How to Hire Entry-level Employees

It’s been estimated that some two-thirds of new grads don’t know where their education and skills can be applied to the workforce. This makes screening critical: Look for candidates who seem to have balanced a lot of activities in college — played a sport, participated in student government or had a strong GPA in a demanding major — to indicate time-management skills. Also look for communication skills as demonstrated by the candidate’s projects, volunteer work, and internships. Read more

How to Reduce Your Company’s Labor Costs

Salaries and wages are one of the largest costs for any company and can feel like the most difficult to control. But it doesn’t have to be this way. At LCAF Payroll, we eliminate the stress that comes with payroll by providing full-service payroll options. We’ve also put together a list of areas to help you reduce your labor costs, making wages and budgeting less stressful. Read on to learn more: Read more

IRS Offers Tax Relief to Victims of California Wildfires

Businesses affected by wildfires in seven California counties have until Jan. 31, 2018, to file certain tax
returns and make certain tax payments, the Internal Revenue Service said Sept. 13. Read more

California to Require Unpaid Parental Leave at Small Businesses

Employers with between 20 and 49 employees must provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected
parental leave to bond with a new child within one year of the child’s birth, adoption, or foster-care
placement, effective Jan. 1, 2018, under a measure (S.B. 63) signed Oct. 12 by California Gov. Jerry
Brown (D). Read more

Tips on Managing the Ubiquitous Form 1099

One of the most important tax and payroll issues a company has to address is who is an actual employee and who is an independent contractor. Once you have that worked out, your next step is making sure each category of workers gets the right forms. True employees get a Form W-2 each year, and freelancers — independent contractors — get a Form 1099-MISC. This form can be used for a variety of payments, and one of the most common and significant uses is for independent contractors. Read more

LCAF Payroll: What to Know About Checks & Deposits

Whether you handle payroll in-house or you outsource your services, providing employees with their earnings in a timely, accurate fashion is of the utmost importance. That’s why understanding checks and deposits are so essential. At LCAF Payroll, we take this burden off your shoulders. All you have to worry about is ensuring that your cash needs for covering payroll are met. Read more

How to Communicate With Your Staff

Don’t let poor communication among your workers and managers get worse. It can lead to a serious decline in your firm’s health. But there are ways to perk up communication. Here are some smart tips for improvement: Read more

Should You Be Paying Bonuses to Your Staff?

A bonus is a payment that’s in addition to an employee’s salary. There are various types of bonus arrangements. Most common is merit-based — an individual earns a bonus based on performance. Sometimes, though, an incentive is based on how well the company is doing or a combination of the individual’s and the firm’s achievements. Read more

What to Do After the Hurricane

Those pictures you see from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma – ordinary people out there in waist-high water, rescuing both their neighbors and strangers, coming from other states and other counties – demonstrate yet again not only the resilience of Americans but our decency in reaching out to others without a thought to personal safety. Read more

Know the Tax Rules for Part-time or Seasonal Help

As an employer, you normally have to file a quarterly Form 941 to report your employees’ wages and withholding. Each quarter, if you pay wages subject to income tax withholding (including withholding on sick pay and supplemental unemployment benefits) or Social Security and Medicare taxes, you must file a Form 941, although there are some exceptions. Read more