Payroll

Can we make direct deposit mandatory?

02/28/2011

Q. Can a business require employees to use direct deposit to receive their pay?

Provide wage statements to all employees–even if they can’t give a Social Security number

02/23/2011

Under California law, all employees must receive regular wage statements. Employers that “inadvertently” fail to provide pay information might get away with it, but they shouldn’t count on it. Recently, the Court of Appeal of California considered the meaning of “inadvertently” and upheld penalties assessed against an employer that classified workers as independent contractors when they could not provide Social Security numbers.

How long must old paychecks remain ‘live’?

02/07/2011

Q. One of our employees has not cashed a paycheck that we issued to her several months ago. How long are we required to keep the paycheck active?

When contracting with temp or payroll services, make sure it’s clear who the real employer is

01/28/2011

Sometimes, it’s possible for an employee to have two employers. That’s often the case when a temporary service provides workers for a client, and both the temp company and the client exercise significant control over how and when the work is performed. But now there’s a new wrinkle.

What is work? How the FLSA defines it

01/25/2011

It seems like a simple question: What constitutes work for which employers must pay? Yet HR pros often struggle with tricky issues such as when and how (and how much) to pay when workers are on call, commuting, traveling or receiving training. Here are the answers, straight from the U.S. Department of Labor.

New N.Y. ‘wage theft’ law imposes stiff penalties on employers

01/07/2011

The Wage Theft Prevention Act, a law designed to end what workers’ rights advocates term “wage theft,” takes effect April 12, but the time to plan is now. The new law has teeth. It expands the New York Department of Labor’s enforcement powers, and as much as quadruples penalties on employers that violate the law.

New tax law delivers savings–and benefits changes–that affect HR

12/21/2010

The contentious tax law signed by President Obama last week brings tax savings to workers nationwide—and contains several provisions that will affect HR. Here’s a round-up of various elements—from Social Security withholding to tuition reimbursement to on-site child care—that you’ll have to deal with when the law takes effect on Jan. 1.

Here’s the right way to recoup training costs

12/21/2010

It’s expensive to train employees, especially if the content is highly specialized. Smart employers protect their investments by getting employees to agree to repay training costs if they leave soon after receiving the valuable benefit. Just don’t mess with the employee’s final paycheck.

Can we deduct wages to cover unpaid-for employee purchases following termination?

11/24/2010

Q. Our company allows employees to purchase products on an installment basis. When employees leave and haven’t repaid the full amount, can we deduct the remainder due from their last paycheck?

Can we withhold pay if employees are late in completing and submitting time cards?

11/19/2010

Q. We have two employees who regularly fail to turn in their time cards on a timely basis. Can we hold off on paying them until they submit their time cards? Can we delay payment until the next pay period?