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Compensation & Benefits

Court: No arbitration for government retirement plan disputes

04/03/2012

A state appeals court has reversed a lower court ruling and held that the city of Yonkers’ refusal to reimburse new employees for their statutorily required Tier V retirement plan contributions was not subject to arbitration. Our firm—Bond, Schoeneck & King—represented the city of Yonkers in the litigation.

Former ‘Charlie Rose’ intern seeks class-action lawsuit

04/03/2012
Public television shows often operate on a shoestring. According to Lucy Bickerton, the PBS “Charlie Rose” interview show was so cheap, it used interns like her to fill in for actual employees.

Batali’s employees rake in millions in belated tip income

04/03/2012
Manhattan celebrity chef Mario Batali has agreed to a $5.25 million settlement with waiters, bartenders, busboys and other floor staff at several of his restaurants.

April showers and Form 941: Wow, it must be spring!

04/03/2012
April is the cruelest month not because it rains ­buckets, but because it’s time to file your first-quarter Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return. Here’s help for Payroll:

Recognize the power of public ‘kudos’

04/03/2012
The nonprofit group Food & Friends has a low turnover rate—more than 70% of employees having been with the organization for at least five years. One key retention strategy: “Kudos” are read at weekly staff meetings.

Hotel employees take charge of their own lifestyles, health

04/02/2012

Execs at HEI Hotels & Resorts hope to convince at least 3,000 employees to make voluntary commitments to action to improve their own health. A companywide survey revealed that 86% of associates are willing to change their lifestyles to improve their health.

CPA’s claim crashes, owes body shop’s payroll taxes

04/02/2012
A federal trial court has ruled that an auto body shop’s inside CPA/controller was personally responsible for 100% of its unpaid payroll taxes. It was enough, the court said, that the CPA had some authority over the company’s finances; exclusive authority wasn’t necessary.

Vacation leave: A 5-part plan & sample policies

04/01/2012
You wouldn’t dream of having informal payroll policies, right? Yet too many employers treat vacation time—a form of compensation—as a casual entitlement. Getting too informal can cost you. Here are the five key elements a sound vacation policy addresses—plus two sample vacation policies you can adapt for your organization.

2012 State Direct Deposit/Paycard Laws

04/01/2012
State laws usually require that employee participation in direct deposit or paycard programs must be voluntary. States may also allow paycard vendors to charge employees fees, beginning with the second transaction. This chart summarizes the states’ direct deposit/paycard rules. “Mandatory” means that a state allows you to make e-payment a condition of employment, if you choose. States that don’t have laws aren’t included. In all cases, contact your state labor department for the full story.

Form 941-M filers off the hook, but other sanctions may apply

04/01/2012
The IRS has retired Form 941-M, which is filed monthly by employers with serious payroll compliance problems. Also retired are the special deposit rules, which required deposits to be made into a special trust fund account within two banking days of payday.