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Compensation & Benefits

Moving your business? Be sure to tell the IRS

05/01/2012
Not ­getting your tax notices forwarded to your new address can be a deadly oversight. To separate out notifications from individuals and businesses, the IRS has created new Form 8822-B.

New penalties under Texas wage-theft law? I heard it’s now a criminal offense

04/30/2012
Q. I heard that a new law allows criminal prosecution of employers that commit “wage theft.” Is it true?

What are the Texas voting leave rules?

04/30/2012
Q. Must we give our employees time off to vote? If so, must we pay the employees for the time they spend voting?

Always enforce ‘no unauthorized OT’ policy

04/30/2012
The first step to controlling overtime costs is to establish a sound policy forbidding unauthorized extra work for hourly employees. But a “no unauthorized overtime” policy is just the beginning. You must also enforce the policy for all nonexempt employees, and make sure managers understand why it is important.

Fee for service: Who pays?

04/30/2012
Q. Some of our Illinois employees have taken out payday loans and now expect the Payroll department to set up a payroll deduction to repay the loans … We’d like to discourage this behavior by charging these employees a fee for servicing these loans. Can we?

350-employee firm has its own on-site physician

04/30/2012

Louisville-based Appriss offers its 350-plus employees free access to an on-site doctor’s office. The technology-solutions company also waives health care insurance premiums for workers who do not use tobacco.

Case dismissed: Employer withholding under tax levy stands

04/28/2012
A federal appeals court has ruled that an employee whose wages were subject to a federal tax levy can’t sue his employer for violations of his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights or for theft of money under state law.

Love’s labor lost: When newlyweds forget Social Security

04/27/2012
Employees who get married but forget to update their Social Security cards with their married names will lose out, because the Social Security Administration won’t be able to credit their earnings to their benefits accounts. Remind newlyweds to get replacement Social Security cards showing their new names.

Deposits can’t be directed to payroll or corporate accounts

04/27/2012
The IRS keeps track of your company’s tax liabilities as separate modules in its Business Master File. If, say, your corporate income tax module is short, the IRS can offset that shortfall with an overdeposit from your payroll module. Worse: The IRS can make these offsets without telling you.

Reduction in force? Make sure severance packages are equitable for similar employees

04/27/2012
Here’s something to keep in mind if you’re contemplating a reduction in force: If you plan to offer severance packages in exchange for a liability release, make sure you aren’t too selective about who gets the best deals.