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How to Determine Payroll Frequency

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. As a small business owner, it seems that there are always decisions to be made, and you are the one expected to make them. Determining the frequency with which you will pay your employees is one decision that needs to be made fairly early in the life of your business. Chances are that if you have employees you’ve already made this decision. So how can you be sure that you have made the right choice?

Don't pick a payday just because it sounds good.As with many business decisions, a good place to start is by looking at the applicable state and federal law. In this case, there are not a lot of rules that must be followed. Federal and state laws do require that employees be paid on a regular basis. That means that you need to decide how often employees will be paid and then stick to it. A business is not allowed to deviate from its usual pattern to accommodate a seasonal slump or an unexpected expense. In addition, some states have laws setting a minimum frequency at which workers must be paid.

After considering the legal aspects of this decision, small business owners must also take into account the financial aspects. As you may have guessed, it is more expensive to pay employees more frequently. Every time payroll is processed, resources are expended. If a business is doing its own payroll operation, then there is the employee time that is used to calculate the payroll and deductions as well as the cost to print checks or have the pay direct-deposited. If the business relies on a payroll service, the cost will be based on the number of times the payroll must be done.

Finally, small business owners should consider their employees when making this decision. Typically salaried employees are paid either once per month or semi-monthly while hourly employees are often paid on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. In addition, employees might have a preference (usually to be paid more often) that employers may want to take into account if possible.

If you have questions about your own payroll operation and how frequently your employees should be paid, The Payroll Department can help you evaluate your situation and determine what is best for you. With years of experience in providing reliable payroll service, we are able to help you work these kinds of issues. Just give us a call at (317) 852-2568.

-Jessica of The Payroll Depart Blog Team

Posted in: Operating a Small Business, Payroll, Payroll Processing, Rules, Regulations and Laws

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What Is ‘At Will’ Employment?

As a small business owner, you’ve probably heard that Indiana and other states are at will employment states. But do you really understand what that means you are allowed to do or not do when it comes to terminating employees? Even in this area of your payroll process, The Payroll Department can help with information you need.

Small business employers need to understand the rules of 'at will' employment - and termination.Basically, at will employment means you can terminate an employee with or without cause, at any time, without adverse legal consequences. However, you cannot terminate an employee for illegal reasons. Additionally, you don’t have to provide advance notice of termination. For example, at-will employers can:

  • Promote and demote employees.
  • Make unannounced pay and benefits cuts. As long as the pay cut doesn’t take the employee’s wage below applicable federal or state minimum wage.
  • Reduce paid time off.
  • Change work schedules – limiting hours or requiring on-call work.
  • Set your own policies.

Alternatively, employees can leave a job at any time, with or without a reason, without legal recriminations, too.

However, there are state and federal exceptions to this law. You cannot terminate employment for any of the following reasons:

  • Discrimination or harassment based on race, gender, national origin, religion, age (40 and older) and disability. This discrimination may occur before, during or at the end of employee’s
  • Retaliation against employees who complain about discrimination or harassment toward themselves or others, or within the company, or who participate in an agency or court proceeding concerning discrimination or harassment.
  • Jury duty attendance.
  • Filing or threatening to file a worker’s compensation claim or claim for unpaid wages.
  • Refusing to perform an illegal act, such as refusing to drive a truck that exceeds legal weight limits, or reporting illegal activity.

Additionally, you cannot terminate an employee at will if:

  • The employee has an employment contract which states the employee is employed for a set time period, or outlines specific situations or employee actions that may lead to termination for cause. Reasons for-cause termination may include poor employee performance, employee misconduct or economic necessity.
  • The employee is covered by a collective bargaining agreement that specifies the employee can only be terminated for cause.
  • The employee gave up job protected status with their former employer to work for you.

As a small business owner, you’re probably more knowledgeable in the actual running of your company rather than every local, state and federal law concerning employment, payroll and taxes. Therefore, to avoid errors that can lead to substantial fines and penalties, consider hiring The Payroll Department. As an experienced payroll services provider, we can handle your payroll and payroll taxes for you, so you can get back to managing your business.

-Ariane of The Payroll Department blog team

Posted in: Hiring and Firing, HR Rules, Regulations and Laws, Human Resources, Operating a Small Business, Payroll, Payroll Processing

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Tips and Service Charges: What’s the Difference?

Do you own a service industry small business, such as a restaurant, hair salon or hotel? Then it’s important as an employer that you understand your payroll responsibilities when it comes to calculating wages, employee reporting and tax requirements. One factor that affects your business’s payroll tax obligations is when your employees receive gratuities for their services. Do you know the rules? (more…)

Posted in: IRS and Tax forms, Operating a Small Business, Payroll, Payroll Processing, Payroll Taxes, Rules, Regulations and Laws

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It’s Just a Number, Right? Not to the IRS!

As an employer, whether you are a big or small business, you have the responsibility to hire employees who are authorized to work in the United States. One of the ways many employers ensure workers are legally able to work is by getting employees’ social security number. Easy, right? Well, not so much. Let me tell you a story from the offices of The Payroll Department. (more…)

Posted in: IRS and Tax forms, Payroll, Payroll Processing, Payroll Taxes, Rules, Regulations and Laws

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Special IRS Tip Rules for Large Food and Beverage Establishments

Do you own a food and beverage establishment? Maybe you think you have a small business, but you might be surprised to learn it’s actually large when it comes to the Internal Revenue Service and how you annually report your receipts and tips. (more…)

Posted in: IRS and Tax forms, Operating a Small Business, Payroll, Payroll Processing, Payroll Taxes, Rules, Regulations and Laws

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Make Small Business Ownership More Predictable during the Unpredictable Days of Winter

The sunny days of summer are now a distant memory, and we are entering the dark and cold days of winter. In addition to the shorter days, longer nights, and generally colder weather, winter also brings with it an increased unpredictability. More severe weather events occur in the winter than in any other season, including snow, ice, sleet, and extreme cold. We usually get some advanced warning of these kinds of events, but the predictions of severity often do not match the reality of what actually transpires. (more…)

Posted in: Operating a Small Business, Payroll, Payroll Processing, Rules, Regulations and Laws

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Does One More Pay Period in a Year Make Any Difference?

When is 52 not the correct answer? That’s easy when you look at it from a payroll perspective …

Depending on the payroll schedule and the day of the week payroll is issued, you might actually have 53 payrolls in a year or 27 if you are on a bi-weekly payroll schedule. Because of that, there may need to be adjustments to the taxes being withheld. In addition, adjustment might be necessary to pretax deductions. (more…)

Posted in: Operating a Small Business, Payroll, Payroll Processing, Payroll Taxes

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Paying Employees “Under the Table” – Is It Worth the Risk?

Have you ever had an employee ask you to pay their wages in cash – unreported? Or, maybe you’ve thought about hiring employees and paying them “under the table” to simplify your bookkeeping. What does it really mean to pay employees in cash? And more importantly, what are the consequences? (more…)

Posted in: IRS and Tax forms, Operating a Small Business, Payroll, Payroll Processing, Rules, Regulations and Laws

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Indiana Small Businesses Getting Some Relief

It’s a great feeling to share some good news for employers! The entrepreneurs who supply jobs to the community display courage and leadership every day and now they are set to get some small business love. (more…)

Posted in: News, Payroll, Payroll Processing, Payroll Taxes

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Scheduling Practices May Be Affected by Proposed Legislation

It’s no secret that small businesses and their daily practices can be quickly changed by changing laws. That is one reason that it is important for business owners to stay aware of changes and potential changes to relevant laws. Recently, legislation was proposed which would once again change the day-to-day operations of many businesses – this time in the area of employees’ schedules. (more…)

Posted in: News, Operating a Small Business, Payroll, Payroll Processing, Payroll Taxes, Rules, Regulations and Laws

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