Judy

About Judy Wolff

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So far Judy Wolff has created 141 blog entries.

Beware of Employee Retention Credit scams

The IRS continues to see third parties aggressively promoting Employee Retention Credit (ERC) schemes. In News Release IR-2023-105, the IRS renewed an alert for businesses and tax exempt groups to watch out for warning signs of aggressive Employee Retention Credit marketing.  These promoters may lie about eligibility requirements. In addition, taxpayers using these companies could be at risk [...]

June 28th, 2023|Uncategorized|

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (new law)

Accommodations required for these employees The federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) will take effect June 27, 2023. The PWFA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations– e.g., additional break time to use the bathroom, eat and rest – to employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. An existing law, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act [...]

June 23rd, 2023|Uncategorized|

IRS tools and resources to help small businesses

Small businesses play an important role in the nation's economy. During National Small Business Week, the IRS reminds taxpayers that IRS.gov has resources and tools to help small businesses understand and meet their tax responsibilities. Bookmark these important webpages Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center: Resources for small businesses with assets under $10 million and for [...]

June 9th, 2023|Uncategorized|

When Not to Worry About Turnover

Most HR professionals would agree that turnover is a source of stress. Losing an employee can feel like losing an investment, and replacing that person has its own costs—advertising, onboarding, training, and coverage to name a few. But we also know that turnover is a manageable cost of doing business, and sometimes even welcome. In [...]

June 2nd, 2023|Uncategorized|

What Employers Should Know About Generative AI

A generative AI system (artificial intelligence software that answers questions), like ChatGPT and Bard, provides immediate responses to prompts based on the information it knows—much of the internet or a smaller content library if that’s what it’s been told to use. These responses usually look and sound authoritative—like a real human wrote them— although the [...]

May 26th, 2023|Uncategorized|

2023 penalties for violations of federal laws

Several federal agencies released final rules, announcing increased amounts for 2023. Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Failing to furnish reports to certain former employees or maintain employee records: maximum penalty is $36 per employee per plan year. Failing to file a plan annual report: up to $2,586 per day. Failing to provide requested documentation [...]

May 19th, 2023|Uncategorized|

Calculating number of employees for FMLA eligibility

The Department of Labor's Field Assistance Bulletin 2023-1 considers what compliance with the FMLA looks like for businesses that have employees working remotely. Specifically, employers may be uncertain about one of the eligibility requirements: having 50 or more employees within 75 miles of the worksite. As the guidance lays out, employees’ personal residences or other [...]

May 12th, 2023|Uncategorized|

Break time for pumping breast milk and privacy to pump

The FLSA requires that employers provide covered employees “reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for such employee’s nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk” and provide “a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free [...]

May 5th, 2023|Uncategorized|

Break times under the FLSA for remote work

Summarized from Department of Labor Field Assistance Bulletin 2023-1: The FLSA requires covered employers to pay nonexempt employees for all hours worked, including work performed in their home or otherwise away from the employer’s premises or job site. “Hours worked” is not limited solely to time spent on active productive labor but may, for instance, [...]

April 28th, 2023|Uncategorized|

FMLA leave for reduced schedule

The Department of Labor (DOL) just released an opinion letter (FMLA 2023-1-A) focused on reduced schedule leave. It covers how intermittent or reduced schedule FMLA leave should be calculated, and whether employees’ schedule limitations would be “better suited” for reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Someone may be covered by both the [...]

April 21st, 2023|Uncategorized|