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Compensation & Benefits

February’s got the blues, it’s your last chance for W-2s

02/03/2015
You can avoid those last-minute W-2 blues if your W-2 e-files are formatted correctly. This checklist applies to e-filers who are using the Social Security Administration’s EFW2 filing specs.

Can we discipline an ‘early clocker?’

02/02/2015
Q. One of our part-time employees has been warned repeatedly about clocking in earlier than she’s supposed to, sometimes more than an hour early. We know that we have to pay her for any hours worked, but what can we legally do to get her to work only the hours set for her position? Also, can we reprimand a co-worker that has been clocking in for her?

Vacation becomes permanent for payroll admin after disastrous oversight

02/02/2015
Retribution was swift and merciless for Luzerne County, Pa.’s payroll administrator after 1,400 county employees failed to receive paychecks on the final Friday morning of November last year. County Manager Robert Lawton fired the man while he was out on approved vacation.

Harrisburg, Pa. exotic dancers win class-action status

02/02/2015
A federal judge has granted exotic dancers at a Harrisburg-area adult entertainment club class-action status in their wage-and-hour lawsuit against their employer.

Special analysis: Identity theft, W-2s and you

02/02/2015
W-2s are chock full of information every identity thief needs: Social Security numbers and Employer Identification Numbers, neither of which you can truncate, plus employees’ and employers’ names and addresses. This should give you pause, now that employees have their 2014 W-2s in hand, and you’re making final preparations to file those forms with the Social Security Administration.

Converting employees into contractors? Prepare for expensive, protracted litigation

02/02/2015
Here’s a warning for employers thinking about turning employees into independent contractors to avoid paying benefits and payroll taxes: If some of the employees challenge the decision, you may be in for years of expensive, time-consuming litigation. That can easily turn a penny-pinching strategy into a money pit.

What is the protocol on asking employees to provide a doctor’s note?

02/01/2015
Q: “When an employee calls off sick for more than one day, is there a minimum amount of days off required before an employer can ask for a doctor’s note? Also, are you permitted to ask the specific reason for the absence?” – Joe, Pennsylvania

February 2015: Employer’s business tax calendar

01/30/2015
This is your monthly guide to critical payroll due dates.

How much will that 401(k) really buy at retirement age?

01/30/2015

The average 401(k) balance on retirement accounts registered with the Vanguard mutual fund company was $101,650 in mid-2014. That’s up a whopping 80% since the end of 2008.

Different jobs on different days: How do we pay?

01/30/2015
Q. Can we ask an employee to work one day at a certain position for $25 per hour and the next day work a different position for only $21 per hour? Employees on a rig crew switch positions many times, so one day they may be a rig operator, and the next day a derrick hand.