasonable effort to accommodate employees’ “sincere” religious beliefs, including trying to give them time off for religious observances. The best way to minimize scheduling disputes, especially around religious holidays, and avoid legal trouble is through a few smart preventative measures.

Year-end bonuses: 4 ways to decide who should receive how much

11/22/2023
Bonuses are a great way to show appreciation. They’re also a wonderful retention tactic. So, who gets what? You have four choices.

How employers can best support grieving caregivers

11/21/2023
Over 40 million Americans care for an unwell relative over the age of 50, a responsibility that can take up as much as 50 hours each week. Those responsibilities can have a significant impact on their work, affecting schedules, energy levels and overall sense of well-being.

As pharmaceutical prices soar, manage employee expectations about health-care costs

11/21/2023
It’s December, and by now your employees have already selected their preferred health plan for 2024. Chances are, you saw a significant increase in the cost of health insurance premiums. The cost of covering so-called blockbuster specialty drugs likely pushed costs higher.

Lawsuits question use of 401(k) plan forfeitures

11/21/2023
Earlier this year, the IRS issued proposed regulations giving 401(k) plan administrators discretion to determine how the plan uses forfeited contributions. The regs didn’t go out on a limb; plan administrators have been using this discretion for years. But maybe not for much longer, if plaintiffs in two lawsuits have their way.

In the Payroll Mailbag: December ’23

11/21/2023
How do we account for payments to salespersons? … Should we 1099 an employee if we buy materials from him?

Tick tock, watch work off the clock

11/21/2023
Would you know compensable working time if you saw it? If you pay for noncompensable working time anyway, you can put conditions on your payment. Two cases illustrate.