If you're working on your salary budget for the coming year, you'll want to know what your peers are doing with their budgets so you can justify your recommendations. And if you're thinking, "Hold tight on salaries, raise the stakes…
News
Missed payroll is more than a cash flow problem – it's a federal wage violation. A Newport Beach construction contractor learned that the hard way; it was ordered to pay $468,505 after the DOL found 137 workers went without pay…
Two U.S. nationals were sentenced for their roles in facilitating North Korean remote IT workers posing as U.S. residents to obtain work at more than 100 U.S. companies, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced. The fraud scheme generated more…
The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released proposed regulations for the new 1% excise tax on remittance transfers created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), effective Jan. 1, 2026. The tax applies when a customer (sender)…
Hospitality employers in California take note: Several cities in The Golden State have minimum wage increases for hotel employees soon taking effect. In addition to the new pay rates, some ordinances impose benefit, accrual and notice requirements. Here’s how the…
In Texas, a routine data upload in mid-March altered how hundreds of employees for the city of Austin were classified for overtime. That error affected payroll calculations and inflated employees’ pay. The result: up to double pay for some employees…
An IHOP franchisee operating in North and South Carolina owes $95,095 in back wages after a DOL investigation found cooks were paid straight time for overtime hours. The agency has recently narrowed when it will pursue liquidated damages, which can…
A new proposed rule from the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration outlines how 401(k) fiduciaries must assess alternative assets like private equity, private credit and real estate under ERISA’s prudence standard. The proposal includes a six-factor safe harbor…
A federal court found a worker had been misclassified and identified more than 800 hours of potential overtime. But the Fifth Circuit still upheld a jury verdict denying overtime pay. The case draws a clear line between compliance risk and…
A residential construction company in Idaho learned how payroll errors can quickly turn into significant financial exposure. After a federal wage-and-hour investigation, Speedy’s Framing LLC agreed to pay $293,698 in back wages to 56 employees, along with a $24,795 civil…
Interest rates for the second quarter will drop, the IRS recently announced. According to Revenue Ruling 2026-5, the rates for April, May and June of 2026 will be: Overpayments -- 6% (down from 7%) Corporate overpayments -- 5% (down from…
A California carwash has agreed to a $1.2M settlement to resolve wage theft allegations, according to the California Labor Commissioner’s Office (LCO). The seven-figure payout averages $52,174 per affected employee across 23 workers, with individual settlements ranging from $8,500 to…
