Basically, that rule lets employers structure their relationships with employees  however they want (more or less); it’s really about ensuring that they don’t treat people as contractors  (by not paying payroll taxes) when they shouldn’t be. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. accepted a raise and promised to stay for a year, but now I want to leave. Back in January, my boss somehow found out I was looking for another job and sat me down. It’s now June and I’ve got a potentially great opportunity, but I feel guilty leaving. No response yet. MORE

She is the key worker who processes payroll and the entire office depends on payroll being processed on a fixed and regular timetable, in order to get paid. So complaining about how you didn’t really want to come to work and then launching into a long story about your children and how your kids asked you not to come to work because you should be with them, every single time she has to do payroll doesn’t make any sense. have been conscious of the adjustment for her being back in an office, and overall she’s been quite enthusiastic about working again. MORE

If you know how much money you need to operate, and you are able to build up some funds to cover the necessary things like taxes and payroll, along with things like saving to take a vacation or hire an employee, you’ll have a much better idea when you’ve got enough, because you’ll have your neatly laid out financial goals and they’ll all be met. Lynne Somerman is a regular reader here, and she’s also a budget and money coach. asked her if she’d do an interview here about her work, and she gracious agreed. So you’re a budget and money coach! MORE

A reader writes: I have to do my yearly self evaluation, which asks me to list my accomplishments with defined goals. I do payroll processing for a large company. Our department processes payroll each week, and that is it. have been with the company 36 years, and I do the same job day in and day out; there are no accomplishments or defined goals to write about. There are no special assignments or projects to write about. It is a structured job, same thing each week. What could I possibly write about on this evaluation? hate this yearly review process. salary work habits MORE

It’s hard to say whether or not it’s fair without knowing more (like how much he’s reducing your hourly rate by), but it’s pretty common for contractors to get paid more than employees, since contractors are responsible for their own payroll taxes and don’t receive benefits. I’d do the math to figure out the amount this will reduce your tax burden by, so that you know if you’ll be coming out head, behind, or relatively even. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Doing a roast of departing colleagues. Am I off-base here? Ooooh, yeah, you’re not off-base. MORE

know that this benefits the company in that it would decrease its monthly costs (benefits, payroll taxes, etc.). Otherwise, it’s a bad deal — as you point out, you won’t be getting benefits (and keep in mind that includes paid time off, not just insurance) and you’ll be responsible for your own payroll taxes. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. He’s white, I’m black. Sometime around the 2-month mark, I noticed that a week wouldn’t go by when he wouldn’t reference my race or point out that I’m black. Ignore it. MORE

submitted my invoice for the first two weeks of the month (per their payroll person) and charged half the monthly fee even though I hadn’t actually put in 20 hours of work for that period. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Job candidate got our company name wrong in a presentation. My company is currently conducting interviews for an upper-level management position. As part of the interview process, candidates give a presentation to staff. Ooooh, that’s not good. Of course everyone makes mistakes at times; we are human, after all. cavalier?). Red or berry lips? MORE

While she was gone on Tuesday, Payroll asked me for a copy of the obituary since I had put in for her bereavement time to have started on Friday. apologized and told her that I wasn’t trying to make her upset but that payroll needed it in order to pay her for the days she had been out. forwarded this to Payroll and figured that the case was closed. Payroll contacted me the next day to say that the note was fine to certify the dates of services but still needed something that proved the date of passing (not on the note) as well as her relationship to the deceased. MORE

Keep in mind, though, that converting to employee status may actually mean less pay; independent contractors are typically paid more since they’re responsible for their own payroll taxes and don’t receive benefits.). I’d say it this way: “Our current set-up with having me do this much work in the office is starting to run afoul of the federal regulations on independent contractors. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Is it normal to complain about coworkers behind their backs? No, it’s not normal. Manager is in a romantic relationship with a junior staff member. MORE

good litmus test of the ethics: If her current employer knew she starting the new job immediately, would they choose to keep her on payroll? It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My employee wants me to teach her a skill she doesn’t really need for her job. currently manage a team of eight people. How much additional knowledge and information should I share with my employees outside of what is needed for them to do their job? For example, one of my staff members asked me to train her on using Microsoft Excel. So where do I draw the line? ” 2. Is it unethical? MORE

The owner has always said that payroll is to be kept confidential at all times. However, she was way out of line and showed that she can’t be trusted to handle the information her job exposes her to professionally and discreetly, and that’s something that should really concern her boss. I’d go talk to the owner and say, “You’ve made it very clear that payroll information is confidential. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My coworker shared my salary info because she was angry at me. She knew nothing about my job. short answers MORE

He suggested as a start to just offer to relinquish the credit card and offer to expense legitimate things through my bank account going forward. I put together a quick budget, reflecting that with no more spending on the card and no more of the monthly PayPal fees, I can get this paid off within 12 months, through payroll reductions alone. Here’s his update. went to my manager and just laid it on the table, cut out any mention of factors as to how I got here, just laid it out: I have $20k personal expenses on the company card and I can’t immediately pay it back. updates MORE

Most other states do allow employers to reclaim the money through payroll deductions, but some have limits on exactly how it’s done. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My former intern ghosted her new job — should I contact her to see if she’s okay? Last fall I had a terrific intern who was in her last year of school. She was very reliable, she learned a lot about our industry, her progress was trackable in the improvement of her work, etc. She also sent me a lovely thank-you note after she secured a job with the help of my recommendation. That was several months ago. MORE

He spent the better part of the day double-checking the numbers in the file and submitting the revised file to payroll. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. I was invited to a group interview. Several days after submitting a job application, I received this response: “We will be conducting a group interview for the [title] position on [date and time]. Kindly confirm your attendance via email.” ” This is a professional job requiring a specialized master’s degree and 4+ years of experience, so the invitation strikes me as slightly insane. MORE

work in payroll and think a coworker is fudging her time sheets. I was wondering if you could help me with a moral question I have. work in payroll and we have timesheets for our few non-exempt employees. The employee sends their time – manager approves – I add to payroll. The thing that I can’t get over is that she submits time sheets to me for payroll that are complete fabrications, saying she gets here on time every day and leaves on time and her manager approves them. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. No, this is not reasonable or normal. MORE

just met with our payroll and HR manager because not only is my hire somehow in negative sick leave and PTO, but he has apparently been using his lunch hours to barge into her office and argue about his time off, trying to get the organization to pay for it for various reasons. A reader writes: I’m a manager at a large nonprofit. The budget is tight and I am short-staffed. hired a guy who had great experience and great references and was amazing in the interview. Towards the end of the 90-day trial period, my hire started asking pretty frequently about being made permanent. MORE

Well, as it turns out, Sunday is the first day of the week as far as payroll is concerned, so I received a call Sunday asking where I was. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My former manager wants me to host a product party for her. My former supervisor has been extremely helpful as a reference for me numerous times and I feel indebted to her to some degree for that. Perhaps she is aware of that, too. Apparently she is “starting a business” with Premier Jewelry. She says I would get a lot of free jewelry out of it. What do you think? Noooooo. That sucked. MORE

Moreover, contractors generally charge significantly more than employees, because they’re not receiving benefits and are responsible for paying their own payroll taxes. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. An employee clique is causing problems. I’m a new manager who’s been internally promoted and taken over a team of 13 people, divided into two main cliques. There’s a group of the tenured employees and a group of the new employees, and they can’t seem to manage to intermingle. One even referred to the workplace as “pledging into a sorority.” MORE

week before payroll is next run, contact HR again and say you want to verify that your pay rate will be revised before the next payroll run. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My manager is asking me for twice-a-day reporting on how I’m spending my time. My current manager has started making me do a daily “plan of day” and “end of day report” to send to him. have to record in an Excel spreadsheet what I plan to do and what I AM doing every hour and send to him daily. Is this discrimination? Now I don’t think so. Do I talk to him about it? MORE

My old one from 2011 said 5 deductions but this new one said 2, so I took it to payroll and they said it was my fault for not looking at my paycheck for two years, so now I owe a lot of taxes. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My company says I didn’t return their property on my last day. What can happen if you say you returned all company property after being terminated, but the company says you didn’t? My employer fired me on Monday, asked for my badge, cell, iPad, briefcase, and chargers. hope I didn’t misunderstand. Should I go? Whose fault is it? MORE

The only reason why I am looking for a new job right now is because the company that I am working for is really not doing well financially (in the past couple of months, they’ve struggled to make payroll). I am concerned that if I do not find a new job right now on my own terms, I might be forced to look for one very soon anyway. ” * Or in your case: “I’ve really enjoyed my work there, but they’re having trouble making payroll, so I think it’s time for me to be looking at what’s next. My situation is a bit unique because I actually really like my current job. MORE

Our bookkeeper missed payroll. For example: “While there are some tasks that are okay to put off when you’re sick or have higher priorities, payroll isn’t one of them. Also, make it clear that if she’s ever in danger of missing payroll, she needs to raise it with you immediately (not the day of or after the fact) so that you can ensure a solution is put in place so that doesn’t happen. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Emotional intelligence plays a big role. love this organization and its mission, and it breaks my heart to see this happening. MORE

The small company I work for (seven people) recently fired our VP (via phone, no less) and he trashed our office, stole contracts, payroll/billing files, employee files etc. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. fired VP trashed our office and won’t stop emailing us. This was seven weeks ago. Since then, the former VP has taken to cc’ing the entire company on every email he sends — things like demanding his employee file, demanding to be reimbursed for mileage, saying how bad our president/owner is, etc. In fact he’s done next to nothing about it. short answers MORE

It would be like asking about how payroll is managed; you can generally assume that they have systems in place for those things. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Makeup and hair styling is making our work bathrooms gross. My organization shares a floor with a few other companies, and I noticed that some of the women in the other companies treat the shared bathroom like their own. I’ll come in in the morning and they will be gathered around the sink, putting on makeup and straightening their hair. The towels on the floor and hair in the sink is a different issue. MORE

And payroll taxes will not be deducted from your paychecks, which means that you need to be disciplined about setting aside cash regularly and making the quarterly payments the IRS requires. 2. And now a break to talk about a sponsor…. There can be huge perks to being a full-time independent contractor: You set your own schedule. You decide what work you do and don’t want to do. You often make more money – and in some cases can really blow off the ceiling of your potential earnings. Your taxes will dramatically change. You won’t get paid vacation or sick time. sponsors MORE

Part of your answer to this question (“can we delay payroll if someone isn’t turning in their hours on time?”) Earlier this year, a company I freelance for moved their payroll department to India. The relevant laws on wages are the ones for the state in which you’re working, so it doesn’t matter that this company’s payroll is being handled in India. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. I’m trying to resign but it’s not working. The thing is, my boss is making it literally impossible for me to leave! ”). 2. MORE

Remember the letter-writer working as an office manager for a small company and wondering how to handle payroll if someone didn’t submit their hours on time (#5 at the link)? The payroll issue was just one of a larger string of issues that made the entire job pretty intolerable. update: can we delay payroll if someone isn’t turning in their hours on time? Here’s the update. Overall, the whole thing was a disaster. Then he would call demanding to know the status of each job being worked that day, how much money we had made each day, etc. updates MORE

brought it to the attention of my manager the next week; he said he would check with payroll to find out what happened. He waited too long to talk to payroll about the error, and by the time he did, they told him it was too late to correct that paycheck. It’s great that my manager wants to make sure I get payed at his own expense, and maybe that’s fair since apparently it’s his procrastination that prevented it from being corrected through payroll. Is there someone we can escalate this to so that it’s handled correctly through payroll?” MORE

No one currently has any garnishments, but if they did I would know because I’d have to process them with their payroll. You don’t need to be cagey about it if it comes up in a work-relevant way (like if your boss is reviewing payroll and is unsure about the reason for one of these deductions, you wouldn’t refuse to tell him on privacy grounds) but there’s no need to for him to know or for you to report it beyond that kind of thing. 4. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. found a bedbug at work. So recently, I found a bedbug crawling on me at my workplace. MORE

As of now, she is the only person on the project’s payroll, as the person who gets the job I was interviewing for would need to hire the team. A reader writes: Two days after I finished my last position, I had a phone interview and was then asked for an in-person interview for a job 300 miles away. I was pumped! The first interview felt like magic — lightening in a bottle. Until I met the HR lady afterwards. After my interview, she told me she was rotating off the project (I was interviewing to lead the project, paid for by a foreign government, with it ending in three years time). MORE

Keep in mind, too, that as a contractor you’d be responsible for your own payroll taxes, which means you’d be taking home less money at the end of the day, unless your employer was willing to pay you more money cancel that out. 2. I’m already working from another state, and I’m worried we’re doing it wrong. And in the meantime, the company has not updated my address in payroll, so I am not paying into payroll taxes, etc. Two letters on a similar theme: 1. My boss says that to work remotely, I’d need to become a contractor. Is this fishy or legit? law + order MORE

feel like I have to say something, but folks may think I’m only saying it to make Mary look better since she’s my direct report. I’m sure there is a record of the intern on our payroll but am not sure it will detail what he did. The division has both paid student workers and volunteers; I am paid hourly. I was hired a month ago and was told via email by payroll that since I had previously held a job on campus, I did not need to submit any paperwork to their office. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Our director of IT gave notice this week. MORE

For instance, my supervisor was standing at my desk going over payroll with me. A reader writes: There are times when the manager of my department will ask a question or have a conversation with my supervisor about me while I am standing there instead of speaking directly to me. The manager asked my supervisor if I completed a project I was working on. Instead of asking me directly, she spoke to the supervisor as if I was not there. She does that with others as well. feel this is very rude and meant to belittle people. Am I being too sensitive? What would be the purpose of doing this? MORE

Since then, my responsibilities have expanded enormously, and I now run payroll for the whole company. asking for a raise when I manage payroll and know what everyone else makes was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I manage a team of ten at a small, rapidly growing company. When I became a manager a year ago, and the team I manage was only three people, I asked for at 15% raise and got 10%, which I was satisfied with. Because of this, I know that the other manager at the company with a similarly-sized team makes 40% more than I do. salary MORE

Due to a payroll error by my employer, I received overpayment in my paychecks. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Interviewer wants me to bring $350 to the interview. Today I received a call from an armed security company for an interview. I was excited, but when he mentioned I needed to bring my driver’s license, social security card, AND $350, I started to become skeptical. The interviewer received my application from Indeed, where my resume is posted, and after doing research I could not find any info on the company he called from. Is this normal? Any advice? MORE

It would be legally shaky if they’d actually been paying you for that side work as a contractor — meaning that weren’t taking out payroll taxes for that part of your pay. If the company is taking payroll taxes out of your check for all your work, they’re not treating you like a contractor and the government won’t care, despite what they’re calling it. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. I got chastised for taking initiative. council member emailed me recently asking me if Task X was possible to do relatively easily and quickly. MORE

The reason this all came up is because now she’s scared this all might end because the hotel is switching to a new payroll system which will make it harder for her supervisor to do this manipulation. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My friend is blackmailing her boss. have a friend who works as a server for an upscale hotel in a large city. She recently told me about a “deal” she made with her supervisor that has resulted in her making a lot more money. little background — she’s been at this job for about five years now. It’s possible. MORE

He is insisting that he needs to add this short-term temp position to his resume as it gives him payroll experience and shows that he’s had some employment in the past year. I’m equally insistent that a 4-week temp job doesn’t give you any kind of experience that is worthwhile to an employer, plus a 4-week employment “island” in the middle of a year of unemployment just looks … well, a little lame. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My manager keeps telling me that my coworker “felt the need to pray” after we had a misunderstanding. MORE

Can we delay payroll if someone isn’t turning in their hours on time? I am currently working as an office manager for a small handyman company. Part of my duties include collecting employee time cards and reporting hours to the third party vendor that processes our payroll. One employee in generally late with his time card, thus putting the rest of payroll on hold until he submits his. If an employee does not submit their time cards by stated deadlines, can we go ahead and process payroll? It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. ” 2. MORE

But you can’t use the value of benefits, retirement contributions, payroll taxes, or anything else to calculate it — it’s got to be salary. 5. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Are you obligated to support your friends’ businesses? My friend, who is an Arbonne consultant recently posted this on her Facebook page and I was wondering your thoughts (and the readers’ thoughts) on it: If your friend sells Avon, try it! If your friend sells Scentsy, try it! If your friend sells Tupperware, try it! If your friend sells Jamberry, try it! What are your thoughts? MORE