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Compensation & Benefits

2012 Withholding Numbers: First Round Released

10/30/2011
The IRS has yet to release the 2012 percentage method and wage-bracket withholding tables. It did, however, release the 2012 inflation-adjusted withholding allowance amounts and the amounts employees can defer from their pay for qualified transportation fringe benefits. Also unsettled is the Social Security tax rate for 2012.

Accommodations offer cuts unemployment claim

10/27/2011
Employees who quit for medically related reasons can sometimes collect unemployment compensation if they are still ready and able to work elsewhere. However, to claim that medical reasons required resigning, employees have to prove the employer knew about but didn’t accommodate their medical problems.

Higher rates approved for state employee health plans

10/26/2011

New Jersey and its public employees will pay more for health insurance coverage next year. Rates for 2012 health insurance plans will rise by an average of 9% for active state employees, 3% for retirees and a whopping 10.3% for municipal employees.

Cut unemployment liability by working to keep employee

10/26/2011
Employees who quit their jobs aren’t eligible for unemployment compensation benefits unless they legitimately believe they had no choice but to resign. But if an employer makes a genuine effort to help the employee stay and he turns down that offer, he may lose eligibility for unemployment.

Fixing misclassification? Pay the right amount

10/25/2011

Sometimes, it becomes clear that an employee has been misclassified as exempt when she should really be an hourly employee. Employers that want to fix the situation can do so and avoid a lawsuit by offering the employee double her lost overtime pay, plus interest going back either two or three years depending on how the mistake happened.

Variable pay is where workers will get bigger bucks

10/25/2011
While employers are budgeting 2.9% more for base pay in 2012, 92% plan to distribute performance-based bonuses, according to an Aon Corp. survey of 1,500 companies.

Duplicate W-2s? How Do We Fix This Mistake?

10/24/2011
Question: As part of our year-end process, we look back to the preceding year just to make sure that everything was wrapped up correctly. We found that an employee who worked for two divisions of the company earned a total of $10,000. However, both divisions filed separate W-2s for him reporting the same $10,000, for a total of $20,000. Subsequently, one of the divisions filed a W-2c form to correct its error. The employee has now informed us that $0 wages have been credited to his earnings account. What’s the best way for us to reinstate his earnings?

Off the W-2 Hook?

10/24/2011
Question: Our company will soon begin outsourcing the payroll to a new third-party provider. It has a feature that allows em­­ployees to view their check stubs and W-2s by logging onto its website. We were told that the company will be saving a bundle because employees can now access their W-2s online. Does the IRS allow this?

Kansas City employers save $11 million with wellness

10/24/2011
A group of employers that participated in the Kansas City Collaborative avoided almost $11 million in direct health care costs by giving employees and their dependents access to better health information and making it easier to get preventive care.

Employer-provided cell phones no longer a taxable fringe benefit

10/18/2011
The IRS says employer-provided cell phones are no longer a taxable fringe benefit. That means em­­­­ployees don’t have to pay federal income tax on any personal use of their phones—and you can quit keeping track of ­personal-use minutes for payroll purposes.