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HR, Payroll, and Employee Management Tips for Small Business Posts

How to Report a Deceased Employee’s Wages

Published by Lindsay Sommers
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Losing an employee is a confusing and painful time for many people. When a colleague passes away, employers not only grieve the loss of their team member, but they also have to figure out how to move the business forward. Although it feels like it’s not the best time, the business does have to take steps to ensure that the job position is filled again and that the necessary paperwork is taken care of. One of the first things that needs to be handled is the employee’s final wages. What does one do with their final paycheck? What happens to time off? And what taxes should be filed? 

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Overtime Rules Are Changing January 1st, 2020. Are You Ready?

Published by Lindsay Sommers
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If you are a non exempt employee or you have non exempt employees in the US, times are about to change! Since 2004, overtime threshold rules have stayed the same, meaning no cost of living increases were applied to the threshold for who’s required to be paid overtime. The Obama administration took up the issue and directed changes to the overtime laws that would have greatly expanded the number of eligible workers, but those changes were preempted only days before going into affect by the incoming Trump administration. Now, nearly 3 years later the rules are finally slated to change, but severely watered down from the previous plan.

On Sept. 24th, 2019 the US Department of Labor (DOL) announced their final overtime rules that will affect many Americans workers and employers alike. In fact, the new overtime rule will make overtime pay available to over 1.3 million workers and will provide an estimated $298.8 million in additional pay. The new overtime rules will become effective officially on Jan 1st, 2020. Here’s what you need to know:

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Federal Tax Deductions For Businesses Who Donate to Charity

Published by Lindsay Sommers
Hands holding a ball of money

Businesses everywhere donate to charitable organizations every year. After all, it’s a great way to contribute to society and it’s probably tax deductible. Timesheets.com, for instance, donates to organizations like the Jane Goodall Institute, The African Wildlife Foundation, The Humane Society of the United States, and others. Did your business donate to a charitable organization this year? If so, you may be able to claim a deduction if you donated to a qualifying  501(c) 3 organization. The IRS states that you can deduct contributions given to any religious, charitable, educational, scientific, or literary organization. If you donated to any of the organizations listed above, you may be eligible for deductions. Here’s your guide to understand your contributions and tax deductions:

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Is it Legal to Automatically Deduct Employee Lunch Time?

Published by Lindsay Sommers
A man and a woman drinking coffee

Lunchtime can be a tricky thing to track. Some employees forget to clock out, adding minutes to their paychecks daily, while others forget to clock back into work once they return. This leads to inaccurate timestamps and, even worse, inaccurate payroll. You will end up either overpaying employees or underpaying employees, which can lead to issues down the line. In order to keep timestamps more accurate, some employers choose to implement automatic lunch deductions for hourly employees. This ensures that employees get lunch breaks deducted, no matter the circumstance. This is great for employers who want to avoid overpaying employees, but many people still have questions about the legality of lunch deductions. 

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The Tax Write-Offs You’re Missing

Published by Guest Author
A piggy bank surrounded by coins.

Contribution By: Rachel Cottam

Tax season can be stressful, but it’s worth it when Uncle Sam gives you a big refund. Unfortunately, many U.S. taxpayers leave too much money on the return table—and you might be one of them.  

Understanding the best ways to prepare taxes and knowing which tax write-offs you’re missing will help you avoid this costly mistake.

Just remember: if you are going to claim any deduction, you need to have records. Don’t try to claim write-offs you have no proof of. Keep pristine accounting books and physical or digital documentation of all relevant receipts. Even if you’re handing your taxes off to a professional, they’ll need a paper trail.

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Is it Legal to Track Employees Using GPS?

Published by Lindsay Sommers
An employer looking at a map of GPS coordinates

Managing employees has never been easier with the introduction of online time tracking. Managers no longer have to wonder where employees are or what they are doing– all information is available in real-time. Tracking location using GPS is one of the most significant features of employee tracking that employers take advantage of. This data can tell an employer exactly where an employee is working and when they are working. For instance, an employers can determine if an employee clocked in at the office, from the local Starbucks, or even from home. Employers also use GPS tracking to capture miles driven in company-owned or personal vehicles. The data collected is easy to obtain and gives employers transparency, but is it legal? 

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CA Sexual Harassment Law Changing January 1, 2020

Published by Lindsay Sommers
employees in an office, training for sexual harassment and abusive conduct.

The California Fair Employment and Housing Act protects employees from unlawful practices and harassment. Since 2005, the act required employers with at least 50 employees to provide at least 2 hours of training and education regarding sexual harassment and abusive conduct. With the rise of the #MeToo movement in 2018, Senator Holly Mitchell proposed bill 1343, requiring that all employers with 5 or more employees provide training and education. This bill’s purpose was to prevent harassment and abusive behavior in any size business altogether. Since bill 1343’s passing, employers are required to provide sexual harassment and abusive conduct training by January 1, 2020. Here’s everything you need to know:

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