Build a stronger foundation in payroll compliance and gain practical strategies to navigate complex wage and hour rules - helping you avoid costly mistakes, ensure accuracy, and earn employee trust.
Payroll professionals face complex challenges in navigating federal and state wage and hour rules. From multi-state withholding and unemployment tax compliance to proper employee classification and overtime calculation, even small mistakes can lead to penalties, lawsuits, or employee distrust.
This topic will provide a practical, national overview of the rules that most often trip up payroll teams. We’ll address common misconceptions, clarify the difference between federal and state requirements, and share compliance strategies that help payroll professionals protect their organizations while building trust with employees. Participants will leave with a stronger foundation in payroll compliance and the tools to spot and resolve issues before they escalate.
Learning Objectives
- You will be able to describe FLSA exempt and nonexempt employees by applying salary and duties tests, and clarify common myths related to exemption status.
- You will be able to explain the rules for determining the correct state for income tax withholding and unemployment insurance, including the impact of multi-state employment and reciprocity agreements.
- You will be able to identify key payroll compliance issues, including how to handle pay for non-worked time, the effects of bonuses on overtime, and the risks of employee misclassification under federal and state laws.
- You will be able to recognize how to accurately calculate overtime pay by understanding federal and state definitions of the workweek and what constitutes compensable time, such as travel, training, and waiting periods.
Agenda
What State Do I Withhold and Accrue for?
- Understanding the Difference Between Withholding State and Unemployment State
- Multi-State Employment: Localization, Base of Operations, and Reciprocity Agreements
- Examples of Common Errors in Multi-State Compliance
Defining FLSA Exempt vs. Nonexempt Employees
- Salary vs. Duties Test: How Exemption Is Determined
- Myths About Managers and Hourly Employees
- Tracking Time for Exempt Employees - What It Means and What It Doesn’t
How to Calculate Overtime
- Defining the Workweek Under FLSA and State Law
- Rules for Changing the Workweek
- Determining What Counts as Hours Worked (Waiting Time, Travel, Training)
Determining Pay for Non-Worked Time
- Federal vs. State Rules for Holiday, Sick, and Vacation Pay
- When Non-Worked Time Counts Toward Overtime
- Paid vs. Unpaid Breaks, Training, and Travel Time
Common Payroll Misconceptions (Bonus Section)
- Salaried Does Not Equal Exempt
- Overtime Is a Legal Requirement, Not a Policy Choice
- Bonuses and Their Impact on Overtime
- Misclassification Risks: Employee vs. Contractor
- Federal vs. State Law - Which Prevails?
Speakers
Alma Stewart, CPP,
ADP- Implementation Consultant, payroll
- 20+ years of experience in payroll including managing multistate payroll departments
- CPP/FPC study group coordinator
- Author of several publications in PayTech magazine related to payroll electronic payments
- Member of American Payroll Association for 10+ years
- Accounting degree as well as CPP certification
- Graduate in accounting, University of Alaska, Anchorage
Who Should Attend
This live webinar is designed for payroll professionals, human resource and benefit professionals, accountants, controllers, business managers, office managers, presidents, vice presidents, CFOs, finance directors, bookkeepers, and attorneys.
