Category: business

Among the many lasting effects of the pandemic is that some businesses are allowing employees to continue working from home — even now that the most acute phases of the public health crisis seem to be over in some places. This decision is raising some interesting questions about fringe benefits. For example, in IRS Information…

While many economic indicators remain strong, the U.S. economy is still giving business owners plenty to think about. The nation’s gross domestic product unexpectedly contracted in the first quarter of 2022. Rising inflation is on everyone’s mind. And global supply chain issues persist, spurred on by events such as the COVID-19 lockdowns in China and…

Keeping up with employment regulations and health care benefits can be a struggle for many small to midsize businesses. One potential solution is engaging a professional employer organization (PEO). PEOs employ experts who understand the minutiae of many HR functions. Moreover, these firms can handle difficult, recurring tasks such as managing employment taxes and administering…

It’s a dilemma that’s been in the news and on business owners’ minds for a while now. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with other world events, have strained supply chains both global and national. And, throwing gasoline on the fire, cyberattacks have threatened to further disrupt the smooth flow of materials, products and fuel. These heightened…

In recent years, more and more businesses have increased efforts to support the well-being of their employees. This means not only providing health care benefits, but also offering other initiatives designed to help workers cope with challenges such as substance dependence, financial planning, legal woes and mental health issues. Among the options usually considered is…

Pay equity is both required by law and a sound business practice. However, providing equitable compensation to employees who perform the same or similar jobs, while accounting for differences in experience and tenure, isn’t easy. That’s why every company should at least consider undertaking a pay equity audit to assess its compensation philosophy and approach.…

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made great inroads into certain sectors of the U.S. economy. However, it hasn’t reached many small to midsize businesses (SMBs) in a major way … yet. In 2021, AI analysis firm Unsupervised published a survey of 520 SMB owners that found 48% of them still found AI too cost prohibitive. Forty…

Spring has sprung — and summer isn’t far off. If your business typically hires minors for summer jobs, now’s a good time to brush up on child labor laws. In News Release No. 22-546-DEN, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently announced that it’s stepping up efforts to identify child labor…

Is your business ready to seek funding from outside investors? Perhaps you’re a start-up that needs money to launch as robustly as possible. Or maybe your company has been operating for a while and you want to pivot in a new direction or just take it to the next level. Whatever the case may be,…

Although there have been some positive signs for the U.S. economy thus far in 2022, many businesses are still reeling from last year’s “Great Resignation.” This trend of a historic number of workers voluntarily leaving their jobs, combined with the difficulty of hiring new employees, didn’t spare sales teams. However, one could say that the…