Vision Payroll

Nonfarm payroll employment continued to fall sharply in February (-651,000), and the unemployment rate rose from 7.6% to 8.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor reported recently. Payroll employment has declined by 2.6 million in the past 4 months. In February, job losses were large and widespread across nearly all major industry sectors.

The number of unemployed persons increased by 851,000 to 12.5 million in February, and the unemployment rate rose to 8.1%. Over the past 12 months, the number of unemployed persons has increased by about 5.0 million, and the unemployment rate has risen by 3.3 percentage points.

The unemployment rate continued to trend upward in February for adult men (8.1%), adult women (6.7%), whites (7.3%), blacks (13.4%), and Hispanics (10.9%). The jobless rate for teenagers was little changed at 21.6%. The unemployment rate for Asians was 6.9% in February, not seasonally adjusted.

Among the unemployed, the number of job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs increased by 716,000 to 7.7 million in February.  This measure has grown by 3.8 million in the last 12 months.

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) increased by 270,000 to 2.9 million in February. Over the past 12 months, the number of long-term unemployed was up by 1.6 million.

This week’s question comes from Greg, a plant manager. We have a third shift that works from 11 pm to 7 am the following day. Some of the workers will work this Saturday night into Sunday. Do we need to pay for eight hours of work on the third shift Saturday night? Answer: Since Daylight Saving Time begins in most parts of the country at 2 am, Sunday, March 8, 2009 many workers on a third shift will only work seven hours. At 2 am on that day, clocks are turned ahead to 3 am. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require employers to pay employees for the hour not worked. Contact Vision Payroll if you have any further questions on the switch to Daylight Saving Time.

According to the US Department of Labor, in the week ending February 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 639,000, a decrease of 31,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 670,000. The 4-week moving average was 641,750, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week’s revised average of 639,750.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released Publication 15-T, New Wage Withholding and Advance Earned Income Credit Payment Tables (For Wages Paid Through December 2009). Publication 15-T contains revised withholding tables to implement changes mandated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Act) as well as information on other changes required by the Act such as increased commuter exclusion amounts and changes required to the adjustment to taxes withheld on nonresident aliens.

The IRS recommends making a copy of the notice provided on page 73 of Publication 15-T available to all employees so that they may understand the change in withholding. Employees are not required to file a new Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate or its Spanish equivalent, Formulario W-4(SP), Certificado de Exención de la Retención del Empleado to see the impact of the tax law change, but may wish to do so to ensure the correct amount of tax is withheld.

Vision Payroll implemented the revised withholding tables last week and eligible employees should notice an increase in net pay with their current paycheck.

Over the next several days, Vision Payroll will be posting additional articles on changes to payroll and HR by other sections of the Act. We’re also planning a seminar on implementing these changes, so contact Vision Payroll if you’d like to attend.

According to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), employers statewide directly affected by damage resulting from the drought may request up to a 60-day extension of time from EDD to file their State payroll reports and/or deposit State payroll taxes without penalty or interest. This extension may be granted under Section 1111.5 of the California Unemployment Insurance Code (CUIC). Written request for extension must be received within 60 days from the original delinquent date of the payment or return to file/pay. Contact Vision Payroll if you’ve been affected and need to file the extension request.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Act) made changes to continuation health coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, commonly known as COBRA. Employers are required to pay sixty-five percent of the premiums for certain eligible individuals, but may claim a credit on Form 941, Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return, for these premiums.

If you need to claim a credit for COBRA premiums paid, contact Vision Payroll and we’ll update your payroll with the appropriate tax codes so that you will receive proper credit on your Form 941. If your credit exceeds your liability, no tax deposit will be due for that period and you may receive a refund when you file your Form 941.

Over the next several days, Vision Payroll will be posting additional articles on changes to payroll and HR by other sections of the Act. We’re also planning a seminar on implementing these changes, so contact Vision Payroll if you’d like to attend.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Act) made changes to continuation health coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, commonly known as COBRA. Here are five fast facts on the changes related to employers:

1. Employers are required to pay the additional sixty-five percent of the premiums not paid by employees.
2. Employers may claim a credit on Form 941, Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return, for their share of the COBRA premiums.
3. Payment of the premium subsidies by employers and the credits on Form 941 happen only after employees have paid their share of the premiums.
4. Supporting documentation for the credit must be maintained by employers, but need not be submitted with the Form 941.
5. Employers are required to pay the subsidy for eligible employees covered under COBRA or similar state laws.

Over the next several days, Vision Payroll will be posting additional articles on implementing the changes to COBRA continuation coverage required by the Act as well as other changes to payroll and HR by other sections of the Act. We’re also planning a seminar on implementing these changes, so contact Vision Payroll if you’d like to attend.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Act) made changes to continuation health coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, commonly known as COBRA. Here are five fast facts on the changes related to employees:

1. The law became effective February 17, 2009 and applies to qualifying events occurring after August 31, 2008 and before January 1, 2010.
2. Involuntarily separated workers who elected COBRA continuation health coverage are only required to pay thirty-five percent of the required premiums.
3. Eligible individuals who did not elect COBRA coverage because it was unaffordable have sixty days to elect COBRA coverage.
4. The subsidy phases out for individuals with modified adjusted gross income over $125,000 and when modified adjusted gross income exceeds $145,000 individuals are no longer eligible. Those numbers increase to $250,000 and $290,000 for taxpayers filing joint returns.
5. The subsidy may last for up to nine months.

Over the next several days, Vision Payroll will be posting additional articles on implementing the changes to COBRA continuation coverage required by the Act as well as other changes to payroll and HR by other sections of the Act. We’re also planning a seminar on implementing these changes, so contact Vision Payroll if you’d like to attend.

This week’s question comes from Doug, head of HR. I heard that the new tax law will impact employees eligible for COBRA. How does the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Act) change COBRA continuation health coverage? Answer: Under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, commonly known as COBRA, certain former employees are allowed to continue health care coverage under their former’s employer’s group plan. The former employees must pay the cost of the health care premiums.

The Act made significant changes to COBRA continuation coverage. Under the Act, certain covered employees are required to pay only thirty-five percent of the premiums and their former employers must pay the remaining sixty-five percent. Employers may claim a credit on Form 941, Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return, for the premiums paid for eligible employees.

The Internal Revenue Service recently released an updated Form 941 to reflect this law change and will soon release other updated forms, such as Form 941-X Adjusted Employer’s QUARTERLY Federal Tax Return or Claim for Refund.

Over the next several days, Vision Payroll will be posting additional articles on implementing the changes to COBRA continuation coverage required by the Act as well as other changes to payroll and HR by other sections of the Act. We’re also planning a seminar on implementing these changes, so contact Vision Payroll if you’d like to attend.

According to the US Department of Labor, in the week ending February 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 667,000, an increase of 36,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 631,000. The 4-week moving average was 639,000, an increase of 19,000 from the previous week’s revised average of 620,000.