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Compensation & Benefits

Health benefit safe harbors put Payroll in the driver’s seat

03/18/2013
The Affordable Care Act requires employers of 50 or more full-time em­­ployees to offer them affordable health benefits—or pay free-rider penalties. Benefits are affordable if employees’ contributions don’t exceed 9.5% of their household income and employers pay at least 60%. The IRS has created three optional affordability safe harbors.

State proposal would cover municipalities’ military leave

03/15/2013

Many of the police officers, firefighters and paramedics in Minne­­sota municipalities are members of the military reserves and National Guard. When those workers are de­­ployed for military service, towns and cities often have to pay overtime to remaining first responders. A bill before the state Legislature would provide state funds to municipalities to cover those additional costs.

Clearly label delivery fee ‘not a gratuity’

03/15/2013
If your business delivers food and adds a small delivery charge, make extra sure customers understand the fee is not a gratuity.

11 top perks from Fortune’s best

03/15/2013
Among Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” are 11 with extras so unusual that the magazine singled them out as “top perks.”

Can we refund employee’s pretax contribution for transit pass?

03/14/2013
Q: An employee had pretax deductions made from her pay for mass transit passes. She terminated in the middle of January with a balance in her account, which she now wants refunded. Can we do this? If we can, how do we tax the refund?

Layoff and then a walkout: What’s our COBRA obligation?

03/12/2013

Q. Our business recently was forced to implement layoffs—and most of our remaining employees walked off the job. All were given a COBRA notice, but only one chose to take the coverage. Since this was a group insurance policy and only one person will now be insured, the insurer is canceling our policy. What’s our responsibility to that ex-employee?

The feds say ‘never mind’ on ACA health exchange notices

03/12/2013
The Affordable Care Act health care reform law required employers to begin notifying employees on March 1 about the availability of state-based exchanges as an option for buying health insurance. But the DOL has temporarily rescinded the notice requirement.

Payroll NRP continues, S corp NRP waits in the wings

03/08/2013
The next 2,000 Forms 941 to audit as part of the IRS’ National Research Project (NRP) have been selected and all audits are open, said Faris Fink, commissioner of the IRS’ Small Business/Self-Employed Division. Fink said the Payroll NRP has shown high rates of compliance, but problems have become evident—notably, problems involving company cars.

When equipment must start up, when does work begin?

03/07/2013
Q. When our employees come in to work, they spend part of their time getting their equipment running. Do we need to compensate them for that time?

Eye care company sees the error of its pay ways

03/07/2013
Fort Worth-based Alcon Laboratories has agreed to pay $199,443 in back wages to 342 assemblers, material handlers and production technicians at its Houston facility.