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People think using contingent workers is a down and dirty way to save money, says attorney Nancy M. Cooper, but there are expensive pitfalls that could erase that savings many fold. In today’s Advisor, Cooper demystifies part-timers and temps. Cooper chairs the labor and employment practice group at law firm Garvey Schubert Barer in Portland, […]
With Jennifer McCormack, Esq. Lots of different kinds of coverage will not have to report their expenses next tax year (the 2012 tax year), and lots of employers won’t have to either. Are you one of them? Beginning calendar year 2012, employers must report on Forms W-2 (which employers will give employees in January 2013) […]
Confused about what exactly a “leased employee” is? Turns out a lot of people the IRS contacted were, too. The IRS’ Employee Plans Compliance Unit (EPCU) recently completed its study on the role of leased employees in retirement plans. When EPCU asked plan sponsors who used pension feature code “3F” on their Forms 5500 — […]
The flood of donning and doffing disputes under the Fair Labor Standards Act that we saw a few years back may have leveled off. But some pay issues relating to this routine taking off and putting on of clothes are not yet resolved. The Supreme Court had two opportunities in its current term to pick […]
By Shlomo D. Katz This time of year, when snow and ice pose challenges in many parts of the country, many employers wonder about the rules for paying employees in the event they must close the office due to bad weather and unsafe road conditions. Below we provide answers to some frequently asked questions. The […]
The airline industry is helping to shift more of the cost of business travel away from the booking phase — the stage at which costs can be managed most easily — to the trip itself when expenses are incurred on the fly. This creates challenges for corporate travel managers — and the federal government, which […]
In its latest guidance on W-2 reporting of health benefits (Notice 2012-9, issued Jan. 5) the IRS has clarified that employers need not include the cost of coverage under an employee assistance program (EAP), health reimbursement accounts (HRA), wellness program or on site-medical clinic in the reportable amount if the employer does not charge a premium […]
In a recently released legal memorandum, the IRS said that meals provided to airline crewmembers while they are on duty aboard an aircraft are not excluded from the employees’ gross income as a de minimis fringe benefit because they were not provided at “eating facilities.” Although the value of the meals would be excludable from […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, attorneys Deanna Brinkerhoff and Dora Lane helped us understand DOL’s misclassification crackdown; today, what to do about it, plus some good news—your job descriptions are ADA-compliant and up to date. Classification of workers as employees or independent contractors is a murky area, but there are some safe harbors and some steps every […]
What do short stories by O. Henry and independent contractor analysis have in common? You’re left guessing the outcome until the very end, says attorney Deanna Brinkerhoff. DOL is cracking down on classification, and that makes it a good time to evaluate your organization’s classification decisions. DOL estimates that 30 percent of employers misclassify some […]