Northwood Payroll & HR

10/08/2026

We had some special visitors at Northwood this week! 🍀

A big thank you to our local 4-H group for decorating one of our office windows in celebration of National 4-H Week!

We love supporting the next generation of hardworking young people in our community.

We’re still waiting to hear back on our request to borrow a horse for payroll deliveries, though. 🐎📬

Apparently, that’s a separate application.

10/07/2026

WNY employers: your 2026 W-2s are getting new boxes for overtime and tips. 📋

If your payroll lumps all overtime into one code, now's the time to fix it. Here's what to set up before January.

Last year, the “no tax on tips and overtime” headlines had employees asking questions. This year, it’s employers’ turn. Starting with the W-2s you’ll issue in January…

10/01/2026

Quick gut check for WNY business owners: if you had to file W-2s tomorrow, would every name, SSN, and address be right? 😬

Here's the year-end payroll checklist we use with our own clients. Start in October, thank yourself in January.

09/12/2026

Good morning! Lots of cookies going on for the festival today!

Don't forget to stop in and get yours!!

09/10/2026

📝 Here's one habit that can save employers a lot of headaches: document employee issues while they're still fresh.

But good documentation isn't:
❌ “John had a bad attitude again.”
It's:
✅ “On September 10 at approximately 9:15 a.m., John was instructed to complete X. John responded X and did not complete the assigned task.”

Facts beat adjectives.

When something happens, document:
1️⃣ What happened — Stick to observable facts.
2️⃣ When and where — Include dates, times and relevant people.
3️⃣ What was expected — Reference the policy, procedure or performance expectation.
4️⃣ What you did — Document the conversation, coaching, warning or other response.
5️⃣ What happens next — Make the employee's expectations and follow-up clear.

💡 A good test: Could someone who wasn't in the room read your notes six months from now and understand exactly what happened?

If not, you probably need more detail.

Save this one — and consider giving the 5-step framework to anyone in your company who manages employees.

09/02/2026

🇺🇸Labor Day is Monday — so here's a question employers tend to hear this time of year:

“Do we have to pay employees extra because it's a holiday?”

Not necessarily.

For most private employers, simply being a federal holiday doesn't automatically require paid time off or time-and-a-half for employees who work.

But there's an important distinction:

Holiday pay and overtime pay aren't the same thing.

If a covered, nonexempt employee's hours actually worked put them over 40 for the workweek, overtime requirements may still kick in. Paid holiday hours when no work is performed generally don't count as hours worked toward that 40-hour threshold.

Your handbook, employment agreement, union agreement, or established company policy may also provide holiday benefits beyond what the law otherwise requires.

💡 Employer takeaway: Before the holiday weekend, make sure whoever approves payroll knows exactly what your company's holiday-pay policy says. Consistency matters.

Save this one for Monday's payroll questions. 🇺🇸

08/17/2026

🚨 **MYTH MONDAY**

“My employee doesn't want to take lunch. They'd rather work through it and leave 30 minutes early.”

Sounds reasonable, right?

In New York, it's not that simple.

Employers are generally required to provide qualifying employees with designated meal periods. An employee choosing to work through lunch doesn't automatically mean those 30 minutes can simply be moved to the end of the day.

And here's another important piece:

A true meal period is generally unpaid only when the employee is completely relieved of their duties.

If they're eating at their desk while answering phones, helping customers, responding to emails, or otherwise continuing to work, you may have a wage-and-hour issue—not a lunch break.

💡 Employer takeaway: Don't treat required meal periods like 30 minutes of flex time. Have a clear meal-period policy, make sure managers understand it, and address employees who routinely work through lunch rather than quietly allowing it to become the norm.

📌 Save this one and take a look at how lunch breaks are actually being handled at your business—not just what the handbook says.

08/10/2026

🚨 Myth Monday

An employee breaks a piece of equipment, damages company property, or comes up short on the register...

Can you just take the money out of their next paycheck?

In New York, generally, no.

NY has strict rules about what employers are allowed to deduct from an employee's wages. Losses caused by things like breakage, spoilage, cash shortages, or damage generally can't simply be taken out of an employee's paycheck.

Even if the employee was responsible, that doesn't automatically give the employer permission to recover the money through payroll.

There may be other ways to address the underlying issue—but "just take it out of their check" isn't the answer.

Payroll and employment rules aren't always intuitive. That's exactly why we're doing Myth Monday.

Have a payroll or HR situation you've always wondered about? Drop it in the comments. We might tackle yours next Monday. 🌲

08/06/2026

We believe strong communities are built by neighbors looking out for one another.

As the new school year approaches, we’d love to help make the first day a little easier for a few local families.

If someone comes to mind, send us a private message. We’d be honored to help. 💙