Even before the pandemic, the Small Business Administration offered Economic Injury Disaster Loans for “losses not covered by insurance or funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for both personal and business” expenses and for “business operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred.” The SBA has also been offering … Read more
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) dictates that employers with 50 or more employees must give eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for qualifying reasons. But when FMLA-covered employers vie for top talent, they usually offer prospects paid holidays. Unfortunately, when employees are offered more than one type of paid … Read more
Before Open Enrollment – Reflect on the previous open enrollment period. Note the successes and failures and formulate a strategy for avoiding prior blunders. – Survey your employees to get a sense of what they want and don’t want in their benefits packages. They may want more personalized options, more communication or a more streamlined … Read more
To take leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, an employee must: Work for an employer that has least 50 employees for 20 or more workweeks in the present or previous year. Have worked for the employer for at least 12 months, whether consecutively or nonconsecutively. Have worked at least 1,250 hours for the … Read more
Small and midsize employers, and certain governmental employers, can claim refundable tax credits that reimburse them for the cost of providing paid sick and family leave to their employees due to COVID-19, including leave taken by employees to receive or recover from COVID-19 vaccinations. These credits are available to eligible employers that pay sick and … Read more
IRS Notice 2020-65 allowed employers to defer withholding and payment of the employee’s Social Security taxes. This deferral applied to those with less than $4,000 in wages every two weeks, or an equivalent amount for other pay periods. It was optional for most employers, although mandatory for federal employees and military service members. It’s time … Read more
1. Federal wage and hour laws The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets federal wage and hour standards, which are administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. These standards cover: Federal minimum wage. Overtime pay and exemptions. Work hours, including meals and rest breaks. Child labor, including permissible occupations and work hours. Recordkeeping for nonexempt … Read more
There are many ways to run afoul of overtime laws. Below are some of the most common — review them to ensure that you’re always in compliance. Misclassifying exempt and nonexempt employees Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, exempt employees do not have to be paid overtime when they work more than 40 hours in … Read more
The IRS has revised Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return, to accommodate COVID-19-related employment tax credits granted under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. If you’re eligible for the credits, you can claim them on the updated Form 941. What tax credits are allowed under … Read more
According to the IRS’ website, the Taxpayer First Act of 2019 “aims to broadly redesign” the IRS by expanding and strengthening taxpayer rights and making the agency more taxpayer friendly. The legislation focuses on improving IRS information technology and making it easier for taxpayers to interact with the agency. Moreover, the act has three changes … Read more
