Tips for Driving During the Winter
December 29, 2023 | Adriel B. Villarreal
As the temperatures in the Twin Cities begin to drop and snow begins to blanket the roads, it’s critical that you gear up for winter driving. Navigating through these severe winter conditions requires a different set of skills and precautions than driving in warmer seasons. Continue reading our blog as we explore some essential tips to help ensure your safety and your confidence on the icy Minnesota roads. Make Sure Your Vehicle is Prepared Before hitting the road, make sure your vehicle is winter-ready. This includes checking the battery, brakes, tires, and fluid levels. Consider switching to winter tires for better traction in snow and icy conditions. Keep your gas tank at least half full to prevent fuel line freeze and replace worn-out windshield wipers to maintain clear visibility. Slow Down and Increase Following Distance One of the most crucial winter driving tips is to reduce your speed. Snow and ice will reduce your traction while driving, making it more challenging to stop quickly. Drive at a speed that allows you to maintain control of your vehicle and increase the following distance between you and the car in front of you. This extra space provides more time to react to sudden stops or slippery conditions. Know How to Handle Skids Even taking the…
Read MoreEarned Sick and Safety Leave Law
December 11, 2023 | David R. Schaps
Minnesota’s new Earned Sick and Safety Time Leave Law (ESST) is approaching, and Minnesota business owners need to have policies in place and prepared to go live on January 1, 2024. Employers must provide each employee in Minnesota with at least one hour of paid sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked, up to at least 48 hours of accrued ESST a year. An employee is anyone who works at least 80 hours a year for an employer in Minnesota and is not an independent contractor. An employer’s existing leave policy, such as paid time off (PTO), may already fully or partially meet Minnesota’s earned sick and safe time requirements. Local ordinances such as those in Bloomington, Duluth, Minneapolis, and St. Paul may also affect the requirements to provide ESST leave time and differ from the new State requirements. Please note that an important part of the new law is that employees do not have to live in Minnesota to be eligible for ESST accrual but must work at least 80 hours in Minnesota in a year to be eligible; time worked in Minnesota will apply to ESST accrual. If an employer is based in Minnesota but has employees who work in another state, those out-of-state employees are not covered by…
Read MoreTHE CORPORATE TRANSPARENCY ACT WILL APPLY TO MANY U.S. BUSINESSES – ARE YOU READY??
November 9, 2023 | Carole Clark Isakson
The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) is a federal law that will go into effect on January 1, 2024. Unless a company is exempt from reporting (see below) all business entities formed in the U.S. will need to complete and file a beneficial ownership disclosure form (“BOI”) with the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes and Enforcement Network (“FinCen”). Will it apply to my company? The CTA applies to all entities formed in the U.S. with several significant exemptions, including but not limited to: 1) entities that are already heavily regulated (like banks and insurance companies), 2) large companies with a physical U.S. office and more than 20 employees and more than 5 million per year in revenue, 3) certain tax exempt entities, 4) accounting firms and 5) public utilities. The CTA sets out twenty-three exemptions. In addition to those exemptions, entities that are not created through a filing at a state office do not have to comply with the CTA; those entities include trusts and general partnerships. What timelines apply? Companies created before January 1, 2024 will have an entire year to make the required filing. Entities that are created on or after January 1, 2024 must make the filing within thirty days (this timeline may be extended a month or two, this has yet to be…
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