Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss payroll tax deferral (employer options and liability), including: what happens if an employee leaves, what large companies are doing, employer options, and more.
Contact us with any questions you may have, we’re here to help: hr@employco.com
HR specialist discusses how voters could alter minimum wage for millions of Americans
Earlier this week, presidential candidate Joe Biden took to Twitter to share his proposed changes to minimum wage if he is elected, including ending tipped minimum wage and raising the minimum wage to $15/hr.
In addition to these national campaign promises, Floridians will have a proposed minimum wage amendment on their ballots come November, potentially raising their minimum wage to $10/hr on September 20, 2021.
“If voters pass the amendment, the plan would be to raise the minimum wage to $10 next year, and then gradually continue to increase the wage until it hits $15/hr by 2026. This would double the current minimum wage in Florida, and mirror similar amendments which have already been put into practice in states like Illinois,” says employment expert Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, a national employment solutions firm with locations across the country.
Human resources expert comments on President Trump’s newly implemented tax break
Starting today (Sept. 1), employers now have the option to stop withholding payroll taxes for their staff. The Treasury Department announced the option last week, detailing the new guidelines in a statement that offers a temporary deferral of the payroll taxes which employees pay into Social Security.
“Employers can opt to stop withholding payroll tax, provided an employee makes less than $4,000 on a biweekly pay period,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and human resources expert. “But this is only a deferral. Workers will need to repay the taxes by April 2021.”
Generally, employees and employers each pay 6.2% tax into Social Security, for a total amount of 12.4% per employee. However, under Pres. Trump’s new deferral, employers will have the option of not collecting the employee’s share. As a result, workers could see a bump in their paycheck – but next year, they will have to pay that money back or face financial penalties.
Wilson, who is the president of a national employment solutions firm, says that this will spell a major human resources headache for employers.
Employment expert discusses new findings which show a bleak economic future and increasing despair among employees
Mental health in the workplace has never been so tenuous. New research shows that both employers and employees are under extreme strain due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A recent survey performed by Employco USA found that many employers have a very bleak outlook for their economic future. 85% of employers don’t have a strong outlook on the economic conditions in the U.S. over the next 6 months, and over half of employers say that they are anticipating the need for more layoffs and furloughs in the next 6 months.
“According to our survey, we are seeing that the worst is far from over,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, an employment solutions firm with locations across the country. “Although many areas of the country are slowly opening up, it’s not going to be enough to help businesses make it to 2021 without laying off more employees.”
Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss President Trump’s four executive orders, including: student loans, evictions, additional federal unemployment, and differed payroll tax obligations, along with their own predictions and more.
Contact us with any questions you may have, we’re here to help: hr@employco.com
Human resources expert weighs in on employers’ OSHA responsibilities for WFH employees
With coronavirus cases spiking across the country, many employers have slowed down or stopped their plans to have employees return to the office. As millions of Americans are now working from home, it’s important for employers to consider their OSHA responsibilities for telecommuting workers.
“Telecommuting injuries are still a bit of a gray area, but you may be held responsible for injuries your employees incur at home if they are performing company duties at the time of the injury, or if they can otherwise prove that their work led to their injury,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, an employment solutions firm with locations across the country.
Wilson says that OSHA used to take a firmer stance on work-at-home accidents and injuries, but in recent years they have revised their policies to say that an employer is not liable for the condition of an employee’s home office. However, Wilson notes that there have been cases where employers have been responsible for injuries that occurred while an employee was engaged in company business at home.
Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss predictions for what’s next in stimulus, including: what’s worked in the past for small and medium sized businesses, the previous five rounds of legislation, federal unemployment benefits, what businesses need for round six, and more.
Contact us with any questions you may have, we’re here to help: hr@employco.com
Chevron criticized for press release touting improved diversity post-layoffs
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to massive layoffs across the country. But some people are questioning whether or not these layoffs are being performed in an equitable and legal fashion.
For example, oil magnate Chevron just made headlines due to their press release which said that their mass layoffs will lead to more diversity, as white males lost positions, giving women and minorities the opportunity to claim those leadership roles.
The press release has been criticized and sparked a larger conversation about how employers should handle the layoff process.
“Layoffs and furloughs are really unavoidable right now,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and employment trends expert. “Especially for those in the travel, hospitality, and event management fields. But that doesn’t mean employers don’t have to be very, very careful when it comes to how they put these layoffs into action.”
Employment expert says latest numbers are a false positive
Last Thursday the Labor of Department released new figures showing that the United States gained 4.8 million new jobs in June. In addition, the unemployment rate hovered at 11.1%, lower than the predicted 12.4% rate. President Trump heralded the numbers as proof that the economy is “roaring back” after months of economic destruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The latest job report seems like a major cause for celebration,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, a national employment solutions firm with locations across the county. “However, those of us within the employment industry are not celebrating just yet.”
Wilson, an employment expert who has helped hundreds of clients navigate the impact of coronavirus on the workplace, says “These new hire numbers are a false positive. At Employco, over 200 of our clients received PPP. Many then slowly rehired formerly laid-off employees in May and June.”
Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss legal updates from across the country for July 1st, including: hands-free driving laws, updated overtime rules in Washington, minimum wage increases across multiple states and municipalities, the Chicago Fair Workweek Ordinance with predictive scheduling, and more.
Contact us with any questions you may have, we’re here to help: hr@employco.com