Author: Robert Hernandez

Open Enrollment: Be Ready for Questions

1. What's the difference between an HMO and a PPO? With a health maintenance organization (HMO) health plan, the group member has access to doctors and hospitals that are within the HMO network. In other words, he or she can go only to doctors that are...

08 January, 2021

From the HR Support Center: Can we pay a temporary employee as an independent contractor?

We’ve hired someone to help out with some end-of-year tasks, and they’ll be leaving shortly after the new year. Can we pay them as an independent contractor since the duration of their employment will be only a handful of days? We will be controlling the...

07 January, 2021

From The HR Support Center: Reconsidering Remote Work And Other HR Practices

In the past year, many employers who would never have considered a remote work arrangement discovered that it was not only possible, but in some (or many) ways preferable to how they worked before. As a result, many employers plan on maintaining a remote workforce...

06 January, 2021

Be Alert: Employers Are Seeing a Spike in Phishing Scams

Phishing emails are a type of scam designed to obtain information or prompt certain behavior from their targets. To that end, they typically appear to come from a person or entity we trust. In most cases, careful inspection will reveal cracks in the façade, little signs...

05 January, 2021

From the HR Support Center: A Note on Requiring COVID-19 Vaccines

With COVID-19 vaccinations underway and widespread availability in sight, many employers want to know whether they can require their employees to get the vaccine. While recent EEOC guidance implies that they expect many employers to require a vaccine, there are already several states where bills are...

04 January, 2021

Federal Law Alert – COVID Relief Bill: Tax Credits for Paid Leave Extended to March 31

A new $900 billion coronavirus relief bill became law and answers the question of whether federal Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) and Emergency Family and Medical Leave (EFMLA) will be extended. The answer is yes, but it’s an option, not a requirement. Here’s what employers need...

30 December, 2020

Small Businesses Should Use The Right Form When Filing Employment Tax Returns

Some small businesses pay employment tax quarterly while others may pay it just once a year. The IRS advises small business owners to review the rules for filing two commonly used employment tax returns. The two forms are: • Form 941, Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return • Form...

23 December, 2020

From The HR Support Center: Should You Send a Coughing Employee Home?

An employee of ours had a brief coughing fit today, but she says she just had something caught in her throat. As far as we’ve seen, she hasn’t experienced any symptoms associated with COVID-19 other than this one time. Do we need to send her...

22 December, 2020

14 Year-End Tax and Financial Tips

The window of opportunity to trim that 2020 tax bill, save for retirement and leverage strategies to secure your financial future is closing. To help Americans make these moves before it’s too late, CPA financial planners with the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) share the...

21 December, 2020

From the HR Support Center: Can a non-exempt employee manage another non-exempt employee?

Yes, it is completely fine for non-exempt employees to manage other non-exempt employees. In fact, employers are under no obligation to classify any employees as exempt, even if they meet the criteria under the Fair Labor Standards Act. If employers wish, they may have an...

18 December, 2020