Uniforms cause $16K minimum wage violation: Avoid deduction trouble Restaurant breaks the law with its repayment policy Employers often provide workers with uniforms, but if they’re paid for through pay deductions, it’s important to make sure employees still receive the minimum wage. Otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before the Dept. of Labor (DOL) [...]
Medical exams and drug test: Not paying workers cost company $200K Repeat offender didn’t track compensable time correctly Many employers require employees to have physical exams, drug tests or other procedures before reporting to work. This time is typically compensable, especially if tests are done during normal work hours. Companies that don’t reimburse workers for [...]
Time to start reporting EEOC pay data! Next steps for Payroll You’ll need earnings from Box 1 of Forms W-2 Summer might normally be a quieter season in Payroll. But not this year, due to new reporting responsibilities. In preparation for Component 2 of the EEO-1 Report, the EEOC online portal was ready to accept [...]
Meal Breaks and compensable time: Company owed $915K for pay errors Employees weren’t paid for hours actually worked It’s critical that workers who are entitled to meal breaks are given the chance to take them free of duty. If they somehow end up working through a bona fide meal period and aren’t paid correctly for [...]
What to watch for on nonimmigrant’s I-9 paperwork Heads up! Be sure you’re taking an extra-close look at workers’ Form I-9 documentation. In a recent release, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) warned employers to watch for issues with work eligibility for certain types of nonimmigrants. Nonimmigrants can be eligible to work in this country [...]
New option for offering workers tax-free benefits A new final rule from the Trump administration will give employers more options for providing nontaxable health benefits to their employees. The rule allows employees to use funds from a new individual coverage health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) to purchase third-party healthcare coverage. HRA advantages Allowing employers to use [...]
Restaurant docked exempt workers’ pay, lands in hot water: Here’s why Franchise paid nearly $80K in back wages and damages Payroll pros must proceed with caution when handling deductions from workers’ pay, especially if they’re classified as exempt. If deductions aren’t handled properly, employers may end up on the hook for thousands in back wages [...]
IRS releases draft instructions for 2020 withholding On the heels of the first draft version of the 202 Form W-4 comes a brand-new draft of the form’s updated withholding tables. The IRS just released an early draft of Publication 15-T, Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods, with the info Payroll needs to accurately withhold taxes next [...]
IRS’ new Form W-4 revealed: What Payroll should do next A section-by-section look of anticipated 2020 form The wait is over: The IRS has just released its first draft of the revamped Form W-4 for 2020 and, as expected, it’s much more detailed than past versions of the form. The new form takes all the [...]
Thrift store chain didn’t pay workers for short breaks & OT owed $114K When brief rest periods are considered compensable. It’s important to pay employees correctly for all hours that count as time worked, including compensable break time. After a Dept. of Labor (DOL) investigation, one branch of a national thrift store chain came under [...]
