The court battle over which workers can be classified as independent contractors versus employees does affect your business whether you want to think about it or not. Whatever the IRS makes a priority  of a topic will soon be the focus of audits, too. In short: that means anyone with workers must be well-versed on worker classification.

Independent Contractors (ICs) are self-employed, hired to do a specific job, and receive payment only for the work performed. Unlike a regular employee, they pick their jobs and regularly move from client to client, business to business. Also referred to as freelancers, consultants, and 1099’s, they report their own business income and pay self-employment taxes.

Hiring an IC is attractive to companies looking for outside creative resources who want to outsource work that is not central to their main line of business. The work is project-oriented and is typically completed in a short amount of time. It’s also easier on the budget to pay your IC as a vendor, not as an employee.

Sounds nice, right? But there’s a big catch.

The IRS has very strict guidelines that define true business-to-business relationships. These guidelines are meant to prevent firms from misclassifying would-be employees, thereby avoiding a bounty of state and federal taxes.

Is your IC really an independent contractor?

This is a deceptively complex question. It’s important to justify your “yes” because of the high audit risk associated with loose practices around independent contractors.

Best Practices:

• Contractor has an established business entity and EIN
• Contractor provides services to multiple clients
• IC provides certificates of insurance, including general liability insurance and worker’s comp
• Company and contractor have a signed services agreement
• Agreement specifies project length, compensation and liability

When working with your contractors:

• Do not train a contractor, direct their work responsibilities or define their work schedules
• Independent contractors should use their own equipment
• Do not provide any employment benefits, such as health insurance and corporate stock options
• Contract on a per-project basis
• Keep in mind that this is a business-to-business relationship

Prevent an Audit/Years of Headaches

Audits are costly and time-consuming even for businesses that do everything by the book. How much are you willing to pay in time and hassle for employee misclassification? If you have any questions about independent contractor status, trust PayReel to help you make the determination.

We screen each employment situation carefully to assess the entire relationship to make sure you are in complete compliance. Call us at 303.526.4900 or email info@payreel.com.

The post You Have Better Things to do With Your Time Than an Audit appeared first on PayReel .

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The interconnectedness of today’s digital world makes it increasingly important to be vigilant on the cybersecurity front. Digital information cannot be locked up in a safe and unlike a physical object, you may never even know it’s been obtained by a malicious agent. We learn early to keep our valuables under close watch but digitally, you’re protecting invisible, highly-valuable assets. Unlike a wallet, our identity, data, and customers’ personally identifiable information (PII) are not tangible items that we can keep in our sight, knowing that as long as it’s in our hands, it’s not in someone else’s. Cybersecurity requires a different approach.

It seems every week, a major company, hospital, or education system experiences an alarming security breach. The breaches may compromise privacy (hacked laptop/phone cameras, for example), data, or PII. Credit monitoring companies, phones, and even entire cities  have been compromised and even taken hostage. This NPR piece offers a sobering read on the fifth domain (after land, air, water, and space) of the cyberworld.

Businesses and consumers increasingly rely on apps and software to get everyday work done. For companies, this comes with a responsibility to protect clients’ information. So what’s a company to do?

It’s a real problem. So now what?

We’re not going to offer a sobering perspective without offering solutions. While we’re talking about what businesses can do, we would be remiss not to address one important aspect of how you can protect yourself on a personal level. You can freeze your credit as well as that of your minor-aged kids. Here’s an article from the USA Today with more about how and why to take this step.

Customers trust companies with priceless personal information and sensitive company data and companies have a great responsibility to handle that data with care.

How Companies Can Protect Sensitive Customer Information

1. Password management: There are tools that offer super-secure ways to make sure your company passwords are accessible only to whom you want them to be. If you’ve ever tried to access a company account after the person who managed it is no longer with the company, you see the value here. Aside from the convenience, it’s a way to keep information super secure.
2. Policies and procedures: Make sure you have policies and procedures in place to prevent attacks. Train employees on good security etiquette. For most organizations, human error is by far the most likely source of mistakes that lead to breaches.
3. Insurance coverage: Should you experience a breach, having solid insurance coverage in place can make it a lot less painful by covering the financial loss. This article provides a lawyer’s guide to cybersecurity insurance coverage.
4. Penetration tests: Have third parties perform monthly security checks and an annual penetration test. 
5. Customer encryption: Encrypt all information at multiple levels. Encryption scrambles data so that it’s unreadable without the encryption key. This article on business cybersecurity talks about three ways companies should encrypt data: “at rest, in motion and in use.” 

The Bottom Line

Any investment in your security is a wise investment indeed.

The post Cybersecurity And The Responsibility to Protect Your Company And Clients appeared first on PayReel .

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The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is a healthcare reform law that was passed in 2010. The main purpose of the ACA is to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for all Americans.

There are a number of different requirements that businesses must comply with in order to be in line with the ACA. This can seem daunting, but luckily there is an ACA compliance checklist to help you make sure you are on track.

Why comply with the ACA ? There are a number of reasons. First and foremost, it is the law. But beyond that, complying with the ACA can help to improve your employees’ health and well-being, which in turn can improve your business’s bottom line .

What do you need to do to make sure you are ACA compliant? Check out the list below.

• Make sure you are offering health insurance to your employees: This is one of the most important requirements of the ACA. If you do not offer health insurance, you may be subject to a penalty.
• Make sure your health insurance meets the minimum requirements: The ACA requires that all health insurance plans must cover certain essential benefits, such as doctor visits, hospitalizations, and prescription drugs.
• Make sure you are not discriminating against employees: The ACA prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on health status. This means that you cannot deny coverage to employees with pre-existing conditions or charge them higher premiums.
• Make sure you are providing employees with information about the health insurance marketplace.

There are a number of notices and disclosures that employers must provide in order to be in compliance with the ACA . 

• Marketplace notice: Employers must provide their employees with a notice about the health insurance marketplace. The notice must include information about the availability of subsidies for health insurance coverage through the marketplace.
• Coverage options: Employers must provide their employees with information about their coverage options, including whether or not the coverage meets the minimum essential coverage requirements of the ACA. Employers can choose to provide their employees with health insurance through the marketplace, or they can choose to provide their employees with health insurance through an employer-sponsored plan. 

W-2 reporting is a requirement under the Affordable Care Act that employers must provide their employees with information about their health insurance coverage on their W-2 forms. This information is used to help employees and the IRS determine whether an employee is eligible for subsidies for health insurance coverage.

• Employee Rights and Responsibilities: Employees have a number of rights and responsibilities under the ACA. Employees have the right to receive information about their coverage options, and they also have the responsibility to provide accurate information about their health care needs. 
• Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC): The summary of benefits and coverage is a document that employers must provide their employees with in order to be in compliance with the ACA. The Summary of Benefits and Coverage must include information about the benefits and coverage available under the health insurance plan, as well as the cost of coverage.
• Guaranteed Renewable Coverage: Guaranteed Renewable Coverage is a type of health insurance coverage that employers must provide their employees with in order to be in compliance with the ACA. Guaranteed renewable coverage means that the health insurance plan cannot be canceled or changed by the insurer, as long as the premiums are paid.

Beyond the ACA compliance checklist, there are also a number of benefits to complying with the ACA. 

What are some of the specific benefits of complying with the ACA?

• Improved Employee Health: One of the main goals of the ACA is to improve the health of Americans. By offering health insurance and complying with the other requirements of the law, you can help your employees to be healthy and productive.
• Lower Healthcare Costs: Another goal of the ACA is to lower healthcare costs for both businesses and individuals. By complying with the law, you can help to keep your healthcare costs down.
• Improved Employee Morale: When employees know that their employer is taking steps to provide them with good health insurance and comply with the ACA, it can improve morale and loyalty.
• Fewer Absences: If your employees are healthy, they are less likely to miss work due to illness. This can help to improve your business’s bottom line.

As you can see, there are a number of reasons why complying with the ACA is important for businesses. Not only is it the law, but it can also help to improve your employees’ health and well-being, lower your healthcare costs, and improve employee morale. So, if you have not yet done so, refer to our ACA Compliance Checklist and make sure to start working on ACA compliance today to improve your business.

The post ACA Compliance Checklist appeared first on Maslow Media.

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Job Category: 
Television Engineering/Technical Manager

Locations:  Tustin, CA. 92780, Mt. Wilson, CA. 91023

Contact: Please send resume to resume@digitalglue.com to apply

Job Summary

The Transmitter Site Engineer will oversee the maintenance and operations of the DTV transmitter equipment at the station and transmitter remote sites. The position requires not only experience in engineering and television station operations, but also proven experience in the ability to communicate complex information to broadcast staff.  The Site has solid-state transmitters, wireless internet STL, and the latest Burk remote control units for monitoring and control of sites.

Job Duties and
Responsibilities

• Manages all aspects of
  the satellite uplink and terrestrial DTV station television transmitter
  operations.
• Perform site
  inspections and maintenance and respond to off the air emergencies.
• Provides timely/urgent
  response in resolving technical and operational problems including but not
  limited to on an off-air situations, equipment, and transmitter issues
  24/7/365.
• Maintain,
  troubleshoot, install, and repair broadcast technical plant, equipment, and
  systems, including transmitters, related equipment, remote control, studio
  equipment, telephone, digital transmission of a multi-site facility as well as
  station equipment in station vehicles with little or no supervision.
• Use Radio Frequency
  engineering knowledge to install, maintain, and repair all RF technical
  equipment in studio and transmitter facilities, including digital transmitting equipment,
  directional antenna system, Studio to Transmitter Links (STL), and satellite
  uplinks/downlinks, and microwave transmission systems.
• Ensures station
  compliance with rules and regulations applicable to FCC, local, state, and
  federal, laws.
• Implements recent
  technologies and technical infrastructure for the station.
• Manages engineering
  and technology capital projects to the established budgets
• Coordinates outside
  vendor services and maintains station equipment utilizing broadcast information
  technology systems.
• Repairs and maintains
  station building infrastructures or collaborates with vendors and Facilities
  Department as needed.
• Communicates with and
  coordinates equipment maintenance and training with vendors/contractors.
• Have and utilize
  working knowledge of PC’s, networking, routers, switches, operating systems,
  network security and Microsoft applications software such as Word, Excel,
  Outlook, Access Database and PowerPoint.
• Use comprehensive
  knowledge of basic electronic theory for troubleshooting to the system and
  boards to the component level where applicable.
• Implement new
  engineering projects as needed.
• Be a forward-thinking
  contributor to the station for the Engineering department. Anticipate and
  communicate future needs.
• Responsible for the
  maintenance of all aspects of transmitter site, towers, and facility.
• Document equipment and
  wiring systems, using software as well as manual drafting.
• Maintain an accurate
  inventory of the equipment at the station, transmitter sites, and remote vehicles.
• Attend Emergency Alert
  System committee meetings and follow local, state, and national discussions
  about public warnings
• Perform other duties
  as assigned or needed.

Budgets and Capital

• Develop, prepare, and
  implement operating and capital expense budgets and special projects.
• Obtain and verify
  quotes for projects and/or recurring service by outside vendors and contractors
  as needed.
• Recommend capital and
  expense purchases to Management.

Knowledge, Skills, and
Abilities
Must have:

• Knowledge of FCC rules
  and regulations.
• PC skills including
  proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; IT & Network skills on
  broadcast related, IP based applications, networking, hardware maintenance, and
  some programming.
• Ability to work on
  both IP based broadcast equipment and legacy broadcast equipment
• Strong troubleshooting
  skills.
• Candidate must be motivated
  and enthusiastic about the Television Broadcast industry.
• Ability to evaluate
  faulty electronic equipment and circuits to locate defects and apply knowledge
  of electronic systems to diagnose causes of malfunction and affect repairs
• Ability to multitask
  and prioritize workload under deadlines in a demanding environment; can
  escalate appropriately.
• Ability to read and interpret
  technical documentation and schematic diagrams.

Requirements

• Associate Degree in Electronics, Communications, or equivalent combination of education and work-related experience preferred.
• Minimum five years’ experience with a television broadcasting environment, preferably 1000kW elliptically polarized directional antenna experience.
• Ability to provide clear and concise communication, both verbal and written.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational skills, and willingness to assist others.
• Ability to meet deadlines, prioritize assignments, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Strong mindfulness and accuracy in all aspects of the position.
• Ability to work extended hours, as needed i.e., weekend, evening and holidays.
• Available for emergency response 24/7/365, as needed. Vacation/Sick relief is available.
• Function as a responder for station disaster recovery.
• Have valid state driver’s license, acceptable driving record.
• A background check is required.

Other Transmitter Site
Engineer Duties and Responsibilities

• Implement technical
  engineering directives from Senior Management.
• Participate in budget
  preparation and policy, procedures, and goal setting.
• Provide information to
  supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form,
  e-mail, or in person.
• Confer with other
  departmental heads to coordinate activities.
• Provide advice and
  assistance to senior management in the planning, implementation, and evaluation
  of modification to existing operations and procedures.
• Monitor network
  communications for advisories concerning daily program schedules, program
  content, special feeds, or program changes.
• Perform miscellaneous
  job-related duties as assigned or needed.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Must be able to stand
  and sit for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to
  frequently reach.
• Must be able to occasionally
  climb.
• Must be able to
  frequently work outdoors in all weather conditions and work indoors in
  environmentally controlled conditions.
• Must be able to lift,
  operate and work on equipment weighing up to fifty pounds.

The above statements
are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed
by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an
exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of
personnel so classified.

Please note that any job offer is contingent upon your providing verification that you have been fully vaccinated (at least 14 days have passed since receiving final dose of vaccine) against COVID-19. Job offers will be withdrawn (regardless of whether you have already signed) if this condition is not satisfied. Unless and until this step has been completed, you should not resign your current employment, otherwise alter your employment status, or alter any personal circumstances in reliance on a conditional offer. DigitalGlue is committed to providing equal opportunity and does not discriminate based on any characteristic protected by law. If there is a medical or religious reason you believe you cannot comply with this requirement, please discuss with Human Resources during your interview process. 

DigitalGlue believes that diversity contributes to a more enriched collective perspective and a better decision-making process. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

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Worker classification laws have been going through a rapid evolution in tandem with the general evolution of the workplace. We thought it was high time to address some of the myths that get businesses in trouble. Read to the end for the really good news!

Worker Classification Myth #1: An Independent Contractor Must Eventually be Reclassified as an Employee.

Laws can be complicated and they do vary from state to state. Still, this perception overly complicates the issue. We think this myth likely comes from one-time best practices incorrectly interpreted as hard and fast rules. Wherever the myth comes from, we’ve seen clients build all sorts of policies to get around the supposed law. We’ve seen companies hire workers for six months, drop them for a period of time, and then rehire them, for example. Some companies even refuse to extend contracts with reliable independent contractors after working with them for a certain amount of time. They’re afraid that they’ll have to hire the worker as an employee and then provide all of the associated benefits. Not only are these policies time consuming to maintain, they can hurt businesses that rely on freelancers.

There is a fine line between an employee and an independent contractor and laws surrounding worker classification are confusing. Still, we’ve seen company policies get unnecessarily complicated—going to great lengths to comply with nonexistent rules. We think it’s time for everyone to bust the myth and bust free from self-imposed restrictions.

Here’s the liberating truth: If you find a good contractor and want to use them over and over, you can. There are rules, which vary by location, but there are also legal ways to keep your best people working for you.

Worker Classification Myth #2: It’s Not Worth Taking The Time to Understand.

Maybe this one persists not because of misinformation but simply because we already have enough to deal with and we want to believe that this one isn’t worth our time. Sort of like the 5-second rule, maybe? Both are bogus, btw.

When laws change frequently, big money is on the line, and rules are complicated, it’s tempting to ignore the issue until it shows up on your doorstep dressed in red with a pitchfork and horns.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but even if you’re not in California, this affects you. That’s not only because other states are making changes too, but also because every state has its own rules. These rules can affect everything from the price you pay on a ride-sharing app to where and how you get your haircut .

The consequences for businesses that don’t comply can be financially damaging and can also compromise consumer and employee trust.

The truth that can save your brain (along with your wallet and your reputation):

No matter where you are, you cannot afford to ignore worker classification rules, but here’s another happy truth: If you don’t want to/can’t get into the nitty-gritty details yourself, you can rely on a qualified partner ( ) to do it for you. If you’re ready to offload the burden of on-boarding, payrolling, and classifying your workers and focus on what you love, reach out to our team of experts on all things freelance.

The post Worker Classification: Truths, Lies, & Some REALLY Good News appeared first on PayReel .

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