Category: Paychecks & Work
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Forty-six restaurant workers recovered $613,037 after investigators found minimum-wage and overtime violations.
A federal wage investigation has put more than $613,000 back in the hands of 46 restaurant workers in Minnesota. The recovery matters beyond one workplace because restaurant pay can combine hourly wages, tips, deductions and overtime in ways that make a short paycheck hard to spot. Basic records can help workers identify the gap. What…
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Ask your employer about $5,250 in tax-free tuition or student-loan help.
A benefit hidden in an employee handbook can be worth as much as $5,250 a year without increasing taxable wages. Employers may use a qualified educational-assistance program to help with tuition, books and certain student-loan payments. The catch is that the workplace must actually offer the plan, and its rules can be narrower than the…
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A seafood wholesaler will pay $265,000 after at least 19 women were denied warehouse jobs
A seafood wholesaler has agreed to pay $265,000 to resolve federal claims that women were denied a fair chance at warehouse jobs. The agreement covers at least 19 applicants and requires changes beyond the payment. For workers, the case illustrates that hiring discrimination can have a direct paycheck cost even before a person becomes an…
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April Jobs Report: The Numbers Behind the Headline
Employers added 115,000 jobs in April and unemployment held at 4.3%. Behind the headline: where hiring is real, where it isn’t, and what wages did.
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Renting Out a Room: The Tax Rules Nobody Mentions
Rent a room in your home and the IRS has rules for you, including one that makes short rentals tax-free. Here is how the 14-day rule and Schedule E work.
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Your Final Paycheck: What Employers Owe and When
When must your last paycheck arrive after you quit or get fired? Federal law says next payday; some states say same day. Here’s who owes what, and when.
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The Self-Employment Tax, Explained in One Sitting
The 15.3% self-employment tax funds your Social Security and Medicare. Who owes it, the $400 trigger, the 92.35% quirk, and the deduction that softens it.
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Fired vs. Laid Off: What It Means for Unemployment
Laid-off workers usually qualify for unemployment. Fired workers often do too. How states draw the misconduct line, and what to do the week you lose a job.
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How to Read a Job Offer: Salary Is Only Half the Number
Benefits average roughly 30 cents of every compensation dollar, per BLS data. How to compare two job offers on total compensation, not just salary.
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Side Hustle Taxes: The Quarterly Payment Basics
Earning side income with no taxes withheld? Here’s how IRS quarterly estimated payments, the $1,000 rule, and the safe harbor actually work in 2026.