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Trump’s Payroll-Tax Cut Plan Proves a Hard Sell

WASHINGTON -- President Trump's monthslong insistence on a payroll-tax cut continues to shape discussions over the next round of economic relief despite a lukewarm reception from economists and lawmakers in both parties. Mr. Trump's basic argument -- lower payroll taxes reduce hiring costs and put money in workers' pockets --...

24 July, 2020

The Pandemic and Its Long-Term Lessons

Before the coronavirus pandemic, a grocery store in Canada let customers purchase products online and then delivered the groceries to their cars curbside. Today, this is not an anomaly. The current crisis has focused many firms on being creative in considering customers' health, becoming more...

23 July, 2020

PPP Loan Fraud a ‘Significant’ Risk, Says Government Watchdog

There is a “significant risk” of fraud for Paycheck Protection Program loans, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said June 25, 2020, urging the Small Business Administration to ramp up efforts to respond to such risks. In a report released that day, the government watchdog, which is charged...

22 July, 2020

Congress Passes Coronavirus Relief for Nonprofit Groups

Bipartisan legislation to provide coronavirus relief to nonprofit groups has been approved by Congress and President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law. The measure also provides relief to state, local and tribal governments. The U.S. House passed the Protecting Nonprofits from Catastrophic Cash Flow...

21 July, 2020

Treasury, IRS Issue Guidance on Reporting Qualified Sick and Family Leave Wages Paid

WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department and the IRS provided guidance in Notice 2020-54 to employers requiring them to report the amount of qualified sick and family leave wages paid to employees under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) on Form W-2. Employers will be required...

20 July, 2020

Texas Wants $32 Million in Unemployment Benefits Back After Finding 46,000 People Were Overpaid

More than 46,000 Texans who lost their jobs in recent months were initially overpaid by the Texas Workforce Commission, which now wants $32 million in unemployment benefits back. “State law requires TWC to recover all unemployment benefits overpayments,” Cisco Gamez, spokesperson for the state agency, said...

17 July, 2020

From The HR Support Center: What do we do if an employee is diagnosed with COVID-19?

First, notify other employees of potential exposure to COVID-19, if any, in the workplace. You should tell them that someone was diagnosed with the illness, but you should not identify which employee is sick, even if employees ask so they can gauge their own risk....

16 July, 2020

FBI Sees Spike in Fraudulent Unemployment Insurance Claims Filed Using Stolen Identities

The FBI has seen a spike in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims complaints related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic involving the use of stolen personally identifiable information (PII). U.S. citizens from several states have been victimized by criminal actors impersonating the victims and using the victims’ stolen...

15 July, 2020

What Are the Trends in Employee Benefits?

Smart companies are always taking a fresh look at the benefits they're offering. Here is what's trending and what you might want to consider adding. Student loan assistance According to the Federal Reserve, Americans currently owe $1.5 trillion in student loans — the largest amount of nonhousing...

14 July, 2020

From the HR Support Center: How You Can Support the Mental Health of Your Employees During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on everyone’s mental health. People have experienced financial hardship, additional challenges with childcare and school cancellations, job loss, reduced hours, sickness, and grief. The future is uncertain, and the present is extra stressful. And to make matters worse,...

13 July, 2020