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 [...]
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, identity theft and fraud have increased dramatically. Massachusetts in particular has experienced a high incidence of fraudulent unemployment claims (people filing for unemployment benefits under a stolen identity). Employers and employees must be vigilant to make sure that their businesses and personal credit have not been harmed by data breaches. For [...]
Massachusetts TIR 20-5 offers key tax guidance on employees who are working from home during the COVID-19 emergency. Any nonresidents who usually work in Massachusetts but are teleworking from a different location are still subject to Massachusetts income taxes. Employers must also continue to make contributions to the state’s paid family and medical leave program [...]
Exempt employee missed work: Is he now eligible for OT? Q. This year, we hired an exempt employee and offered him a salary of $36,000. However, he took a week off from work without pay, which will lower his annual salary to below the new threshold required for exemption by the Department of Labor. Does [...]
Payroll made wage deductions, but then what happened to the money? Unremitted health plan contributions, $12K owed After you deduct health insurance premiums from wages, if you don’t remit the money to the health benefit plan in a timely manner, that can mean bad news for your company and employees. That’s what SmartCore LLC learned [...]
Surprise visits to double-check compliance for all employers The Department of Labor (DOL) is ramping up enforcement of various laws, including the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Several employers have already been tripped up by FFCRA and what it requires, and the DOL’s been fining them for noncompliance. The agency’s also going after [...]
