Celebrate Worldwide, Come On
What’s the most common holiday celebrated worldwide? Survey says, New Year’s Day. Shown in infographic form on Mercer.com, ringing in the New Year was celebrated by 60 out of the 63 countries that were analyzed.
Tag: turkey
Readers Respond: Excuses, Excuses, Excuses
A few weeks ago, we reported on a recent survey that collected real-life excuses employees used for being late. Employers beware of employees indulging in Thanksgiving leftovers; one worker blamed his tardiness on the turkey. (He was sleepy after eating it!) We asked our readers to share the strangest excuses they’ve heard for being late […]
What’s the Worst Excuse for Missing Work? No Outfit, Swarm of Bees, or Turkey?
In the past year, nearly one third (32 percent) of workers have called in sick when not actually ill, according to a recent CareerBuilder survey. Along the same lines, 30 percent of employees say they’ve gone to work despite actually being sick in order to save their sick days for when they’re feeling well.
Hiring Eagles, Avoiding Turkeys Who Dress Like Eagles
Kleiman, from Humetrics, Inc., offered his tips on hiring the best at BLR’s Strategic HR Summit, held recently in Scottsdale, Arizona. Turkeys and Eagles When a great hire turns out to be a bad hire, a turkey, what do we do? We try to train the turkey. That works about 13 percent of the time, […]
Bonuses and Gift Cards—Probably Taxable
Tax Consequences of Bonuses Bonuses paid in consideration for services rendered are almost always taxable wages subject to income tax withholding, FICA, and FUTA. These include production, incentive, and nondeferred profit sharing bonuses. The Internal Revenue Service has also ruled that bonuses paid to employees for signing or ratifying an employment contract are considered wages […]
Bonuses Always Included in Overtime, Except …
The FLSA provides for several narrow exemptions from the requirement that bonuses be included in an employee’s regular rate of pay. The onus is on the employer to prove that a payment meets one of the exemption requirements. The exemptions include: Gifts, or payments in the nature of gifts, made at Christmas time or on […]
The Gift That Keeps on Giving: Tax Trouble
Considering gifts for your employees this holiday season? Maybe a turkey or ham? Or perhaps a gift card to a local department store? Be sure you consider the tax implications before you give. Believe it or not, the Internal Revenue Service rules vary depending on the type of gift.
Holiday Parties Are All the Rage in 2005
According to a new survey by HR consulting firm Hewitt Associates, almost three-quarters (74 percent) of employers are planning to host a party for employees this holiday season. Twenty-seven percent of these employers plan to spend $5,000 or less on their parties, 30 percent will pay between $5,000 and $20,000, and 15 percent will spend […]
Taxes: New IRS Ruling Could Affect Your Holiday Gift Plan; What You Need to Know
What’ll it be this year, a holiday ham for your employees or a holiday gift coupon for a comparable amount? It would seem reasonable to view these presents as more or less the same, at least for tax purposes. But, as we’ll explain, the IRS said otherwise in a recent decision.