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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

Your Guide to Local Income Taxes

Posted by Amber Cochran on Aug 26, 2020

Local income taxes are imposed by local governments, such as cities, counties, or school districts. They are used to fund various locally provided services, such as schools, parks, social services, law enforcement, transportation, and community-improvement programs.  

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

New OSHA Guidance on Tracking COVID-19 at Work

Posted by Amber Cochran on Jul 01, 2020

Until recently, employers in only a handful of industries had to provide significant reporting on COVID-19 transmission in the workplace. But as of May 26, new Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines require a much wider range of employers to determine whether employees caught the coronavirus at work or while performing work-related activities. If so, managers must record the illness on OSHA Form 300.

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

CDC Gives Guidance for Reopening Businesses

Posted by Amber Cochran on May 19, 2020

No, there is no universal lifting of restrictions, but the CDC is looking forward to a time when every business can slowly start reopening. As the CDC explains: "It's important to continue to follow federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local guidance for reopening America." Its extensive guidance includes the need to develop a reopening plan:

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

Remote Work: FLSA Wage and Hour Implications

Posted by Amber Cochran on Apr 22, 2020

Since 2005, remote work has soared 173%, according to 2018 data from American Community Service. Whether you recently adopted this remote work model because of the pandemic or have been utilizing it for years, you should know your wage-and-hour responsibilities.

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

E-Verify----The Basics

Posted by Amber Cochran on Mar 06, 2020

Alabama is one of several states that does require employers to use a federal program designed to stop them from hiring people in the U.S. illegally.  The Alabama legislature passed in both houses legislation prohibiting employers from knowingly employing unauthorized aliens. The law is known as the Beason-Hammon Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act. The law requires all employers to enroll in and utilize E-Verify. 

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

New Hires - Is Your Company Compliant?

Posted by Amber Cochran on Jan 22, 2020

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

Will a Leap Year Result in an Extra Paycheck?

Posted by Amber Cochran on Jan 14, 2020

While February typically has 28 days, in leap years—such as February 2020—it contains an extra day. Employers who pay their salaried employees every week or every two weeks will encounter a year in which there is one payday more than usual. These employers should plan ahead to identify and address these "payroll leap years" in advance. It has been our experience that it is best to keep clients informed of pending leap years so that they can keep their employees informed as well. 

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

Walking on Eggshells: ERISA Compliance Depends on Plan Documents

Posted by Amber Cochran on Nov 05, 2019

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) covers both defined-benefit and defined-contribution retirement plans. If your organization offers its employees either, you may feel like you’re constantly walking on eggshells trying to oversee all the regulatory details involved. One critical way to stay in compliance and avoid costly penalties is to ensure your plan operates consistently with its plan documents.

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

COBRA Fraud: When an Employer Can Terminate Early

Posted by Amber Cochran on Sep 03, 2019

Employers with 20 or more employees are generally required to offer continuing health care coverage to departing staff members. This is commonly referred to as “COBRA” after the legislation that made it law: the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985.

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

Laying the Foundation for a Functional Incentive Plan

Posted by Amber Cochran on Jul 03, 2019

Employee incentive plans can be among the most meaningful benefits that an employer can offer. This is because participants receive awards tied directly to their professional accomplishments or their organization’s success.

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Posted in Payroll, HR & Benefits

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