19 MAR 2020: UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITIES IS FOUND HERE

The spread of the coronavirus worldwide has caused employers and employees alike to adapt, sometimes rapidly, to changes to normal daily routines. Primary care physicians are using video chat to assess some patients presenting with flu-like symptoms rather than have them visit the office. Healthcare janitorial services have changed protocols. And many employers have banned corporate travel and liberalized remote-work policies. Airlines are cancelling flights and holiday and entertainment plans are being postponed or cancelled.

Getting sick can really throw busy families a curveball. It can get especially difficult if your family caregiver is sick. No one has time to get sick, but unfortunately, it does happen. Here are some of the important must-knows about understanding the legal parameters of giving your nanny or senior caregiver designated sick time.

Household employee payroll is a legal imperative, as well as the right way to treat your valued household employee. Although it is necessary, it is often a headache and a hassle. You can combat the hassles of household payroll by outsourcing to specialists. There are a number of benefits to outsourcing household your payroll needs, including the five listed below.

Today's families want to assist their aging loved ones to safely age in place, and increasingly hiring senior caregivers to provide care and support is the ideal solution.  There are many misunderstandings and misconceptions about the relationship with the caregiver and their payroll deductions. Many people think that their caregiver is not an actual “employee” and that they can just pay them in cash and call it good. Hiring a caregiver, for your aging loved one, whether they are an live-in caregiver, or one that works a set number of hours per day, means that you will need to understand the importance of senior care payroll deductions. Here are some must-knows about paying your senior caregiver.

At some point, your aging parents will need help that you cannot provide. Whether it’s a full-time person to live with them that provides meals and administers medication, or someone that stops in daily to provide basic caregiving, a senior caregiver plays an important role helping mom or dad stay healthy and as independent as possible in their own home.

The City of Philadelphia joins 10 states and two other cities with legislation known as a Domestic Worker Bill of Rights. This legislation is part of a decade long community level movement nationwide to establish basic worker protections to the growing domestic services industry. While the numbers of nannies and housekeepers remains stable, the in-home senior care component of the domestic services field continues to experience vigorous growth as aging baby boomers overwhelmingly prefer to "age in place," therefore requiring senior caregivers to help them remain safe and independent.

The health insurance marketplace continues to change, and starting 1 January 2020 employers of nannies, senior caregivers, and other household employees will have a new choice for assisting or supporting their employees with their health insurance and other health care expenses.

All employers in the U.S. have to pay unemployment tax. There are two versions – Federal and State. Federal unemployment tax (FUTA) is charged at a rate of 6% on the first $7000 in wages paid to an employee, in most cases though that rate is decreased to 0.6% (explained more below). State unemployment tax (SUTA) is handled in a similar way but each state controls their own rate and wage threshold.

According to the IRS, thousands of people have had money and personal information stolen through tax-related scams. Scammers are getting more refined, making it harder than ever to separate real correspondence from fake. Here are two of the more popular tax-related scams the IRS has seen this year.