Several factors should be considered when choosing a pay frequency, including legal requirements, your industry, employee classification and payroll administration costs. 1. Legal requirements The Fair Labor Standards Act does not say how often employers must pay employees. However, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, "Wages required by the FLSA are due by the regular payday for the pay … [Read more...]

1. Federal wage and hour laws The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets federal wage and hour standards, which are administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. These standards cover: Federal minimum wage. Overtime pay and exemptions. Work hours, including meals and rest breaks. Child labor, including permissible occupations and work hours. Recordkeeping for nonexempt and exempt … [Read more...]

Human resource professionals are held to the highest standards when it comes to confidentiality. To see why, you only need to look at the type of information that flows into HR. Common HR documents Resumes, job applications and interviews. Financial, education and drug-testing information. New hire paperwork. Employee personal information, including name, address, date of birth … [Read more...]

There's a good chance many of your employees, especially younger ones, are scrimping and saving to buy a home. Is there anything employers can do to help? Very possibly. First, a little background. The home ownership rate since the 1990s has hovered in the mid-60% range. The so-called Millennials have wanted to be part of that group, but are often hampered by a lack of cash. According to a … [Read more...]

If your payroll provider handles your payroll-processing responsibilities, you might not see the need to learn the ins and outs of calculating net pay. But imagine an employee seeking clarification on his or her take-home pay — do you know all the details? It's important to understand the intricacies of calculating net pay, regardless of whether you have a payroll provider. Below are four … [Read more...]

Per the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), fringe benefits are taxable and must be counted in the recipient's gross wages, unless the item is specifically excluded by law. If the item is not taxable, then it should be excluded from recipients' gross wages and should not be factored into their Form W-2 wages. Examples of nontaxable fringe benefits include health benefits, up to $5,000 in dependent … [Read more...]

How long do you have to keep records? There's no one answer. However, we've summarized some of the most common federal laws relevant to employment record keeping. Note that applicability may vary by employer size. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Resumes. Job applications. Job advertisements and postings. Interview notes. Preemployment screening tests and results. … [Read more...]

Even back in 2000, the U.S. Department of Labor said, "There is a potentially future  serious long-term care (LTC) crisis in the United States." This prediction is materializing, with studies showing a rapidly growing need for long-term care. One reason for this growth is that Americans are living longer. The U.S. Census Bureau says that the 65-and-over population is projected to reach 83.7 … [Read more...]

Both companies and those who work for them need to understand the very important differences between being an employee and being an independent contractor. The line can be very thin, but it always exists, and since employees and contractors are treated very differently, the Department of Labor has always tried to provide guidance. It recently published a final rule that attempts to provide … [Read more...]

There are many ways to run afoul of overtime laws. Below are some of the most common — review them to ensure that you're always in compliance. Misclassifying exempt and nonexempt employees Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, exempt employees do not have to be paid overtime when they work more than 40 hours in a workweek, but most of them must receive a salary of at least $684 per week. When … [Read more...]