Perspectives
Perspectives Articles
OSHA ETS Hangs Over the Heads of Covered Employers – Future is Uncertain
Background The Biden administration called upon OSHA to create a vaccination mandate by use of an OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard. The issued OSHA standard requires businesses with 100 or more employees to comply with strict vaccination and testing guidelines for...
Keeping Pace with the Year-End Process
As the calendar pages fall away, the final quarter of the calendar year is approaching the final month tomake sure everything is addressed properly. Now is the time to assess progress with closing out thepayroll year and to take stock of what still needs to be...
Employee Retention Credits (ERC) Repealed Early – How to Respond
There have been numerous changes to the Employee Retention Credits (ERC) program over the past months. The latest is that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) terminates ERC employer credits effective September 30, 2021. The problem is that IIJA was not...
Preparing for Pending OSHA Vaccination Mandate Emergency Temporary Standards
President Biden directed OSHA to write a rule requiring employers with at least 100 workers to force employees to get vaccinated or produce weekly test results showing they are virus-free. Currently, More than 190 million Americans are fully vaccinated… but the White...
MA Extends COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Mandate
Just hours before expiration, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed legislation extending the mandate for state employers to continue providing emergency paid leave related to COVID-19. These COVID-19 paid leave obligations will now continue until April 1, 2022. MA...
Update on MA PFML: Benefits Increase While Rates Fall
There have been recently announced changes to the Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave laws. On October 1, 2021, the Department of Family and Medical Leave announced that starting in 2022, the maximum benefit under PFML will increase, yet employer contributions...
US DOL Details New Minimum Wage Rates Connected to Federal Contracts
On September 16, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a notice detailing new minimum wage rates for employees who perform work on or connected to federal contracts. The rate will increase to $11.25 an hour for existing contracts on Jan 1, 2022. Starting...
Federal & MA COVID-19 Leave Laws Set to Expire September 30
As of September 27, 2021, both the federal and the Massachusetts COVID-19 leave laws are set to expire on September 30, 2021, and it does not appear that either the Federal or State legislatures will be extending these laws. Click here for information on the specifics...
The Importance of the Year-End Close – Our Year-End CHECKLIST
Closing the Year and Avoiding Costly Missteps The final quarter of the calendar year is a busy time for payroll staff. It's critical to maintain a year-end checklist to make sure everything is addressed properly. There are many moving parts that must be handled with...
Understanding When to Use a State W-4
What is a State W-4 Form? A state W-4 Form is a state-specific tax document that serves as a guide for employees to calculate their state tax withholding requirements that translates into a specific amount based on each paycheck to go towards state taxes. It works...
OSHA Guidance, FDA Approval and Vaccination Policy for the Workplace
OSHA guidance is clear that an employer is responsible to provide a safe work environment in the face of COVID-19. In a work environment, compliance can be complicated when there is a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated people present. OSHA states that getting...
Protect your Business with Periodic Payroll Audits
For many small and medium-sized businesses, processing payroll presents the greatest risk for costly errors and the least protected financial activity when it comes to potential fraud. Both exposures can be well managed with a periodic payroll audit. Use the Symphony...
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