A residential construction company in Idaho learned the hard way that unpaid overtime adds up quickly – in this case, totaling $293,698 in back wages. What started as overtime missteps soon escalated when a federal investigation looked into the company’s…
Widespread uncertainty and rapid policy shifts during the first year of Trump 2.0 have been a “roller coaster for employers,” according to a new report from the Littler Workplace Policy Institute (WPI). To gauge employer concerns amid this uncertainty, WPI…
A California carwash has agreed to pay $1.2 million to resolve "widespread wage theft" and other labor law violations, according to the California Labor Commissioner’s Office (LCO). The payout will reimburse 23 affected employees for unpaid wages. State Investigators Uncover…
A Little Caesars franchisee will pay $409,457 for federal wage and hour violations, the Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced. The case shows how payroll mistakes can turn into expensive liabilities when overtime calculations and recordkeeping controls fall short. Wage…
Who’s an employee and who’s an independent contractor? When making that determination for wage and hour compliance, businesses may soon have fewer restrictions. That’s because the Department of Labor (DOL) recently released a proposed rule on classifying workers, and…
Interest rates for the second quarter will drop, the IRS recently announced. According to Revenue Ruling 2026-5, the rates for April, May and June of 2026 will be: Overpayments -- 6% (down from 7%) Corporate overpayments -- 5% (down from…
Prompt. Generate. Post. That’s the new recruiting workflow for many HR teams turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up job posting creation and target the best candidates. AI tools can generate job descriptions, highlight benefits, and even tailor…
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued a Federal Register notice increasing the minimum wage for certain federal contractors. Here are the details contained in the February 9, 2026, notice. First, it’s important to clarify that the rate change applies…
Be on the lookout for an updated notice, requiring you to provide healthcare coverage to an employee's child. As in the past, if you receive a National Medical Support Notice (NMSN), you'll need to act promptly to enroll the child…
The IRS summarized several tax provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) in the 2026 version of Publication 15. Publication 15 is called the Employer’s Tax Guide -- or sometimes, Circular E. Of special interest to Payroll pros,…
A federal judge in New York ruled from the bench that documents an individual created using generative AI and sent to his lawyer were not protected by attorney-client privilege. The decision appears to be the first federal ruling of its…
Employers in states that have paid family and medical leave programs will be relieved to know the IRS has extended its reporting deadline. In fact, employers have an extra year to add information about this type of paid time off…
A Denver-area restaurant is paying nearly $62,000 after a DOL investigation uncovered tip retention and recordkeeping violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The case shows how a tip dispute can expand into broader wage-hour liability once payroll practices…
As finance and HR leaders develop 2026 salary budgets, errors in payroll execution can quickly undermine the impact of planned pay raises. Employees rely on their pay to cover rising costs and navigate an uncertain economy – and payroll mistakes…
Some manager mistakes begin with an attempt to help -- and then land companies in court. In this case, a supervisor supported an underperforming employee with attention deficit disorder (ADD), but his alleged "ADD brain" remarks kept her disability discrimination…
The IRS has finalized the tax year 2026 Form W-2, solidifying more of the reporting requirements established by federal legislation passed last year. Plus, the final version of General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 was released shortly after the…
HRMorning, part of the Rover Insights Network, provides the latest HR and employment law news for HR professionals in the trenches of small-to-medium-sized businesses. Rather than simply regurgitating the day's headlines, HRMorning delivers actionable insights, helping HR execs understand what HR trends mean to their business.
