Today, 9/22/2020, is the first day of Fall. Reflect back to mid-March of 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit with a major impact on the U.S., forcing lockdown orders and closed workplaces. Most of us didn’t predict then that we would still find ourselves in the midst of the pandemic – 6 months later. In…
Read MoreOn Aug. 28, 2020, the IRS issued further guidance on the deferral of certain employee payroll taxes from President Trump’s Aug. 8, 2020 Executive Order (EO). IRS Notice 2020-65 clarifies certain items, but the EO is still subject to change and many questions remain unanswered. Under the EO, summarized in our August blog, employees earning…
Read MoreOn August 8, 2020, President Trump issued an Executive Order relating in part to a payroll tax deferral for employees. This Executive Order aims to help relieve some of the immediate financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing employees to take home more money. In essence, the Payroll Tax Deferral is an interest-free loan…
Read MoreOne of the unique challenges the pandemic is creating for employers is the build-up of employee PTO or vacation days. The causes are obvious. Travel bans and travel disruptions were a primary cause of fewer time-off requests this year. Not everyone is a fan of the “staycation”; some figure if they are going to have…
Read MoreZoom and other video platforms have become a part of our everyday lives in recent months. And, while we may have mastered turning our video and audio on, we still need to be aware of the virtual impression that we make with our body language. This holds true whether you are the interviewer or the…
Read MoreOn Jul. 2, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a page of FAQs regarding the spread of COVID-19 and how to best keep workers safe from infection. OSHA developed these FAQs from inquiries from the public. The questions cover 13 different topics, including Personal Protective Equipment and Return…
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Labor recently launched an interactive online tool for employees to help them determine their eligibility for sick leave due to coronavirus. The tool guides the employee through a series of questions to learn if the paid leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) apply to their employer. If…
Read MoreOn June 16, 2020, the Colorado State Legislature passed the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, mandating that Colorado companies provide paid sick leave in Colorado. This Act becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2021 for employers with 16 or more employees. For employers with 15 or fewer employees, the Act takes effect on Jan. 1, 2022.…
Read MoreOn Monday, Jun. 15, 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. For the first time on a national level, this decision has extended federal workplace protections to the LGBT community. In a landmark 6-3 decision, the Court…
Read MoreThings are slowly beginning to open up again. Cities are re-opening restaurants and malls and people begin to venture out again. But, what about offices? A SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) study released on Jun. 9, 2020 found that 52% of U.S. workplaces plan to reopen by Jul. 15, 2020, while 3% aren’t planning…
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