• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Payroll

Fright night for your year-end processes

09/19/2024
There will be no skeletons jumping out of closets or floating jack-o’-lanterns of death glaring at you if you take care of these early year-end tasks now.

FTC can’t enforce its ban on noncompete agreements

09/19/2024
Janitors, security guards and fast-food employees probably shouldn’t be required to sign noncompete agreements, but many are. Last spring, the Federal Trade Commission tried to remedy this by issuing final regulations banning most noncompete agreements. A federal trial court has now issued a nationwide injunction prohibiting the FTC from enforcing them.

Tax Court says no to a $28,000 condo deduction

09/19/2024
The first part of the accountable plan rules is often overlooked. It says employees’ expenses must have a business connection. An S corp owner who tried to write off monthly expenses on a condominium in New York City found this out the hard way when the IRS disallowed the expenses and the Tax Court showed him the doorman-staffed door.

Harness payroll metrics to gain valuable data points

09/04/2024
Payroll is awash in data—taxes withheld, hours worked and overtime due are just three measurable items. You can use these metrics to identify trends, find patterns and project the future. Or you can stumble around in the dark, hoping things line up and coming up short on explanations when they don’t.

October 2024: Employer’s business tax calendar

08/31/2024
Here’s your monthly guide to critical payroll due dates.

DOL’s 80/20 tip-credit rule overturned

08/30/2024
A federal appeals court on Aug. 23 struck down a Department of Labor rule governing how tipped workers must be paid for performing work for which they cannot receive tips.

I love you, now please get off my health insurance

08/22/2024
Open enrollment will soon be here. If you’re wondering why your group health premiums have gone sky-high, it may be because you extend group coverage to employees’ spouses. You can kick spouses off your plan without it turning into a catastrophe for employees. Some options may even save employees money.

In the Payroll Mailbag: September ’24

08/22/2024
Questions are still bubbling up regarding the Department of Labor’s salary-level regulations, which required you to raise exempts’ salary to $844 a week on July 1.

FMLA leave begins at birth, not before

08/22/2024
The days immediately preceding a child’s birth are exciting. And who could blame a dad for wanting to experience it by taking FMLA leave? The 11th Circuit, however, has ruled that FMLA leave begins when the child is born, not before, so an employee who was terminated for absences he racked up before his child was born was fired legitimately.

4 common errors on Forms 1095/1094 & how to avoid them

08/21/2024
The Affordable Care Act requires employers with at least 50 full-time employees to offer 95% of their full-time employees affordable group health insurance providing minimal value and to report those offers on Forms 1095-C and 1094-C. The IRS is once again ramping up enforcement efforts. Here are the mistakes you need to avoid for 2024 reporting.