5 COBRA Mistakes — How to Prevent Them
Most employers have to deal with COBRA at one time or another, but these are common errors. 1. Not realizing the group health plan is subject to COBRA. Under COBRA, if you have at least 20 employees and a group health plan, you must give qualified...
Reasons to Integrate Time & Labor With Payroll
Time and labor (also called time and attendance) involves tracking employees' start and end times, early departures, late arrivals, breaks taken and absenteeism. Payroll involves, among other things, making sure employees are paid correctly based on their...
401(k) and IRA Contribution Limits Increase
The IRS has announced cost of living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2019. The contribution limit for employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal...
Social Security Changes for 2019
According to the Social Security Administration, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 67 million Americans will increase 2.8 percent in 2019. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on...
2018 Tax Wrap-Up
The tax reform passed at the end of 2017 runs to about 70,000 words. It's a large and complicated piece of legislation, and we can look forward to additional guidance and clarifications. For now, here are summaries of some of the key provisions impacting...
Do You Have a Branded Benefits Program?
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, an employer brand "is essentially what the organization communicates as its identity to both potential and current employees. It encompasses an organization's mission, values, culture, and...
Can You Make All Employees Nonexempt?
To be exempt from the minimum wage and overtime pay requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act, an employee must pass the FLSA job duties test (specific to his or her position) and receive no less than a certain amount of pay. For some positions, there...
Inclement Weather and Your Payroll Obligations
Hurricanes, storms, tornadoes, blizzards, floods and other weather-related disasters can cause inclement weather closures. But even if one of these calamities causes your business to close, your employees must still be paid on their next regularly...
Debunking 4 Common Payroll Myths
Many companies subscribe to myths about payroll. Let us "bust" them for you. 1. I don't have enough employees to use a payroll service. Even if you have only one employee, there's still a lot to be done in terms of payroll. Ultimately, you must...
2019 Minimum Wage Schedule
Maine Minimum Wage Maine's minimum wage is increasing, effective January 1, 2019. Maine statute regarding salary workers is based on the state minimum wage and therefore will also see an increase. 2019 State Minimum Wage: $11.00* 2019 Minimum Direct...