Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed HB 4844, requiring Illinois employers with more than 25 employees to pay workers their regular rate of pay for time serving on jury duty. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. Before this law, Illinois already…
Payroll
Employers have new details on how to report qualified overtime compensation on 2026 Forms W-2. On Aug. 6, the IRS issued updated guidance in Fact Sheet FS-2026-13, which supersedes the version published in January. Qualified Overtime Remains Subject to Withholding…
Most finance leaders have business strategy on their minds all the time. But few ever consider payroll strategy - for everything from employee retention to profits -- even though payroll is the only touchpoint that reaches every single employee, every…
The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have issued new guidance on the paid family and medical leave tax credit, but the change is more than a tax-planning issue. For some employers, it could reduce the cost…
Field-based roles raise unique FLSA compliance questions, including whether an employer must pay for work tasks performed before or during the commute to the first job site. A recent DOL opinion letter addressed the issue. The question came from a…
As employers plan 2027 pay budgets, modest pay increases can mask the tougher challenge ahead: determining where those dollars will have the greatest impact and ensuring the investment delivers value. In Payscale’s 11th annual Salary Budget Survey, nearly a third…
What happens when an employee works 50 hours per week, but payroll makes it look like 25 hours for each of two companies to avoid overtime premiums? That was the setup allegedly devised by the owner of two janitorial companies…
A federal court has approved a proposed $162 million class action settlement between Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) and personal assistants who provide care through New York's Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program. The proposed settlement is believed to be the largest…
An investigation into a public works project in Lake County turned into a costly lesson on certified payroll compliance. The Illinois Department of Labor's (IDOL) Wage Transparency and Construction Compliance Division investigated Absolute Home Improvements & Cleaning Service over its…
Alaska employers may pay wages by payroll card under SB 79, effective July 1, 2026, subject to new compliance requirements. Employers may use a pay card only if the employee voluntarily authorizes it or has not authorized direct deposit under…
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affordability update for 2027, giving employers a new figure to consider when reviewing their health plans and preparing for open enrollment. The ACA affordability percentage sets the threshold…
A missed federal payroll tax deposit can trigger hefty penalties -- they just went up on July 1. But a new IRS program could provide automatic penalty relief for eligible employers with a strong compliance history. The IRS's Automatic Exemption…
