Regulatory Roundup: January 2020

The flourishing gig economy has redefined and expanded the definition of “employee.” Employers now more commonly see a mix between full-time, part-time, salaried, hourly, contract, freelance, and temporary employees. That means HR and payroll teams have to stay on top of different worker classifications (W-2 employee vs. 1099 contractor) and employer liability concerns. 

In fact, the Department of Labor issued a  final rule on joint employer status  this month, clarifying when an employee may have a joint employer relationship and what responsibility an employer has for that employee. This is an important ruling for your team to keep in mind — evaluating your pay practices and scheduling, considering how the ruling affects the benefits you offer employees, as well as tax and legal liabilities, will all play a part in your HR compliance strategy. 

It’s difficult to tackle changes to employment law — especially with the fluidity of the modern workforce — on top of managing daily tasks. Using Paylocity’s tools can help you get on track. Manage work authorizations from Paylocity’s  Compliance Dashboard, where you can update forms and manage workflows. You can also easily manage employee document acknowledgements and view Equal Employment Opportunity data, putting all employee compliance items in one place. And using our  Position Management  tool, you can view position level data to make important staffing decisions and better understand your workforce. 

Bookmark our  blog  and be sure to come back every month for Regulatory Roundups of tax and compliance alerts you need to know. To see past alerts and to stay up-to-date on the latest changes, bookmark our  News page  and follow our social channels on  Facebook,  LinkedIn, and  Twitter  for urgent updates. 

Federal Forms and Filings 

•  States No Longer Allowing Federal W-4

Wage, Hour & Labor 

•  New Jersey Governor Signs Legislation to Battle Worker Misclassification and Exploitation
•  NY Department of Labor Eliminates Tip Credit for Miscellaneous Industries by End of 2020
•  DOL Announced Final Rule on Joint Employer Status
•  Pittsburgh, PA Paid Sick Leave

Benefits 

•  Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Act (The Secure Act)

Expenses and Reimbursement 

•  IRS Issues Standard Mileage Rates

This information is provided as a courtesy, may change and is not intended as legal or tax guidance. Employers with questions or concerns outside the scope of a Payroll Service Provider are encouraged to seek the advice of a qualified CPA, Tax Attorney or Advisor.