When an Accident Becomes a Payroll Question A laptop hits the floor. A company phone gets smashed. A piece of equipment is damaged because someone was careless. The first reaction from a frustrated business owner may be simple: They broke it, so why not take the replacement cost out of their next paycheck? Unfortunately, payroll…
Signs Your Payroll Provider Is Falling Short Payroll should make running your business easier. But what happens when your payroll provider becomes another source of frustration? We regularly hear from business owners who are tired of calling a large payroll company and speaking with someone different every time. They are frustrated by unclear charges, slow…
The Number on the Paycheck Is Only Part of the Story Most business owners know what they pay their employees. They know the hourly rates. They know the salaries. They know what payroll looks like each pay period. But that does not always mean they know their true labor costs. The number in your payroll…
One Resignation Can Cost More Than You Think An employee hands in their notice. You accept the resignation, schedule their final paycheck, and start thinking about posting the open position. Simple enough, right? Not always. Employee turnover costs can reach far beyond the wages paid to the person who left. Recruiting, training, overtime, management time,…
If you own an S Corporation and work in the business, your salary is not something you should set once and forget about. September is a smart time to review it. By the time Q4 begins, your business may look very different than it did in January. Revenue may have increased. Your responsibilities may have…
Payroll problems do not always start in the payroll department. Sometimes they begin with a manager approving a schedule change, forgetting to report a bonus, allowing an employee to work through lunch, or promising a pay increase without telling anyone responsible for payroll. Most managers are not trying to create payroll problems. They are trying…
Alabama Local Payroll Taxes Can Be Easy to Overlook Payroll taxes are complicated enough when every employee reports to the same location each day. But what happens when an employee works in Birmingham on Monday, Auburn later in the week, and another Alabama city the following week? For some Alabama employers, that is where payroll…
Moving is stressful. Between boxes, utility transfers, school registrations, and updating accounts, telling payroll about a new address may not be at the top of an employee’s list. For employers, however, an employee address change is more important than it might seem. An outdated address can create problems with payroll records, tax documents, employee communication,…
Giving an employee a raise can feel like a straightforward decision. You choose an amount, update the pay rate, and recognize someone who has contributed to your company’s success. But the number you announce is not always the number your business will pay. The true cost of a raise can include payroll taxes, overtime, benefits,…
The Hidden Payroll and HR Cost of a Toxic Employee A toxic employee can cost a business far more than one paycheck. Negative behavior can reduce productivity, increase turnover, consume management time, and create payroll and HR problems that continue long after the original incident. The challenge is that these costs rarely appear as one…