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Amber Cochran

Amber Malik is a payroll specialist with FocusPay Solutions. Amber manages client payroll portfolios and assists with payroll processing and filing.

Recent Posts

Voluntary Accident Insurance as an Employee Benefit

Posted by Amber Cochran on May 09, 2023

Voluntary accident insurance provides funds to pay for additional costs incurred from injuries. If you've ever seen an Aflac commercial—with the duck that keeps repeating the name of the product—you get the idea that supplemental insurance provides coverage for bills that your major medical plan doesn't cover. You can see how this is an attractive option to catch the attention of top talent.

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

How to Meet New Hire Compliance Requirements in 2023

Posted by Amber Cochran on Mar 18, 2023

As a business owner/manager, you have many processes and tasks involved in your day-to-day workload. Scheduling, timekeeping, payroll, etc... How about new hire onboarding?

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

Supreme Court Rules HCEs May Be Eligible for Overtime

Posted by Amber Cochran on Mar 10, 2023

You may think that the terms "highly compensated worker" and "overtime pay" don't belong in the same sentence, but the Supreme Court disagrees. HCEs can receive overtime if they are paid on a daily basis. In this case, Helix Energy Solutions Group, an offshore oil and gas firm based in Houston, claimed a former employee — Michael Hewitt — was exempt from overtime pay because he was a highly-paid executive. He claimed he should get retroactive overtime pay because Helix calculated his pay using a daily rate — and the Supreme Court agreed.

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

Payroll Tax Rates and Contribution Limits for 2023

Posted by Amber Cochran on Feb 10, 2023

Below are federal payroll tax rates and benefits contribution limits for 2023.

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

Staying Current on Payroll Rules

Posted by Amber Cochran on Jan 11, 2023

Hiring staff? Good for you! It means your business is thriving. Now is the time to get up to speed or reacquaint yourself with any labor laws you’ll need to be compliant with. Labor laws were created to protect employees’ rights. If you’re vigilant, you can avoid financial headaches. Here’s some advice to stay on track with labor law requirements:

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

Companies Need to Pay Attention to Gen Z

Posted by Amber Cochran on Jun 22, 2022

Finding talent is an issue for nearly all businesses. There are many reasons for this, but the top three may be (1) adjusting to a new normal that is not yet fully formed, (2) the generational shift in leadership, and (3) the scarcity of talent. The result of this confluence of issues is that leaders must be able to be flexible. One of the ways they need to be flexible is learning new ways to manage a multigenerational workforce.

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

Payroll Compliance: The Essentials

Posted by Amber Cochran on Jun 02, 2022

Payroll compliance is about meeting your payroll obligations as required by law. Learn how your organization can stay compliant.

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

Payroll Tax Rates and Contribution Limits for 2022

Posted by Amber Cochran on Feb 15, 2022

The payroll tax rates and contribution limits for 2022 have been released, and there are lots of changes. Below are the federal payroll tax rates and benefits contribution limits for 2022.

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

Payroll Tax Rates and Contribution Limits for 2022

Posted by Amber Cochran on Dec 14, 2021

Below are federal payroll tax rates and benefits contribution limits for 2022.

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

The Tidal Wave of Employee Mobility

Posted by Amber Cochran on Oct 08, 2021

WHAT’S NEXT FOR EMPLOYEE MOBILITY?

For many businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the future of work. Businesses are reevaluating their needs for travel, talent acquisition, and office space. Some have even transitioned away from the physical office entirely and opted to work 100% remotely. Businesses suited for remote work may be looking to hire the right person for the job, regardless of location; however, the ability to adopt a hybrid or fully remote model may be limited by industry. For example, a 2020 study by McKinsey found that the finance, management, professional services, and information sectors have the highest potential for remote work with no loss of productivity.

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

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