Corporations

Update: IRS Mileage Rate for 2012, New 401(k) Maximum Contribution Amount

January 18, 2012 | Structure Law Group, LLP

Mileage Rate:

Keeping up to date with the standard mileage rate is important for me as a business lawyer because I often drive to meetings, as well as for my small business clients in San Jose and all over Silicon Valley who will be using that rate to figure out their tax deduction for miles driven in the operation of their businesses. In addition, it is also usually the rate at which businesses agree to reimburse their employees for miles driven while on the job. The IRS has confirmed that the standard mileage rate for the use of business vehicles in 2012 will remain the same as it was for the final six months of 2011, at 55.5 cents per mile (which was higher than the previous 51 cents in early 2011). The mileage rate for medical and moving expenses actually goes down by half a cent to 23 cents per mile, but the mileage rate used when driving for charity is still unchanged at 14 cents per mile.

401(k) Contribution Amount:

California’s New Green Corporation

January 10, 2012 | Structure Law Group, LLP

Many profit-driven companies in California interested in providing a positive social and environmental impact experienced the problem of maintaining a fiduciary duty to their shareholders and being charitable and green at the same time. Effective January 1, 2012, this should be less of a problem as the state has adopted two different types of corporations – the “flexible benefit corporation” and the “benefit corporation” – offering businesses in Silicon Valley and elsewhere in California, the opportunity to operate with a view toward both increasing shareholder value and fulfilling socially beneficial goals.

The primary differences between the two corporations, often called “B corporations“, lies in the purpose flexibility allowed, and the extent of disclosure required. Greater flexibility means greater disclosure.

Purpose

Reminder for Employers in California – Reporting New Employees and Independent Contractors

December 16, 2011 | Structure Law Group, LLP

During the past few months, we have seen an increase in hiring from small startups and larger corporations here in San Jose and other parts of Silicon Valley. At this time of year, when companies are about to review Forms W-2 and 1099 for their workers, it is a good time for a reminder about California worker reporting requirements. In California, when a company hires a new employee, it is required to report this to the Employment Development Department (the “EDD”) within 20 days of hire, regardless of whether the employee is full-time or part-time, or the amount of compensation.

If a business hires an independent contractor and pays the contractor more than $600, or enters into a contract with that individual for $600 or more, within a calendar year, the business is required to report the hiring to the EDD within 20 days of making a payment. Although the hiring of a new employee need only be reported once, the hiring of an independent contractor must be reported every year. However, if a company contracts with another business that provides a tax identification number rather than a social security number, the company hiring that business does not need to report to the EDD.

It is wise for a company to report to the EDD contractors it expects to pay in January of each year (e.g. continuing contracts) when the company prepares and reviews 1099s for the prior year. There is no penalty if a company reports a contractor and then the contractor does not actually perform services in the new year. However, the EDD could assess a penalty against a business for each failure to report a contractor within the required time frames. Source: Spidells California Taxletter Vol. 33.10.

Employer Update

December 2, 2011 | Structure Law Group, LLP

Starting in April, 2012, the EDD will calculate an ex-employee’s unemployment claim differently than it does now. Currently, the EDD calculates the unemployment claim based on a lookback period of one year ending two quarters prior to the termination of employment. In April, 2012, the EDD will calculate the claim based on a lookback period of one year but ending one quarter prior to the termination of employment. This is a good reason to convert to online filing if you haven’t already. For online filers, the EDD will already have this information and the change will be seamless to your business. However, if you do not file online, the EDD may not yet have your wages report for the prior quarter, or may simply not have processed it yet. In that case, you will receive a request for wage verification, and the employee will receive a request for proof of wages claimed. As the employer, you will have 10 days to complete the form and mail it back.

Source: Spidells California Taxletter Vol. 33.11, November 1, 2011, pages 130-131.

Alternative Workweek Arrangements in California

November 15, 2011 | Structure Law Group, LLP

As always, be careful when dealing with employees. I recently was contacted by a small business owner in Sunnyvale who was irate because her previous business attorney assisted her with a new alternative workweek schedule and all the employees agreed. Then, years later, they had to lay off some employees and the terminated employees just made a claim for overtime for all the hours worked over eight in a day. Because the alternative workweek was not agreed to in a secret ballot, it was not upheld by the Labor Board and her company had to pay significant amounts to several ex-employees.

In the past few years, I’ve noticed that more and more small businesses and corporations in San Jose and throughout Santa Clara County have moved a portion, or all, of their employees from a standard five day, eight hours a day workweek to a four day, ten hours a day workweek. A company that is interested in implementing this type of alternative workweek schedule must go through the proper process for implementing the schedule, or the company may risk misclassifying employee hours worked and end up paying penalties and fines for the misclassification. If an alternative workweek schedule is implemented correctly, an employer may be exempt from paying overtime to employees working up to ten hours a day, four days a week. Alternative workweek schedules can be proposed for an entire work unit or as a part of a menu of options for a work unit.

In California, there are several actions that must be taken before an alternative workweek schedule can be adopted by a company. A company cannot simply impose the new schedule on its workforce. One required action is for the company to hold a meeting with employees who would be affected by an alternative workweek schedule. The meeting is held so that the employer can discuss the effects of the alternative workweek on the affected employees and the employees can vote on the proposed schedule.

The following are some steps that should be taken before the vote can take place:

• The employer must first provide a written notice to the affected employees. The notice will inform the employees that the company would like to adopt an alternative workweek schedule, and invite them to attend a meeting to discuss the effects of the alternative workweek and vote on the proposal. The written notice, which must be provided 14 days before the actual vote, should disclose the effects of the proposed arrangement on employees’ wages, hours and benefits, and include meeting logistics.

• The proposed alternative workweek schedule must be adopted in a secret ballot election by at least two-thirds of the affected employees in the work unit. The secret ballot election must be held during regular working hours at the employees’ work site.

• Ballots for the election can only be cast by the affected employees.

• The results of the election must be reported by the employer to the Division of Labor Statistics and Research within 30 days after the results of the vote are final. The report must be given in letter format and must include the date of the election, a final tally of the vote (number of “yes” and “no” votes), the size of the unit considering the change to an alternative workweek, the nature of the employer’s business, contact name and phone number. This information becomes public record.

• The letter must be sent to the following address:
Division of Labor Statistics and Research
455 Golden Gate Avenue, 9th Floor
San Francisco, California 94102

• If a work unit votes in favor of an alternative workweek schedule, employees who are affected by the change may not be required to work those new work hours for at least 30 days after the announcement of the final results of the election.

If an employer adopts an alternative workweek schedule consisting of four, ten hour days, the employer must still pay overtime pay of 1½ times the hourly rate for any hours worked in excess of ten hours per day up to twelve hours, and double time for any hours worked over twelve. The employer must also have a standard five days, eight hours schedule available for employees who are unable to work the four day schedule.

If you have any questions about implementing an alternative workweek, talk to a professional with experience in this area and don’t assume that if all the employees agree everything will be fine.

Employee Terminations

October 24, 2011 | Structure Law Group, LLP

Whether your company is a large manufacturer corporation in San Jose or a small service partnership in Los Gatos, you will eventually be forced to deal with terminating an employee. Terminations can be especially daunting because they are one of the most common reasons companies are sued. Therefore, whenever possible, it is important to plan and prepare for a termination before actually firing the employee.

I recently helped an LLC in Santa Clara set up a progressive discipline plan for their company in order to set up systems to assist management and employees before someone gets to the termination stage. Before an employee is fired, many companies use a form of progressive discipline when dealing with employee problems. Under progressive discipline an employee receives greater disciplinary measures when employment continues to be unsatisfactory. It is imperative that all disciplinary actions are documented in writing. If a system of progressive discipline is used, all managers should be trained on that system. If managers are not properly trained, a disgruntled employee may have a stronger claim for wrongful discharge than if the system had not been used at all. Whether a system of progressive discipline is used or not, it is critical that all disciplinary actions be documented.

If a termination is inevitable, you should have a plan in place before firing an employee. However, there are times when you must fire an employee immediately, without any prior planning, because he has done something that poses a threat to other employees, your company or your clients. Prior to termination, you should review any termination procedures in the employee handbook, to the extent they exist, to ensure that your company is following its own procedures. If you are worried about an employee making a claim against the company upon termination and you want to request the employee release the company from all claims, you should contact an attorney to assist you in preparing a severance agreement.

On termination, you must provide the former employee with the final paycheck including any accrued but unused PTO or vacation pay, a change of status notice, and the EDD pamphlet “For Your Benefit, California’s Programs for the Unemployed.” If the employee is a shareholder or option holder, you should review all applicable documents prior to the termination for notices or deadlines related to termination of employment. However, do not give the employee legal or tax advice regarding those documents or their rights.

When conducting a termination, conduct it in a neutral, private place such as a conference room. Have the final paycheck and change of status notice ready for the meeting. If you are offering a severance agreement, have that agreement prepared as well. Many employees will not sign the severance agreement immediately so be sure to give them the allotted time in the agreement to sign it and don’t give the employee any severance payments until the severance agreement has been signed, or 8 days later if the employee is over 40 and therefore subject to age discrimination rules.

You should always have two managers present during a firing. During the meeting, tell the employee within the first few minutes that he is being fired and tell the employee why he is being terminated. Although you do not need a reason to fire an at-will employee, you may not do so for the wrong reason (e.g. discrimination), so be careful in what you say. Also, if you say the termination is a result of restructuring, but the reason is really poor performance, the inconsistency may be used against you if the company is sued. Do not argue with the employee and do not be so complimentary that the employee wonders why he is being terminated. You are not required to give employees a written reason for termination. However, if you decide to, be sure that your legal counsel reviews those reasons. Avoid any reference to anything that could be considered evidence of discrimination, especially if you are terminating someone who is in a protected class. Always be courteous to the employee. You should also explain any benefits, such as COBRA, that the employee may receive. Have someone take notes during and after the termination to document the process and what was said at the meeting. Lastly, you should remind the employee of any continuing obligations to the company, such as confidentiality.

Once an employee has been terminated, be sure to get any company keys, cell phone or laptop that the employee had. Also be sure to change phone codes, computer passwords, alarm codes or other passwords that the employee may have had access to.

Employment Basics for Employers – Employee Performance Reviews

October 4, 2011 | Structure Law Group, LLP

Silicon Valley is experiencing a “war for talent,” even as the nation struggles with unemployment. The Bay Area has not been unaffected by unemployment, but with the number of high technology startups based in cities such as Palo Alto, Mountain View, San Jose, and Santa Clara, companies are finding themselves competing for talent. The value of human capital is greater than ever, which is why it is essential for companies to perform assessments on their employees. Employees can be a company’s most valuable asset or its greatest liability.

Conducting employee performance reviews is one of the most important and often most dreaded tasks of management. Employee reviews take a lot of time and cause a lot of stress for managers even if the reviews are generally positive. Many employers try to avoid employee performance reviews. However, regardless of the size of your company, not conducting performance reviews can really hurt you both in productivity and in an increased risk of employment-related litigation.

I recently worked with a San Jose consulting business that was sued by a former employee of the corporation. The company had a salesperson in their Mountain View office that was drastically underperforming, but had never documented those failures in any way. The corporation eventually fired her and the salesperson then sued the company for wrongful termination. An employee file documented with poor performance reviews could have made that case go away much faster, and kept the settlement offers much lower. Below are some suggestions to make the most out of review time.

Employment Basics for Employers – E-mail and Voicemail Monitoring

September 19, 2011 | Structure Law Group, LLP

This blog focuses on an employer’s rights to monitor electronic communications.

One of my Mountain View clients recently had an employee leave and wipe out all of his e-mails before he signed off for the last time. The employer immediately had its IT group recover the e-mails, and a corporate officer read through them. They found several emails where the employee was corresponding with others in the company about leaving and forming a competitive company. They called to ask me, after the fact, whether it was okay for them to read the employee’s emails and what rights they have now to act on the information.

There are a number of laws that affect access to another person’s emails. One of these, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (the “ECPA”) prohibits unauthorized persons to access electronic communications, including wire taps and stored communications like e-mails. If you violate the ECPA, you could be subject to fines and prison terms up to one year, as well as civil damages and attorneys fees. However, there are three exceptions which may allow employers to monitor employee communications.

Employment Basics for Employers – Employment Agreements

September 6, 2011 | Structure Law Group, LLP

Silicon Valley employers expect a hiring boom in technology jobs in the next two years, especially in the areas of social networking, cloud computing, and mobile technology, according to a recent study headed by NOVA, a nonprofit, federally funded employment and training agency in Sunnyvale. As a result, many companies will face basic employment issues, such as recruiting qualified employees, performing reference checks on potential candidates, and having solid employment agreements in place. In my last blog I discussed when you should consider using an employment agreement rather than just a simple offer letter for a new employee. Generally employment agreements are used for top executives and high level managers. Here is a brief summary of some of the terms you should have in those high-level employment agreements.

Position

o This can be either a general description for higher executives, or a list of tasks, authority level and who the person reports to for other employees.

Employment Basics for Employers – Making the Offer

August 8, 2011 | Structure Law Group, LLP

Most businesses have to deal with filling opened positions at their company at one time or another. In my continuing series on basic employment concerns for employers I have so far discussed searching for new employees, evaluating potential applicants, and doing and responding to reference checks. This blog discusses what you do once you have found someone you would like to hire.

When you have found someone you want to hire, you should always make the offer in writing. Your offer letter should, at a minimum, include their name, the position, the pay (and whether it is salary or hourly), where and when the work will be performed, what benefits are offered by your company, and that the employment is “at-will.” As I discussed in my previous blog, you can condition employment on a medical examination to confirm that the potential employee is physically able to do the job, or determine if any physical limitations exist, and establish a record of medical conditions.

I also recommend conditioning employment on confirmation of the employee’s identity, the results of a background check and confirmation that the employee can legally work in the U.S. Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, employers are required to verify employment eligibility and identity. Because national origin and citizenship status could be used to discriminate against potential applicants, it is better to ask for this information only after you have made the job offer. After you confirm the employee’s identity and eligibility by reviewing the various identification documents the employee provides, you must have the employee complete an INS Form I-9, and you must complete the employer’s part of the I-9 within three business days of hiring the employee.

Employment Agreements

For most employees, an offer letter stating the terms of their employment is sufficient. However, for certain managers and executives and for employees that will have access to confidential information and trade secrets of your company, you will want them to sign a confidentiality and nondisclosure agreement as well as an Inventions Assignment Agreement. For top executives, they may require specific terms that should be set forth in an employment agreement. Employment agreements, if not drafted correctly, can cause a lot of liability for a company, so I definitely recommend you have your company’s employment agreement drafted by an attorney or HR person who is very well informed in this area. For many of the companies I work with, I will provide them with a form of offer letter and a form of employment agreement suited for their needs, and then they can complete it for new hires and just have me review any significant changes or additions.