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New Stimulus Has Plenty for Small Business

The pandemic relief package (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021) gives a break to small businesses by reopening the Paycheck Protection Program so that some of the hardest-hit small businesses can apply for a second loan. The new round of loans will be limited to those with fewer...

18 January, 2021

From the HR Support Center: What Are Some Typical Examples of Employee Discipline?

What are some typical examples of employee discipline? Are there any you recommend? Discipline should reflect the severity of the behavior, attempt to correct it, and be applied consistently. You’ll want to consider how you addressed certain behaviors in the past and the precedent you want...

15 January, 2021

How to Decode Box 1 of Form W-2

Box 1 of Form W-2 shows the employee's total compensation that is subject to taxation for the year. Per an article published by Forbes, "This tends to be the number most taxpayers care about the most." Consequently, there's no room for error. Below are inclusions...

14 January, 2021

Five Clever Ways To Reward Employees At No Cost To Your Firm

So you’ve finally decided to take the plunge and begin an employee rewards and recognition program. Congratulations! According to the Corporate Leadership Council, a manager’s ability to reward and recognize achievement can increase employees’ efforts by 22.7 percent. By starting a rewards and recognition program, you’ve chosen...

13 January, 2021

Can the COVID-19 Vaccine Be Mandatory?

As COVID-19 vaccines become available, employers may require vaccines before employees return to the worksite if the employer believes that failure to be vaccinated constitutes a direct threat to other employees. With the virus still rampant, it's easily transmitted. Employees wonder whether they'll be required to...

12 January, 2021

Is This Your Situation: Learning the Basics of Small-Company Payroll

Setting up a payroll system is fairly straightforward in theory, but it does require a few significant steps that each employer will need to consider: You first have to obtain your employer identification number (EIN) and state/local ID, if necessary. Then, take care of the paperwork for...

11 January, 2021

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