Dynamex decision - PayReel
A Dynamex Decision newsflash: It’s about to get real with Assembly Bill 5 6000 4000 PayReel

A Dynamex Decision newsflash: It’s about to get real with Assembly Bill 5

If you’re paying attention to the world of independent contractors (ICs), you’re already familiar with the Dynamex Decision (which we covered here). So what makes the recent Assembly Bill 5 news flashy? It’s that this bill approves codifying the ruling. That means the decision is one step closer to being iron-clad law (along with all the…

E-verify - PayReel
Immigration in the workplace: What you need to know to get it right 3916 2769 PayReel

Immigration in the workplace: What you need to know to get it right

Immigration is one of the hottest topics in politics and much of the White House’s rhetoric on the subject (including the latest announcement) centers around employment. While employers may not make the policies, they do carry a great deal of responsibility in ensuring their employees are eligible to work in the United States.   Let’s…

Cannabis, workplace impairment, and 5 questions to consider 3438 5157 PayReel

Cannabis, workplace impairment, and 5 questions to consider

What used to be black and white, and is now suddenly gray all over? When marijuana use was simply illegal, employers could legally make employment decisions based on use alone. As states decriminalize the use of medical marijuana, recreational marijuana, and CBD oil, the conversation gets much more complicated. Nowhere is it more important to…

Nestle - PayReel
No pressure, but you really need to fix your contractor payroll dysfunction 501 291 PayReel

No pressure, but you really need to fix your contractor payroll dysfunction

I’m not saying you’re dysfunctional, but if you can answer ‘yes’ to any of the following questions, you probably have some flaws in your contractor payroll systems. But don’t worry! This isn’t like family dysfunction that can only be handled with gobs of counseling and Netflix marathons. We’re talking about something that can actually be…

A one dollar bill is photographed in front of a white background. - PayReel
How to Determine a Payroll Schedule for Your Company 500 333 PayReel

How to Determine a Payroll Schedule for Your Company

Whether you’re starting a new company or you’re trying to develop a better strategy for your company’s payroll, there are a few things to keep in mind. This includes the state your business is presently in, the types of workers you have, and when you are able to push your workers’ paychecks through. Here are…

Umbrellas - PayReel
Four ways to mitigate workers’ compensation risk 5184 3456 PayReel

Four ways to mitigate workers’ compensation risk

Who needs workers’ compensation? Anyone with employees, it turns out. Workers’ compensation provides wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment. Just like any other insurance, it’s one you hope you’ll never need. Still, if you do need it, you’ll be so glad you have it. Employers that ensure worker safety…

Light bulbs - PayReel
The biggest myth about the gig economy just got busted 4000 2764 PayReel

The biggest myth about the gig economy just got busted

The internet and all its digital descendents (apps, mobile workspaces, etc.) have made it logistically easier than ever to both be and to hire a creative, freelancer, and side hustler. That much is true. Beyond that, there are a whole bunch of splashy headlines and semi-educated guesses about the gig economy’s reach and impact. Due…

2019 in fireworks - PayReel
Our most popular posts of 2019 — to help you make the most of your new year 5184 3456 PayReel

Our most popular posts of 2019 — to help you make the most of your new year

As we find ourselves squarely into first week of the new year, let’s not forget about some of 2018’s most popular posts. We covered everything from how to eat like an adult human (even when you’re working like a dog) to the ever-present discussions around worker classification. Dynamex Decision, anyone? Here are 5 of 2018’s most…

Jim g gif - PayReel
Open enrollment is over: What’s a freelancer to do? 490 261 PayReel

Open enrollment is over: What’s a freelancer to do?

If you missed open enrollment–either because you didn’t like your plan choices or because you wanted to take a nap every time you started the application–don’t fret. You still have options. Even if you are enrolled but aren’t happy with your coverage, you may find a solution in one of the less common approaches (read until…

Baby in orange pumpkin - PayReel
When an independent contractor becomes an employee: A chain of events 450 450 PayReel

When an independent contractor becomes an employee: A chain of events

Pumpkin spiced lattes! Babies! Generation Z (move over, Millennials)! What do they all have in common? They’re a constant reminder that there’s nothing so constant as change. With its ever-narrowing definition of an independent contractor, California is embarking on the real-time evolution of the gig economy. Here’s the chain of events a company and its…

Man getting beard trimmed - PayReel
Worker classification and small businesses 4858 3239 PayReel

Worker classification and small businesses

Is the ABC rule the beginning of the end? California—home of eternal sunshine and landmark lawsuits. One of the state’s most recent rulings, in the Dynamex Operations West Inc. v. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County case, resulted in some changes to the ABC test for worker classification. While the test has existed in some…

Woman holding up money - PayReel
Worried about payroll fraud? Here’s how to prevent and detect it. 5616 3744 PayReel

Worried about payroll fraud? Here’s how to prevent and detect it.

The ragtag group of employees who set out to redirect “fractions of pennies” to themselves in the movie Office Space didn’t think of it as stealing. They’re even portrayed as the heroes in the movie—sticking it to the man and finding themselves in the process. Likewise, payroll fraud is so common in the real world that…

Paper on fire - PayReel
3 reasons you can’t afford to ignore worker classification rules 768 951 PayReel

3 reasons you can’t afford to ignore worker classification rules

With its settlement just this week, General Assembly is the latest to make news on the worker classification issue. Companies aren’t the only ones paying attention. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Labor (DOL) have enough skin in the game to keep a close eye on the subject, too. When those two pay close…

Man on dessert - PayReel
Worker safety resources for wild weather 3000 2000 PayReel

Worker safety resources for wild weather

What does it mean to do right by your workers with weather that’s getting wilder by the day? I’ll tell you what it doesn’t mean: waiting until someone has a heat stroke to think about worker safety. As we head into August — historically one of the hottest months of the year in much of the…

computer code - PayReel
5 skills that will make any freelancer ultra-hirable and profitable 5760 3840 PayReel

5 skills that will make any freelancer ultra-hirable and profitable

Freelancing is a balls to the wall, pride-swallowing siege and these days, it seems everyone is fighting it out for business. How do you make that business yours? One way is to solve the problems clients have (the ones they called you about) and then go even further by solving the ones they haven’t even thought…

sign in lights - PayReel
3 common freelancing myths, plus the truth (can you handle it?) 5184 3456 PayReel

3 common freelancing myths, plus the truth (can you handle it?)

To overworked, underappreciated 9-5ers, freelancing may seem like the holy grail. But going out on your own isn’t just a world of free-flowing creative juices, coffee breaks, and wads of money. Freelancing can make you feel just as burnt out and unstimulated as whatever made you take a hike from your previous gig in the…

lyft and uber cars - PayReel
The gig economy: What California’s ruling means for business 5184 3456 PayReel

The gig economy: What California’s ruling means for business

Gray areas: the stuff of messy legal battles, public relations disasters, and HR headaches. Among the grayest of the gray is worker classification. While it isn’t a new topic, the gig economy is forcing the worker classification debate to a head, leaving the task of finding clarity to the courts. The latest ruling to make headlines continues to…

worker classification - PayReel
Worker classification confusion, no more 6875 3958 PayReel

Worker classification confusion, no more

If you manage a contingent workforce, you’ve thought a lot about worker classification, compliance, and risk. If you haven’t, but you do manage freelancers, then you are likely either willfully ignoring it, hoping it will go away (it won’t) or drinking too much. First, we’ll talk about why you should care about the subject. Then we’ll get to the…

avocado toast - PayReel
The avocado toast generation and the case for hiring Millennials 5397 3598 PayReel

The avocado toast generation and the case for hiring Millennials

Gone are the days when you could rely on your workers to put in their time at the office and stay loyal to one company from cradle to grave. These self-indulgent, entitled youngsters want to get promoted just for showing up. Millennials want avocado on their toast, purpose in their jobs, and a healthy work/life…

work relationships - PayReel
How have “work relationships” changed as offices have become obsolete? 400 266 PayReel

How have “work relationships” changed as offices have become obsolete?

Gone are the days when “work relationships” are made up of people we see on a regular basis. We can literally have an entire functioning relationship without ever seeing a person or even hearing their voice. Talk about an evolution from the days when sharing an office building was a prerequisite. Here are some of…