Payroll

How to respond when employees’ creditors come calling

06/11/2012

Record numbers of bankruptcies and foreclosures have been making a big splash in the news recently. However, a quieter phenomenon—one fraught with traps for unwary employers—is a concurrent and growing trend of court-ordered or government-issued wage garnishments. Here’s some practical advice on what to do when someone wants a piece of your employee’s paycheck.

State laws on mandatory employee breaks

06/11/2012

The Fair Labor Standards Act doesn’t require you to provide employees with meal breaks. It does require you to pay employees whose meal breaks last for fewer than 30 minutes and those who work through their meal breaks. However, 40 states do have laws covering meal and rest breaks. This chart summarizes those laws.

Self-insured plans must pony up fees for research

06/04/2012

The Affordable Care Act health care reform law requires plan sponsors of self-insured plans, including self-insured plans that cover retirees, to pay fees to support medical research for seven years, beginning with plan years ending on or after Oct. 1, 2012. Sponsors of insured plans who offer employees HRAs and certain health FSAs must also pay the fees.

More IRS regs on local lodging, Employer Identification Numbers

06/04/2012

The IRS has been busy adding to its regulatory agenda. Here’s the latest news from the regulations front.

IRS official clarifies tax issues at APA Congress

05/31/2012

Anita Bartels, the IRS’ senior program analyst for employment tax policy, appeared at the American Payroll Association’s 30th Annual Congress, held this year in Orlando, Fla., to report on some major initiatives and to clarify others. Here’s the rundown on three hot payroll issues.

Can we require employees to use direct deposit?

05/30/2012

Q. Can a Texas employer require employees to accept payment of wages through an electronic transfer of funds?

Cellphones: Can you hear me now?

05/25/2012

Q: We reimburse employees for the cost of their cellphones, as well as their wireless coverage. Is the reimbursement for the cost of the cellphone taxable?

Is it OK for managers to adjust timecards?

05/24/2012

Q. Our employees punch a time clock and then go to job sites. Sometimes they don’t take a lunch break. But when they do, they’re unable to clock out and back in, so there’s no time record. Can a manager adjust the timecard by marking through the daily total and deducting the lunch time?

Health care reporting: What’s reportable?

05/24/2012

Q: Are amounts paid for wellness programs and on-site medical clinics reportable in Box 12 of employees’ W-2s? Also, can you explain when dental and vision plan costs are reportable on Form W-2? What qualifies these benefits as “separate” plans?

How to handle pay for Guard and Reserve members

05/22/2012

If you have employees away on extended military deployments or who will train for two weeks this summer as members of the National Guard or Reserve, you face tricky pay problems.