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Employers often ask: Where do I send state unemployment (SUTA) tax payments when I have employees who live in different states than where they work? There are specific unemployment tax rules for multi-state employees, and while it's always best to seek the advice of your accountant, the below provides an overview of what's expected of employers.

BACKGROUND: On August 8, President Trump signed the Memorandum on Deferring Payroll Tax Obligations in Light of the Ongoing COVID-19 Disaster, which directs the Treasury Department to defer collection of the employee portion of Social Security FICA taxes - which is part of required payroll tax withholding - from September 1, 2020 through the end of 2020. You can read our original blog post on that order here - however, please refer to the below

President Trump recently signed a series of executive orders and memorandums, largely designed to extend various portions of prior pandemic-relief legislation (FFCRA and CARES acts).

Most significantly for employers, the Memorandum on Deferring Payroll Tax Obligations in Light of the Ongoing COVID-19 Disaster directs the Treasury Department to defer collection of the employee portion of Social Security FICA taxes - which is part of required

As schools and businesses look toward reopening, many have considered - either through state or local requirements or organizational preference - how best to institute daily COVID-19 health screenings. Many states have issued requirements that employers - depending on sector - screen employees prior to the beginning of each shift.

For example, in Massachusetts employers in the following sectors are required to screen workers at each shift for

This post was updated August 6, 2020 to reflect the most recent US DOL guidance. Updated information is bolded below.

 

States around the country are implementing travel-based quarantines for individuals entering their states, in the hopes of mitigating the spread of COVID-19 within their borders.

Employers are asking: Are employees entitled to emergency paid sick leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) in the event of

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan borrowers have a bit more time to review and prepare their PPP Forgiveness Applications.

When the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, the weeks that followed were marked by a flood of loan applications under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) set up by the new legislation. Under the PPP, employers are able to borrow forgivable loans to help cover payroll costs - including salaries, healthcare premiums, paid leave benefits, and state taxes on employee wages - during the

An unemployment benefits claim lands on your desk. You glance at the name of the employee, and it's someone who is still actively working at your company! How could someone employed at your company be filing for unemployment?

This scenario has played out across hundreds of business in numerous states over the past few weeks, most prominently in Washington, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island - though reports indicate the scam is occurring

As states loosen restrictions and look to re-open their economies, schools and businesses will return to a changed environment. Many routines that were previously taken for granted will need to be reevaluated. Similarly, organizations may recognize new efficiencies and tools that help navigate this changed environment and assist in managing employees.

Here are some considerations for employers and HR professionals as we all work toward