Payroll

Consider paying back employees’ PPE costs

06/10/2021

Responding to the coronavirus pandemic added unexpected line items to many employers’ budgets. But what about expenses employees incurred? If you required employees to wear masks, face shields or other personal protective equipment, you should consider reimbursing them.

Monday mashup: Draft Form 941, Biden budget and other good stuff

06/07/2021

It’s an old government trick—dump stuff on a Friday afternoon, especially during the summer (and most especially during this summer), when our attention is elsewhere. Mondays, of course, are the day we sort it out.

Consider new perk: Student-loan repayment

05/27/2021

A little-known provision in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, signed last December, lets employers offer student-loan repayment as a benefit. This may help attract job applicants who see the value of paying down their student debt.

Afraid you’ll miss payroll? Here’s what to do

05/27/2021

Failing to pay employees what you owe them, on time, is certain to cause legal trouble. Not only do many states have strict rules about when employers must pay wages due, the U.S. Department of Labor aggressively goes after employers that don’t pay workers on time.

Ongoing telework brings legal complexities

05/20/2021

Remote work is likely to continue long after the coronavirus crisis subsides. As you contemplate what post-pandemic work will look like, it’s important to recognize the complications inherent to permanent telework arrangements. Factor them into your decision making when setting new policies on remote work and hiring.

Employee vs. independent contractor dispute heads to the Supreme Court

04/26/2021

Uber hasn’t had much luck in the employee classification department. Sure, it scored big in California, when it underwrote a ballot initiative to overturn A.B. 5, which would have classified its workers as employees. But it lost big in London and then capitulated, reclassifying its workers as employees. It struck out again in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, and now it’s appealing this decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Tax credit will reimburse for paid leave to receive vaccine

04/22/2021

The credit, announced April 21, will be paid for using funds set aside in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan stimulus legislation passed in March.

Is it illegal to pay an employee with 91,000 pennies?

04/15/2021

When Andreas quit his job at a Georgia auto body shop, the annoyed owner delivered his final $915 of wages due in a very unique way … 91,500 greasy pennies dumped in a pile on Andreas’ driveway. Is that legal?

Pay employees for pre-shift COVID screening

04/15/2021

To decide if you must pay employees for their pre- or post-work activities—such as putting on uniforms, waiting in a time-clock line, etc.—take a look at the Fair Labor Standards Act. The main issue is whether the pre- or post-activity is “integral” and “indispensable” to the employee’s principal activity.

DOL releases guidance on the COBRA subsidy

04/08/2021

The Department of Labor has dedicated a web page to the American Rescue Plan Act’s 100% COBRA subsidy. It’s also released a ton of guidance on the subsidy, and just in time. The 100% subsidy kicked in April 1. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s get started.