With this year appearing to be one of the worst and deadliest flu seasons in more recent years, many employers are taking greater steps this year to try to protect themselves and their workers from an outbreak.  Here are a few suggestions on ways you can help prevent the spread… Read More

Most private employers with 10 or more employees who do not fall within a low risk industry (click here for a list of industries partially exempt from recordkeeping) are required to maintain records of any and all work-related illnesses or injuries using OSHA Form 301: Injury and… Read More

On Thursday, January 11th, the IRS released Notice 1036, titled “Early Release Copies of the 2018 Percentage Method Tables for Income Tax Withholding” which contains the updated 2018 Withholding Tax Tables.  Employers are advised to utilize the new withholding tax tables to properly calculate payroll taxes when processing employee payrolls… Read More

After the East Coast faced down the “bomb cyclone”and polar vortex and with more storms on the horizon throughout the US, many employers are fielding questions from managers and employees about whether or not their company has an inclement weather policy and when they will be closed for business. If… Read More

As is often the case when we turn the page to a new calendar year, new laws and regulations take effect that dictate how payroll taxes (also known as withholding taxes) are calculated.  Below are some of the upcoming changes that will become effective in the new year: Federal Legislative… Read More

One of the greatest points of contention for employers and employees alike in industries with multi-shift workdays like retail, hospitality, healthcare and manufacturing is the weekly work schedule.  It requires a fine act of balancing staff skills and availability with sales, production and/or service peaks and lulls to ensure sufficient… Read More

Many employers are starting to receive penalty notices from the IRS based on their failure to comply with the Employer Mandate portion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2015.  While the future of the ACA is not certain, the law is still in effect.  For those who did not… Read More

Many years ago, I had a great manager named Kim who at one of our team meetings shared with all of her employees a great story about a cracked water pot.  There are a number of variations of this fable, but here is the version she shared as I best… Read More

After seeing the devastating effects of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria as well as the catastrophic California wildfires, many municipalities are taking a proactive approach in either reviewing and updating their own disaster-preparedness and emergency-management plans or starting from scratch to put them in place.  Whether facing hurricanes, nor’easters, tornadoes,… Read More

On July 20, 2017, the US Department of Labor announced plans to rescind regulations limiting which staff members restaurant owners could include in tip pooling arrangements.  Under the previous 2011 stipulation, “back of the house” employees such as cooks and dishwashers, could not participate in employee tip pools.  The restriction… Read More