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Articles Archived for August 2006

Workplace Hooky - According to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey...
IRS Issues New Proposed Regulations on Dependent Care Expenses - In May 2006, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued proposed regulations...
Lunch not much of break for many workers - The lunch hour seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird.

Workplace Hooky

According to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey, more than one-third of American workers say they played hooky from work some time during the past 12 months, with 10 percent saying they did so three or more times. Twenty percent of those polled said they have dishonestly called in sick simply because they didn't feel like working that day.

The top three reasons for faking illness in 2005, according to CareerBuilder.com, were to attend to personal errands, to catch up on sleep and to relax.

Twenty-five percent of workers said they view sick days the same as vacation days and use them as such.

The day following a holiday weekend is a common target for employees to miss time, the poll indicates. As a way to address this issue, some businesses have established policies that penalize employees financially for failing to show up for a scheduled shift before or after a holiday.

Source: CareersUSA, CareerBuilder.com

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IRS Issues New Proposed Regulations on Dependent Care Expenses

In May 2006, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued proposed regulations regarding the Internal Revenue Code Section 21 credit for expenses for household and dependent care services necessary for gainful employment. The proposed regulations reflect statutory amendments enacted since existing regulations were published.

The proposed regulations are largely aimed at updating and clarifying what expenses are eligible for reimbursement under dependent care assistance programs (DCAPs) and for the dependent care income tax credit. Issues addressed by the proposed regulations include:

Specialty day camps: Expenses for day camp that specialize in a particular activity, such as computer camps or soccer camps can be employment-related expenses; expenses for overnight camp are not considered employed-related expenses.
Leaves of absence: In general, dependent care expenses for a period in which the taxpayer is absent from work are not employment-related expenses. However, expenses incurred during short, temporary absences from work, such as for minor illness or vacation, may be considered employment-related for employees who pay for dependent care expenses on a weekly or longer basis.
Part-Time Workers: Taxpayers who are part-time workers must allocate expenses between days worked and days not worked, unless day-care expenses are required to be paid on a periodic basis that includes both days worked and days not worked.
Indirect Expenses: Expenses such as application and agency fees may be employment-related expenses if the taxpayer is required to pay the expenses to obtain care. Other expenses such as the cost of a care provider's room and board may also be considered employment-related expenses.
Pre-School and After-School Programs: Pre-school or similar programs below kindergarten are for care and therefore may be employment-related expenses. Likewise, expenses for before- and after-school care of a child in kindergarten or a higher level may be employment-related. However, costs for kindergarten or higher-level schooling are not employment-related expenses.
Transportation Expenses: The transportation of an individual to and from a daycare facility may be an eligible expense if all other related requirements are satisfied.
Until final rules are published, employers may rely on the proposed regulations and should review their DCAPs to see if changes are needed. The IRS will accept comments on the proposed rules until August 22, 2006.

Source: Proskauer Rose, LLP

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Lunch Not Much of Break for Many Workers

The lunch hour seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird and traditional pension plans, according to a May 2006 survey that found more than 50 percent of 1,000 office workers now take only 30 minutes or less for lunch.

Employees have whittled down their lunchtime to get more work done, it found, with more than 60 percent of U.S. office workers saying the 60-minute lunch is the biggest myth of office life. Less than 10 percent take the full 60 minutes or more for lunch.

Also, 58 percent eat lunch at their desks while working and more than half (56 percent) spend their lunch break eating, running errands, shopping online and checking e-mails, according to the survey by Louisville, Ky.-based KFC fast-food company.

Taking less time to renew and replenish oneself over lunch is in part a reflection of the fast multitasking pace people keep today and a carryover of the habits they have outside of work, says workplace psychologist Bev Smallwood of Magnetic Workplace. The consequences of not addressing potential burnout can affect teamwork and customer service, cost the company money and influence morale.

Possible solutions? Organize walking clubs or other daily activities during the lunch hour that can give employees some much-needed time away from their desks.

Source: Society for Human Resource Management

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