IRS announces 2021 standard mileage rates The IRS has just released the new standard mileage rates for 2021, and for the second year in a row, the standard rate for business travelers is lower than last year’s rate. Starting January 1, 2021, the standard business mileage rate for employees who are driving cars vans, panel [...]
Missed paydays were quickly corrected, but it didn't matter The timely pay requirement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are clear: Workers must receive their pay as scheduled or else employers are liable--even if delays are due to factors beyond the employer's control. A district court confirmed this in Fleming vs. Elliot Security Solutions [...]
These days most people are spending more time at home and a lot more time online. Whether people are online for work, school, a virtual gathering or shopping, online security is more important than ever. Everyone should be mindful of risks they may encounter when they share devices, shop online and interact on social media. Taxpayers might find [...]
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on everyone’s mental health. People have experienced financial hardship, additional challenges with childcare and school cancellations, job loss, reduced hours, sickness, and grief. The future is uncertain, and the present is extra stressful. And to make matters worse, many of the networks and practices that people use to [...]
"Reasonable diligence" expected from employers You know it's important to accurately track and report the hours people work, even if they're teleworking. The Dept. of Labor (DOL) confirms this in Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2020-5. The bulletin discusses employers' responsibility to pay employees for time worked when they're remote and what's considered "reasonable diligence" under [...]
The IRS provides its annual “Dirty Dozen” list to help raise awareness about common scams that fraudsters use to target people. This year’s list has a special emphasis on aggressive and evolving schemes related to COVID-19 tax relief, including Economic Impact Payments. The IRS urges taxpayers to watch out for these scams and is doing [...]
New federal stimulus legislation was approved on December 27. The legislation includes another round of funding for PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loans for small business affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.Banks are awaiting detailed guidelines from the Small Business Administration, which administers these loans. Here is a summary of what we know. Please bear in mind that this [...]
Can we screen employees returning to work for COVID-19?Yes. Generally, inquiries about an employee’s health or a medical exam (like a temperature check) would not be allowed, but the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has stated that screening employees for symptoms of COVID-19 is allowed since it is a direct threat to others in the [...]
As COVID-19 infection rates continue to climb, it’s imperative that organizations respond quickly when an employee is diagnosed. Here are the steps employers should take: Notify Employees Employees should be notified of potential exposure in the workplace, but they should not be told who is sick. Employees won’t like that they can’t gauge their own risk, [...]
COVID Sick Pay Update The new COVID Relief Bill states that employees will not get new Emergency Paid Sick Leave hours. They may use the unused portion of their original allotment that remains on January 1, 2021 through March 31, 2021. For instance, if an employee who was entitled to 80 hours of EPSL between [...]
