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Payroll

Expect employees to use up their vacation time this year

06/01/2005
Unused vacation time is common. In 2004, the average U.S. employee forfeited three vacation days, up from two days in 2003, says an Expedia.com survey.
But the tide may be …

Deduct Vacation Leave if Sick-Leave Bank Is Empty

06/01/2005

Q. If an employee is out sick but has already used up all her sick-leave hours, can we legally subtract from her vacation time instead? —K.P., Michigan

You no longer need to send ‘questionable’ W-4s to IRS

05/01/2005
Employers are no longer required to send the IRS copies of questionable W-4 withholding forms, effective April 14. In the past, employers had to send the IRS copies of Form W-4s …

Don’t deduct training costs from ex-Employee’s pay

05/01/2005

Q. As part of our new employees’ noncompete contracts, we’ve started including a clause that requires employees to repay the company (through payroll deduction) for training costs if they quit or are fired within one year. Are we OK legally? —S.M., Kentucky

Pay Traveling Employees for Time Actually Worked

05/01/2005

Q. How should we compensate an hourly employee for an out-of-town, two-day (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) seminar? In particular, should we pay for the hours during the overnight hotel stay, since the employee must sleep there to be ready for the next day’s session? —N.G., North Carolina

No need to send ‘questionable’ W-4s to IRS

05/01/2005
You no longer need to send in copies of suspicious W-4 withholding forms to the IRS. In the past, employers had to send the IRS copies of W-4s for employees who …

Plan ahead for new retirement-plan option: Roth 401(k)

05/01/2005
IRS regulations paved the way for a major new retirement plan opportunity. Beginning next January, participants in employer 401(k) plans will be allowed to funnel all or part of their 401(k) …

You can adjust salaries based on occasional business ups and downs

04/01/2005
Employees must be paid on a “salary basis” to be declared exempt from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In the past, some employers tried to evade that …

High court to answer ‘donning’ and ‘doffing’ questions

04/01/2005
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed last month to take up cases that could affect your payroll practices under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), particularly if you employ people who must …

Keep salary offers in check for new college grads

04/01/2005
Starting pay for new grads will remain modest this year, except in certain fields, such as tech and engineering, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) predicts.
In a …