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Compensation & Benefits

Prepare to pay for time spent waiting to log in, sign off

07/26/2024
A federal appeals court recently reminded a lower court that the FLSA requires paying hourly workers for all time spent working on their employer’s behalf—unless pre- and post-shift activities are so inconsequential that they constitute de minimis time.

Pay disparities: The impact of hiring higher-paid employees

07/17/2024
Pay compression—hiring new employees at higher pay rates than incumbents—is a common issue faced by HR professionals. It is exacerbated when labor markets are tight, as they are today. It is also a known culprit driving gender inequities.

3 educational benefit offerings to consider

07/17/2024
This year marks the first full one in a long time that many of your employees are budgeting for student loan repayments. It’s stressing them out and preventing them from pursuing further education, which hurts you as an employer.

Yucky pink medicine!

07/17/2024
The Fair Labor Standards Act doesn’t cover employees who take time off for school visits, so the regular rules apply—you don’t have to pay nonexempts for time they’re not working. You also don’t have to pay exempts who take full days off as personal time. In both cases, employees may use their accrued time off, if they have any.

In the Payroll Mailbag: August 2024

07/17/2024
Are power outages compensable nonexempt experiences? … What are the docking rules for salaried nonexempts? … What’s the best timekeeping method for new nonexempts?

Paging all humans: The FLSA & the FMLA still need you

07/17/2024
Artificial intelligence has taken firm hold in American workplaces. By far, the focus is on how generative AI will either streamline tasks or supplant employees altogether. The Department of Labor isn’t buying the employees-will-soon-be-replaced talk. Human oversight is still necessary to the proper functioning of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, the DOL concluded.

Mass transit benefits can be rolled over, but not refunded

07/17/2024
Mass transit benefits are part of a suite of benefits falling into the category of tax-favored qualified transportation fringe benefits. Unused QTF benefits never expire, even benefits employees paid for on a pretax basis in prior calendar years. Instead, employees can keep rolling over unused benefits until they’re used up. This is important, since the IRS has concluded that unused QTF benefits can’t be refunded to an employee.

Bring summer dog days to heel

07/17/2024
Dog days of summer slowing you down? You can tame this beast by keeping busy. Take some time now to make sure your i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed.

Two-minute payroll reads: August ’24

07/17/2024
Payroll is complicated and your time is limited. Spend two minutes reading these digests and you’ll be up-to-date on key payroll developments.

IRS’ mistakes lead Tax Court to dismiss a case

07/17/2024
The IRS has to follow the same rules as you. If your business moves, you need to notify the IRS of your new address. The IRS, for its part, must use reasonable methods to ascertain your last known address. The Tax Court dismissed a case against a delinquent taxpayer because the IRS couldn’t explain why it didn’t follow its own change-of-address rules.