Most commonly broken laws with contractors

Running a business is a complex thing to do, and a significant reason for the complexities is the rules and regulations that come with it. As a business owner, whether you have two employees or fifty, there are state and federal laws that you are expected to comply with. Some of these laws relate to workers or employees, and this is an area where many business owners make mistakes. Here we compile the common mistakes that businesses make.

Misclassification of Employees:

There are instances where the employees are designated as independent contractors. This mistake is a prevalent one but the consequences can be very grave too. Generally, contractors do not receive overtime wages and benefits. The business does not have to remit payroll taxes on their earnings, which would be done for an employee, thus making it more expensive to classify a worker as an employee than a contractor. However, the rule on who qualifies as an employee or contractor is in place, and trying to bypass it may lead to court cases. You will have to pay back penalties, wages, and taxes on such employees in the best scenario. It is easy to be confused about whether a worker is an employee or contractor. If that happens to you, you can use the Department of Labor independent contractor test or request IRS determination.

Misclassifying Exemption from Overtime:

This is another mistake that business owners make. Workers exempt from overtime receive the standard salary without any extra payment for working overtime. However, determining whether a worker is exempt from overtime pay is not as simple as employing only salaried workers. There are criteria an employee must meet to be exempt. Such criteria have to do with federal job duties and salary requirements. If a business mistakenly exempts a worker from overtime pay when the worker doesn’t meet those criteria, the worker can sue the company.

Subtracting Loan Payments from The Wage:

If you are running a small business, you are very likely to be familiar with the personal and financial lives of your employers, and in a situation where the employer needs a loan, they might come to you. If you give such a loan with the plan to deduct it from their paycheck, you are in the wrong. Most states’ law does not permit employers to make any deductions apart from benefits and taxes from employees’ wages. Thus, if you give your employee a loan, make them sign a promissory note as to how and when they will repay the loan separately from their payment.

Making Decisions for The Contractor:

When working with an independent contractor, you may forget the relationship between you or think of a better way to do some part of the job. As an employer, you can always direct your employee on how to do a job. However, you cannot do the same for an independent contractor, and you must not forget this when dealing with them. What makes a worker a contractor and not an employee is the right to control and make decisions that they have, and as a business owner, you must respect these rights.

Conclusion

As a business owner, it is crucial to be conversant with employment laws to avoid making costly avoidable mistakes.

Creating A Luxury Hot Tub and Pool Area

Do you want to have a great time in your own backyard? Well, one way to achieve this is to have a hot tub and pool area right there behind your home. Once you have space, it is relatively easy, and you can easily enjoy a great evening or spend a hot weekend lounging in the pool at the back of your own home, no worry in the world. While creating a luxury hot tub and pool area in your backyard might seem like the stuff fantasies are made of, it is very achievable. You can have that vacation you deserve without leaving your home. Here are the tips on how to create this luxury escape without spending above your budget.

Clear The Space:

If your backyard is a rough one, this is a perfect time to clear it out and take advantage of all the space you can get. Having a spacious backyard is definitely an advantage because it means you can easily add a swimming pool, but even if you have limited space, you can still create a luxury hot tub area and have a great time in your yard. Clearing out space usually means not just weeding it clean but also leveling it out depending on the size of the area and what you are planning to do with all the space. For instance, if all you are putting on the yard is a hot tub, you may not need to clear out the entire surface area.

Install The Luxury Hot Tub:

A hot tub has a lot of physical and emotional benefits. The powerful jets massage your joints, and combined with the hot water; they gradually ease your muscles. Spending some hours in the hot tub might be all you need to get rid of the tension in your body. You should get the hot tub that works best for your family in terms of size. It is also essential for you to know the number of jets on the hot tub and their locations. Hot tubs with adjustable jet nozzles are the best as you can set them to the areas of your body you need to massage. Rotating jets further ensure you have a great time as they amplify the massage-like feeling that you get. Go for a hot tub that is functional and beautifully designed because the tub also serves an aesthetic function.

Create A Pool:

If there is still enough space, you can add a swimming pool. There are different options for your swimming pool. It could be aboveground or in-ground and can be made of concrete, vinyl, or fiberglass. 

Ensure Privacy:

If your yard is an open one, you may need to build a fence. Privacy is essential when you are creating a hot tub and pool area, so ensure that privacy is possible before you even start the project: the less the neighbor can see, the better. You can plant a hedge around your property as well to reduce any exposure to the outside world.

Conclusion

Ensure that the hot tub is shaded, and it is so advisable to add ambient lights, plants, and deck to make the most of the scenery. Call the best in-ground pool builders around!