Blog

29 09, 2023

What to know about tax deductions for business travel

September 29th, 2023|Uncategorized|

IRS Tax Tip 2023-76, June 6, 2023 Many people travel for their job — some for an occasional conference and some travel year-round. Whatever their time on the road, business travelers should know how and when to deduct business travel expenses. What to know about tax deductions for business travel Business travel deductions are available [...]

22 09, 2023

$22 million jury verdict for unpaid pre- and post-shift activities

September 22nd, 2023|Uncategorized|

Federal jury finds East Penn Manufacturing violated federal law; awards $22M in back wages, among largest wage verdicts in Department of Labor history Department of Labor finds company denied over 7.5K workers overtime; will seek damages A federal court jury has awarded back wages of more than $22 million to the U.S. Department of Labor [...]

15 09, 2023

Supreme Court Reinterprets Undue Hardship Standard for Religious Accommodations

September 15th, 2023|Uncategorized|

As you’re probably aware, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act requires that employers with 15 or more employees make reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious practices and beliefs, so long as it doesn’t cause an undue hardship. Previously, undue hardship—as it applied to religious accommodations—meant “more than a de minimis cost.” The Supreme Court has [...]

8 09, 2023

Embrace AI in the Workplace

September 8th, 2023|Uncategorized|

Here's an excellent article on how to keep the “human” in HR while taking advantage of all the innovative technological advances coming our way. The article covers: Correcting AI misconceptions Embrace AI Tips for Keeping the Humanity in Hiring

1 09, 2023

Do you need to update your policy handbook?

September 1st, 2023|Uncategorized|

If you don't have an employee policy handbook, ask your Payroll Specialist about our HR product, which includes a downloadable, customizable handbook. You can create a professional handbook in minutes (yes, minutes). Here's an example of an issue that arose because the policy was not spelled out: Implemented new policy to stop employees from punching [...]

25 08, 2023

What Employers Should Know About Pregnancy Discrimination

August 25th, 2023|Uncategorized|

Pregnancy discrimination happens when an employer treats an applicant or employee unfavorably because they’re pregnant, gave birth to a child, or have a medical condition related to their pregnancy or childbirth. Despite being against the law, pregnancy discrimination remains a pervasive problem, at great personal and professional cost to its victims. Every year, the Equal [...]

18 08, 2023

Paying for travel time between job sites

August 18th, 2023|Uncategorized|

US Department of Labor recovers $96K for 10 workers on Kauai after finding cleaning company denied pay for overtime, work travel All Kauai Cleaning in Lihue also assessed $1,540 in penalties for repeated violations HONOLULU – U.S. Department of Labor investigators have found that a Lihue cleaning service failed to pay employees overtime wages when [...]

11 08, 2023

FMLA violation: wrongful firing for excessive absenteeism

August 11th, 2023|Uncategorized|

The Wicked Taco Inc., a Bradenton Beach, FL, restaurant, violated the Family and Medical Leave Act. Although an employee had a doctor’s note, the restaurant forced the employee to work and later fired the individual for excessive absenteeism. So, she gets:• $30,033 in back wages, and• $30,033 in liquidated damages.More info: bit.ly/florida670

4 08, 2023

New Form I-9 and Remote Verification Procedure

August 4th, 2023|Uncategorized|

Per the IRS: Do not accept an ITIN in place of an SSN for employee identification or for work. An ITIN is only available to resident and nonresident aliens who are not eligible for U.S. employment and need identification for other tax purposes. You can identify an ITIN because it is a 9-digit number that [...]

28 07, 2023

Are your policies in compliance with labor laws?

July 28th, 2023|Uncategorized|

Here are some recent examples of companies that faced heavy fines for violating labor laws. Home care agency owed overtime to 55 employeesAlma Conway Home Care LLC, a Philadelphia home care agency, owed back wages to 55 employees due to its Fair Labor Standards Act violations. The business paid straight time rates even when employees [...]