KPhill

Didn't mean to sound personal - apologies for that.

I should clarify that I am not ignoring the penalty notice. I am trying to negotiate it downward, as is the service we hired to deal with this stuff.

erik123

How much is it?

magiciansampras

FYI, for those looking to hiring nannies above board, Senator Krueger has a helpful guide of the multiple steps you need to take: http://www.nysenate.gov/report/senat...ull-time-domes

It notes the need for insurance and the fines that can be accrued if you don't have it.

magiciansampras

We actually have two services. The payroll service is like $75 a quarter. They handle paystubs, tax forms, etc. The other service is an attorney who focuses on this kind of thing. We haven't gotten a bill yet, but they're a friend.

KPhill

We used one of the ones on p.49 of the Park Slope nanny report. Setup fee was around $800 and quarterly fees are in the ballpark of what Sampras mentioned.

magiciansampras

If you paid $800 for setup and you still ended up with a fine for $4000 I'd send them the bill!

Landing Gear

It's okay.

I am curious who is doing the negotiating for you. Very few people actually know anything about this. (Note well: I am not including myself in this category. I refer this out.)

What does your lawyer handle?

Setup fee of $800????? Paychex and ADP don't charge that to set up a small payroll. For what are you paying?


Good luck with that.

Oh before I forget, in addition to Workers Compensation, you probably also need state-mandated Disability coverage. This is NOT the item for which there is a payroll deduction. That is Social Security Disability, a different thing.

magiciansampras

She handles telling us what we need to be compliance with the law (insurance and so forth).

I forgot that we also have a CPA.

Turns out having a "small business" (according to the State of New York) requires quite a lot of warm bodies to make it work.

When you refer to Workers Compensation you mean a private insurance policy to cover your nanny, yes?

---

I agree with you 100% that few people know exactly what you need. It's really amazing how much is involved to be above board. One would think there would be an incentive to make things a bit easier; perhaps higher compliance?

KPhill

xxxxxx

Setup fee of $800????? Paychex and ADP don't charge that to set up a small payroll. For what are you paying?

xxxxxxx

GTM handles all the payroll and supposedly all the interactions with the [redacted] in Albany. Plus they are supposed to handle all the docs and compliance, etc. Hence my annoyance with the $4k notice.

But this morning I have some tentatively good news. GTM called and said that they talked to someone at the Workers Comp Board and that the entire $4000 was waived! Supposedly the letter from Albany will come in the mail shortly.

magiciansampras

^

Good stuff!

KPhill

Ok I am impressed. The letter came and they waived the entire $4000 fine! I take back the nasty things I said about the fine folks in Albany.

Landing Gear

Then this is just an occasional consultation?




Yes. There are several that do it. Some payroll companies also have insurance brokerages and can get you a workers comp policy.

N.B. 1. You are subject to audit requirements once a year for this.

2. Again, this is not the disability policy you also need.


Thanks. Tell that to Cuomo, Silver and Skelos. Good luck with that.


I don't know what you mean by "[redacted]." What was redacted, someone's name or some colorful language meaning essentially, "jerks?"

If GTM got $4,000 reduced to zero, confirmed by the Workers Compensation Board, that tells me two things: 1. they did a good job; and 2. the State of New York is not cracking down on nanny employers who make an effort to comply. Trust me, they were going for blood in 2011 against every small business and nothing was negotiated down to zero.

By the way, I looked at GTM's website and I didn't see any $800 set up fees.

Don't forget the disability coverage!

By the way, are they filing an NYS-45 for you every quarter?

magiciansampras

I don't understand your question. I don't consult with this person everyday, no.

This is part of the problem. Suggesting, at the state level, that nanny employers are a small business is silly. There should be a distinction between nanny employers and other small businesses, IMHO.

Landing Gear

What I'm suggesting is that most nanny employers do not have to call a lawyer once a week or even once a month.



I would agree with you that if the state wants increased compliance it needs to find an easier way for people to comply.

I most emphatically do not agree that people who employ workers, whether child care or otherwise and knowingly and willfully do not comply with the laws regarding taxes and insurance should get any better treatment than any other employers.

By the way, recently I needed a tree limb cut down in my garden. I asked the tree service for insurance certificates (workers comp, liability, etc.) and they provided them with no hesitation.

magiciansampras

Yep.

You must be emphatically disagreeing with someone else, because I never said anything close to that. In fact, I agree with you. There is no excuse for knowingly and willfully breaking the law (like so many do in this city regarding nannies, if the survey data is accurate).

But this is not to say that it is easy to comply or even easy to know what the laws are. That's the problem. I have a Ph.D. and find this stuff pretty complicated. My comment relates simply to this cumbersome and frankly opaque process. Expecting parents to know about small business law, employment procedures, etc. is a bit much. The process should be easier and made more clear.

And then to come after people with $4000 fines when they've been trying to comply with said opaque process is even worse.

Should parents be placed in a similar category as tree limb companies? I would suggest no. This is not to say that they should not need insurance but rather the procedures and policies should be clarified and simplified.