Bulletin: IRS Issues New W-4 for 2020

Employco USA

On Dec. 5, 2019, the Internal Revenue Service released an updated version of its W-4 form, also known as the “Employee’s Withholding Certificate.”

Employers use IRS Form W-4 to determine each employee’s federal tax withholdings. The new form is intended to harmonize tax withholding declarations with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which affected individuals for the first time during the last tax filing season.

Employees may complete a new W-4 each year or each time they experience a change in their personal financial situation. However, the new form does not invalidate prior versions, and employers are not expected to replace W-4 forms from previous years with the 2020 version.

Action Steps

Employers should become familiar with the updates to IRS Form W-4 and make it available for all new hires and employees who wish to amend their withholding declarations in 2020.

Please note that employers are not required to update W-4 forms that were completed and filed on or before 2019.

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Another One Bites the Dust: Black Rock Exec Fired for Relationship with Coworker

Employco USA

Human resources expert discusses latest scandal and whether office dating policies are regressive

FiredSenior executive Mark Wiseman was recently terminated from asset management firm Black Rock (where he was rumored to be next-in-line to be CEO) due to a consensual relationship with a coworker. Former McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook suffered a similar fate back in November.

The public scandals took a toll not only on the people involved but also the companies and their shareholders, calling into question the concept of office dating policies and whether employers have the right to impose on their staff’s love lives.

“The reality is that 1 in 3 Americans admits to dating a coworker,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, an employment solutions firm with locations across the country. “Developing feelings for your coworkers is much more common than employers may like to admit, but in the #MeToo era, it’s doubly important for companies to make sure that they are doing everything they can to keep their workplaces safe.”

Wilson says the problems begin when offices don’t have clear-cut dating policies and fraternization regulations.

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4 Weeks Until Weed Is Legal in Illinois: What Employers Need to Know

Employco USA

Human resources expert weighs in on changes to marijuana laws in 2020 & how it will impact the workplace

IllinoisIn June, the Illinois House of Representatives voted 66-47 to allow the possession and sale of marijuana beginning Jan. 1, 2020. With just weeks until weed becomes legal, employers need to consider how this may impact employees and the workplace.

“Your ability to monitor drug use among your employees is going to depend on whether or not you are a unionized or private workplace,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA (a national employment-solutions firm based in Chicago, IL) and human resources expert. “While you have the right to expect and require sobriety from workers on the job, it can become a bit tricky when you suspect drug use and want to act on your fears.”

Wilson says that if you work in a non-unionized environment, you should ask a supervisor or human resources team member to help you determine if an employee is under the influence of marijuana.

“If your suspicions are backed up by other leaders in your company, you can discipline and even terminate your employee,” says Wilson.

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Robert Griffen Wilson Joins Employco USA, Inc.

Employco USA
Robert Griffen Wilson

Employco USA, Inc. is pleased to announce that Robert “Griffen” Wilson has joined the firm as an Assistant Vice President. Griffen’s primary focus will be overseeing Employco’s national brokers program and connecting the firm’s broker partners with its sales and operations teams. In addition, Griffen will play a key role in supporting Employco’s trade show union relations across the country.

Griffen has been part of the Employco team for several years as a summer intern, working with all of the firm’s sales and operational teams to obtain a clear understanding of the unique functionality of each. He now joins the firm on a full-time basis, having graduated from Coastal Carolina University’s Wall School of Business in 2019 with a major in Business Management and a concentration in Entrepreneurship. In addition to working at Employco during his time in school, Griffen also founded Outer Shores LLC, an on-line clothing line specializing in casual wear. The company was committed to giving back to society and, to that end, donated 10% of all sales to cleaning up oceans and coastlines around the world.

About: Employco USA, Inc. provides human resource outsourcing solutions to businesses across the United States. The firm provides cost-reducing payroll processing, robust benefits options, creative HR assistance, highly competitive Workers’ Compensation rates and innovative risk management tools. In the trade show arena, Employco is endorsed by both ESCA and EACA. 

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

The Five Rules of Holiday Gift-Giving in the Workplace

Employco USA

HR expert weighs in on the complicated etiquette of presents in the office

GiftsExchanging holiday gifts in the workplace is often a tricky affair. The rules tend to be ambiguous, and expectations tend to vary widely from employee to employee. Luckily, there are several things that managers and HR personnel can do to make the holidays more joyful.

Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and human resources expert says, “The biggest mistake I see is that managers think they shouldn’t weigh in on gift-giving. Yet employees want clear, concise guidelines. Some employees wonder: Should I give my boss a gift? And, if I don’t and everyone else does, what will they think of me? Others are strapped for cash yet feel obligated to give to everyone in the office, while some employees feel maligned because they are expected to give gifts when they don’t even celebrate the holidays.”

So, what is the answer? Wilson believes that a carefully crafted “gift-giving policy” is needed, and should be passed out to all new employees as well as circulated again during the holiday season. Possible tips to consider include:

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New Year, New Paycheck: Minimum Wage Set to Increase Across the Country

Employco USA

Employment expert weighs in on what to expect when 2020 starts

2020With the New Year just weeks away, employers need to start considering upcoming changes to minimum wage law that will become effective on Jan. 1, 2020. Several states, including Illinois, Arizona, Colorado, and Florida are seeing minimum wage hikes.

“This is just the beginning of minimum wage increases,” says employment expert Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, a national employment solutions firm with locations across the country. “For example, starting on Jan. 1, the Illinois minimum wage will increase from $8.25 to $9.25, but come June, that will increase to $10. The goal is to gradually increase minimum wage by $1 each year, until 2025, when it will hit $15 an hour.”

Wilson also notes that in July, Chicago employers (within the city limits) will need to start providing predictability pay whenever they ask a worker to change their schedule.

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(Article) “Here is How Overtime Pay Will Change in Jan. 2020”

Employco USA

Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, was recently quoted in an article for WBIW:

Starting in January 2020, important changes are coming to Americans’ paychecks. Beginning in the new year, new overtime provisions from the Fair Labor Standards Act will go into place.

“Previously workers were automatically entitled to overtime pay only if they earned $23,660 or less a year,” says Rob Wilson, employment trends expert and President of Employco USA, an employment solutions firm with locations across the county. “But, starting in just a handful of weeks, that salary ceiling will be raised to $35,568. Under this new ruling, these workers are entitled to receive one and one-half times their regular pay if they work more than 40 hours in a week.”

Follow the link to read more:

WBIW

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

Podcast: 2020 Benefit Planning

Employco USA

Rob, Scott, and Jason discuss 2020 benefit planning; from the history of group health insurance and employer benefit plans to wellness programs, member education, open enrollment, the Affordable Care Act, retirement plans, strategies for non-traditional benefits (flex-time, student loan repayment, pet benefits), and more.

2020 Benefit Planning

Contact us with any questions you may have, we’re here to help: hr@employco.com

Here is How Overtime Pay Will Change in Jan. 2020

Employco USA

Employment expert explains what employers need to know about overtime pay in the new year

OvertimeStarting in January 2020, important changes are coming to Americans’ paychecks. Beginning in the new year, new overtime provisions from the Fair Labor Standards Act will go into place.

“Previously workers were automatically entitled to overtime pay only if they earned $23,660 or less a year,” says Rob Wilson, employment trends expert and President of Employco USA, an employment solutions firm with locations across the county. “But, starting in just a handful of weeks, that salary ceiling will be raised to $35,568. Under this new ruling, these workers are entitled to receive one and one-half times their regular pay if they work more than 40 hours in a week.”

But it is not just workers who earn under the $35,568 threshold who will be eligible for overtime.

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Gerri LeCompte Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Employco

Employco USA

Gerri LeCompteGerri LeCompte recently celebrated her 20th anniversary as the vice president of payroll services at Employco USA, a human resource and outsourcing firm, in Westmont, IL.

Gerri has been helping the firm stay on the cutting edge of payroll technology, and in turn has served a key role in company growth and expansion over the years.

“Gerri’s contribution and commitment to Employco are unmatched, our journey would have been impossible without her. Congratulations on 20 years of service,” said Rob Wilson, CEO, Employco.

LeCompte attended St. Xavier University for Liberal Studies, with a focus in Business and Accounting. She started work at Employco as a payroll clerk in 1999. A year later she took on a roll that focused more on client/union contract maintenance, benefit payments, and audits. In 2002 she was promoted to payroll supervisor. And in 2017 she was promoted to vice president of payroll services. She has seen much growth and positive change over the last 20 years with the company and is excited to keep moving forward.

“I want to thank the Wilson family for their faith in me over the years to help them towards their business goals.  I look forward to many more years with my Employco family.”

LeCompte has been married for 19 years and lives in the southwest suburbs of Chicago with her husband and two children, ages 11 and 13. She is very involved in her children’s school and sport organizations, and enjoys spending time with her family and friends in her free time.

For more information, please contact Rob Wilson at (630) 286-7345 or rwilson@employco.com.

20th Anniversary