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Compensation & Benefits

IRS stresses enforcement at APA’s Washington summit

04/01/2013
Enforcement. That was the word from John ­­Tuzynski, the IRS’ chief of employment tax policy, when he spoke at the American Payroll Asso­­cia­­tion’s mid-year Capital summit, held in Wash­­ing­­ton, D.C., March 10-14.

Must unused ‘floating holidays’ be paid?

03/29/2013
Q. We gave eligible employees a “floating holiday” in lieu of having Dec. 31 as a paid holiday. We generally pay employees for all unused vacation, sick and personal time upon termination, but we have no policy regarding an unused floating holiday. Do we have to pay workers for any unused floating holidays upon termination?

Overbrook man sues Walmart, wants class action suit

03/29/2013
A former assistant manager at a Walmart store in Overbrook, Pa., is suing the retailer, claiming it repeatedly violated the FLSA by classifying assistant managers as exempt employees—and he wants to raise the stakes by turning the case into a class action lawsuit.

The price of having too few time clocks: $1 million

03/29/2013
Long lines of employees punching in and out has cost a California employer more than $1 million in fines. The problem: Quetico Manufacturing had only three time clocks to handle 865 workers. The delays cheated employees out of overtime pay.

Responsible persons’ lifeline: Express installment agreements

03/28/2013

Undeposited payroll taxes can pile up so quickly that the IRS has a name for them—pyramiding. It also has a very effective solution: personally charging a company’s responsible persons with 100% of the undeposited taxes. Relief: an express installment agreement.

401(k)s remain strong even after recession

03/27/2013
Despite the tepid economy of the past five years, employers have remained committed to funding their employees’ 401(k) retirement benefits, according to a recent survey. Employee participation rates are up, and workers are relying less on their 401(k)s for emergency cash.

IRS loosens criteria for VCSP eligibility

03/26/2013

The IRS has made several permanent and temporary changes to its Voluntary Classification Settlement Program. Under VCSP, you can voluntarily reclassify independent contractors as employees for future tax periods on favorable tax terms. You’ll be liable for just over 10% of the wages paid to those reclassified workers for the past year; no penalties or interest will be due.

Golf firm finds hazard of missing paydays

03/25/2013
The DOL has ordered Charlotte’s Carolina Trail Golf Part­­ners to immediately tee up $758,465 in back wages for 347 workers at seven courses who recently went several weeks without getting paid.

April 2013: Employer’s business tax calendar

03/24/2013

NOTE: Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays as observed in the District of Columbia are taken into account to determine due dates. Under the federal deposit rules, you’re allowed a deposit shortfall of the greater of $100 or 2% of your tax liability.

United Airlines opens employee clinic at O’Hare

03/22/2013
Any employee of United Airlines who passes through O’Hare International Airport may stop by the organization’s new health clinic for treatment of routine illnesses, flu shots, employment-related physicals and other services. The free clinic also is open to United’s 10,000 Chicago-area employees.