Tag Archives: employees

Education, Software, Tips

How to Issue 1099s and W-2s from Gusto Payroll (for 2023)

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As a CPA whose company works with loads of small businesses that need to process payroll, I’ve used quite a few payroll systems through the years… and Gusto has become our favorite. It’s not without its quirks and issues, but overall it does a great job for a great price, and — key for the work we do — it syncs nicely with QuickBooks Online, as well as their own Benefits company and with Guideline retirement.

(By the way, our referral link will get you a $100 prepaid Visa card if you sign up and run your first paid payroll before Jan 31st, 2024! Bonus! Happy New Year!)

It seems that for 2023, Gusto has slightly changed the details for how they handle distribution of 1099 and W-2 forms — and so that no one ends up without a copy of their important documents, I am sharing the step-by-step process that we went through for our own firm, in hopes that it helps you manage it in your own small business.

Spoiler alert: the process of DIY-ing (aka creating the packet of 1099 or W-2 PDFs, going to the Tax documents section and finding/ downloading these PDFs, printing them, and mailing them) was enough of a pain that for sure next year I will just click the option to pay $3 per form to have them mailed for me for anyone who hasn’t selected “electronic-only delivery”. But before then, I will contact all my employees and contractors and ask them to please change their preferences to be electronic-only delivery next year, since the thing I would be mailing them is literally a printout of the same PDF that they can download themselves from their Gusto account.

And now — here’s the process I went through, in real time, as I walked through the steps myself.

First off, as the company/ employer, I received an email from Gusto (though it incorrectly stated that these are client tasks, rather than firm tasks) stating that I need to distribute important payroll forms to recipients before the IRS deadline of January 31, 2024.

When I click on the “Let’s do it” button for 1099s, it takes me (after logging in) to the screen below, which notes “If you have us mail forms for you, you can choose to exclude anyone who’s consented to have them delivered electronically.” This is pretty important, as I encourage everyone to accept this delivery method, even if they also request a paper copy. I am curious to see if they make this option clear even if I select “I’d like to download and distribute them on my own,” and will give that approach a try.

After selecting the second option — “I’d like to download and distribute them on my own” (DIY), I get this screen:

And then this screen:

And good news! Even in the DIY version, you can select “Only contractors who haven’t requested electronic-only copies,” which is a real win for everyone. It would be nice if they made that clearer on the first page, and simply said, “you can choose to exclude anyone who’s consented to have them delivered electronically.”

I take that back! NOTE: After going through the whole process (you’ll see this below), I never did get a packet that was just for the electronic-only folks. I was only able to download a packet for ALL employees. I will have to pick out which ones selected paper delivery and only print and mail those. Or I can go into each employee and download the form individually. What a pain! I don’t want to reward Gusto for handling this poorly, but if I could go back again, I’d have chosen to have them mail the ones who set their preferences for paper forms, for $3 each.

I clicked on “Create packet”, and nothing happened. However, this box shows on the right-side, so I’m guessing that’s why:

(I think this could have been handled a bit better by the Gusto programmers.)

Now, if you had any contractors who did not select electronic delivery, you would in theory eventually get a copy of that packet, and use the PDFs of the 1099s that were made available to you by Gusto — you would print and mail them yourself. But in my experience with the W-2s (below), I was only ever able to download a copy of ALL the forms, not just the ones that set their preference to receive a paper copy. Or I could go to each employee and download them individually. Therefore, as I keep saying… if I had this to do over, I’d pay Gusto the $3 per form for just the ones that requested paper forms. And in future onboarding, I’d ask them to set it to “electronic-only”.

Next, we’re going to give the W-2 form distribution a try. I clicked “Home” to get to the main page of my Gusto account but got an error message, probably because as an accountant user, it got confused about whether to take me to my own firm homepage or my client dashboard. So I went back to the original email and started from there. As expected, it brought me here:

And after selecting DIY, it took me here:

After clicking “Continue” it took me to a page that nicely spelled everything out for me:

It turns out that four of my employees have requested paper copies. They may have also requested electronic copies, but since that doesn’t matter one way or the other here, it’s not indicated. (Note to self: ask your team members to select electronic-delivery-only!)

So this time when I clicked the “Create packet” button, I got a pop-up.

I clicked on the “Go to Tax documents” button and it took me to a very familiar screen (since I have to download this information on behalf of clients from time-to-time), with a tab for each type of tax document.

I clicked on W-2s and followed the prompt to download my 2023 W-2 packet — but this turned out to be the entire employer-copy of the W-2 packet. So, I clicked below that on the option to “Distribute 2023 W-2s” — but that just took me back to “Choose how to distribute W-2s” starting page.

To be fair, it did say in the pop-up that they’re creating my packet and would email me when it’s ready… I’ll go check email next.

But first I want to point out that this page also makes it clear in the employee list at the bottom what the delivery preference for each employee is, making it easy for me to make good on my “note to self” above and reach out to those who requested “paper and electronic”. (By the way, my own name is on that list. Sigh.)

It’s many minutes later and I still don’t have an email saying my packet is ready.

At this point, I’m wishing I’d just paid Gusto $3 each for them to mail these for me.

I’m going to sign off on this blog post for now and return to it once I get an email from Gusto. And if I don’t, I will shake my fist at them and ask my team members if I really have to spend $3 each to send them a paper W-2 when they already have a PDF.

Update: I never did get an email from Gusto saying my packet of just the ones that need paper copies was ready. And when I went back in to just pay Gusto the dang $3 each, I got this screen:

So apparently that’s not even an option anymore. Heads-up! (This is the part where I scroll back to the top of my post and give everyone a spoiler alert before starting this process.)

The key takeaway I’d like to share with clients and readers is that you should absolutely, unquestionably go into “Tax Documents” and look at the list of people under the W-2s and 1099s tab to see if anyone chose paper-only (I am presuming that’s an option but do not truly know… because it’s 2024 and who would choose that, anyway). If anyone did *not* consent to electronic delivery, then go spend that $3 per employee. For everyone else, reach out and ask if this is really necessary, and suggest they (myself included, whoops) change their settings — not because the $3 per form is a prohibitive cost, but because the amount of time and energy spent in making that happen (any at all) is simply not worth it in this day and age of electronic communication.

I will leave you with a hilarious poem that a dear colleague of mine shared with me recently.

If this or any other posts on the website were useful to you, and your financial situation permits it, please consider contributing to my tip jar. Ths allows me to continue to provide free accounting resources to small businesses who do not have the funds available to hire a CPA.

Education, Illinois, Tips

What Illinois Secure Choice Retirement Means for Your Small Business or Non-Profit

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Click the image to watch an excellent 20-minute overview video of the IL Secure Choice Program.

There have been rumblings in the news for quite some time now about small businesses being required to provide retirement plans for their employees — but most owners seem to be turning a deaf ear, presuming that their small size exempts them from the requirement.

Not so! There is a phased-in approach to the State of Illinois’ new plan, and this November (2023) is going to catch a bunch of folks unprepared, as the requirements will extend to any business with five or more employees.

That probably means you — and if this sends you into a panic, no fear… we’re going to outline what the requirements are and will offer a couple of suggestions for getting into compliance.

What Is Illinois Secure Choice?

It’s a combination of legislation that requires most employers to offer a retirement plan to their employees — and a system that fills the gap for employers who do not currently offer retirement savings via payroll deductions.

In the words of the Illinois Department of Revenue, “Secure Choice is a program administered by the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Board for the purpose of providing a retirement savings option to private-sector employees in Illinois who lack access to an employer-sponsored plan.” Check out this excellent 20-minute video for an overview.

Enacted in 2015, the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program Act has been phased in over many years, starting with companies with many employees, and working its way to those with very few staff by comparison.

Wave One began in 2018, and included employers with 500 or more employees. Wave Two, in 2019, included employers with 100‑499 employees, and another wave later that same year included employers with 25-99 employees. The deadline for wave Four — employers with 16 or more employees — was Nov. 1, 2022. The deadline for wave Five, employers with five or more employees, is Nov. 1, 2023.

Why Is Illinois Making Small Business Owners Do This?

Research has shown that Americans are 15 times more likely to save for retirement when it’s done through a payroll deduction at work. With more than 50% of us unprepared to retire when the time comes — even taking Social Security into account — the state decided that one way to address this problem would be to offer a program that helped the 40% of employers who do not offer a retirement plan a way to auto-enroll its team members into making payroll deductions into a Roth IRA.

Since it is estimated that most of us, when we retire, will need around 70-80% of pre-retirement income, the need to save is essential. The stress that it places on the social safety net when folks do not have sufficient funds to care for themselves after they stop working is enormous, so it’s not surprising that the state decided to facilitate individual savings through their workplaces.

It’s worth mentioning that the gap in retirement savings disproportionately affects workers at small businesses, lower-wage workers, people of color, and women. According to AARP, among businesses with 10-24 employees, nearly 59% of workers are not covered by a workplace retirement plan, and for businesses with fewer than 10 employees, that figure is nearly 73%.

Are Employees Being Forced To Save For Retirement?

No. Although the program starts with auto-enrollment, employees may opt-out (or back in) at any time, just like the majority of 401k plans out there. And as a reminder, the employer is able to offer their own 401k plan instead of IL Secure Choice; there is no obligation to participate in this particular program, as long as another qualified plan exists.

The default option for program participants is to enroll in a target-date Roth IRA with a 5 percent contribution rate. Participants can choose to change their contribution level or fund option at any time. Accounts are owned by individual participants and are portable from job-to-job.

Is The State of Illinois Going To Manage My Retirement Plan?

No. Investments are held in a separate trust outside the Illinois Treasury and are managed by private-sector investment managers. Acensus, a private-sector financial services firm, administers the program, which is overseen by a public board chaired by the Illinois State Treasurer. Each employee gets their own IRA account, which like any other IRA, belongs to them and is not associated with which employer or job they have.

As of January of this year, the program has hit the $100 Million mark in savings.

Does My Small Business Have to Participate?

If your company (or non-profit) has been in business for two or more years, has five or more employees, and does not already offer a qualified retirement plan, then you have two choices:

  • start offering a qualified retirement plan (more on that later); or,
  • participate in the Illinois Secure Choice program.

Supposedly, Illinois Secure Choice was not intended to replace or compete with traditional employer-sponsored qualified retirement plans, like 401(k), 403(b), SEP and SIMPLE programs. So if you’ve been thinking about starting one of those for your company — especially if you are interested in being able to sock away more retirement money for yourself than an IRA allows — this is the time to adopt a plan for your business, rather than signing up for IL Secure Choice.

That said, the fees and employer contributions involved in these types of plans can be prohibitive to many small businesses, which is one of the reasons the IL Secure Choice program was developed. The three “hurdles” that employers deal with that prevent them from having a retirement plan are 1) the administrative burden, 2) fees, and 3) fiduciary liability. The program was designed to reduce and, as much as possible, eliminate these concerns.

What Do Employers Need To Do To Comply?

Employers need to do the following:

  1. Choose whether to establish a qualified retirement plan or facilitate IL Secure Choice.
  2. Register your organization at employer.ilsecurechoice.com by the state-required deadline (or note that you are exempt because you already have a qualifying plan). All employers should receive a “welcome notification” email or letter with an Access Code; use this to register or inform them of your exemption.
  3. If facilitating IL Secure Choice:
    • set up account portal
    • submit and maintain employee roster
    • submit employee contributions every pay period
    • keep employee lists up-to-date
    • reconcile the employee contributions liability account each month and annually (to make sure the correct amounts have been both withheld and submitted)

Why Would We Choose To Sponsor A Qualified Retirement Plan (401k/403b) Instead of Illinois Secure Choice?

Our company, like many others, has chosen to offer a 401(k) plan instead of IL Secure Choice. Why?

  1. We are fans of increasing our own retirement contribution limits well beyond what can be saved with an IRA-based plan like IL Secure Choice (generally $6,500);
  2. The competitive advantage of offering a plan that includes employer contributions (not allowed with IL Secure Choice) is significant in our field of work;
  3. Guideline’s use of Vanguard “Admiral Shares” means we get the lowest expense ratio in the industry;
  4. The SECURE 2.0 Act offers tax credits of up to $15,000 over three years, to offset costs of setting up and contributing to the plan (!!!); and,
  5. We love the ease of not having to maintain employee lists or submit contributions (more on this below).

With Gusto, our preferred payroll provider (my referral link gets you $100 or more when you run your first payroll), and Guideline, our preferred retirement plan, the two systems sync with each other, so there’s no need to maintain employee lists or submit contributions — it all happens automatically. This is a huge administrative burden lifted for us. (Plus, our clients receive the first five months of Guideline fees free of charge, so that’s an added bonus.) This alone certainly isn’t worth it for your company when deciding which path to choose, but if you’re also eager to increase your own retirement contributions as a business owner, and to distinguish yourselves as a desirable employer in a competitive labor market, then in my opinion, it’s a no-brainer.

https://storage.googleapis.com/www.guideline.com/public-assets/outreach/State%20Mandate%20-%20IL%20-%202023.pdf

What Happens If I Missed The Deadline?

This came up in the Q&A in my state rep’s presentation (see the bottom of this post for the link), and the response was that although by statute, penalties can certainly be assessed, the goal is not to punish employers who are trying to do the right thing. Right now they are focused on outreach, education, and trying to ensure they are reaching employers who are required to comply. As long as you register as soon as you discover that you missed the deadline, you should be fine. Otherwise, employers that do not comply could face penalties of $250 per employee for the first year and $500 per employee for each subsequent year.

What Options Do My Employees Have For Investing?

Lots. And they’re good — the board who developed this program really was thoughtful in their design. To learn more, please watch the video I referenced at the beginning of the post, as this is meant to be a guide for employers who are trying to suss out their requirements. If you’ve already decided to go for it and facilitate the IL Secure Choice Plan, then you should definitely watch the video to learn more. It’s only 20 minutes long, you can do it!

How Do I Onboard And Submit Contributions?

Again, this blog post is meant to help employers sort out their requirements and get their bearings. To learn how it all works, please watch the 20-minute video referenced at the beginning of the post. (Honestly, if you can’t even watch a short video, then you’re really not going to like the administrative overhead of facilitating the program, and might want to consider going with the Gusto/Guideline combo I mentioned earlier.)

Where Can I Learn More?

The FAQ on the Illinois Secure Choice website is astounding in its comprehensiveness. Check it out. If you have a question, someone has likely already answered it there.

Additionally, there are these handy downloadable Program Resources:
– Employer Overview
– Eligibility and Rollout
– Communication To Your Employees

As well as an excellent DIY Step-By-Step Guide for Employers.

They also offer these resources:

And if that all wasn’t enough for you, check out the most excellent version of this same presentation that was offered by my state rep’s office in December of 2022. It’s the same presenters of the slideshow portion as above, but there are also other participants that offer more context, and a very long and informative Q&A. They’ve granted me permission to share it here, and you can use passcode Vd*Uqgn2 to view or download the zoom recording.

Click the image above to access a zoom recording of the IL Secure Choice webinar — Passcode: Vd*Uqgn2

They truly did a great job with both the presentation and the Q&A and I encourage you to watch the whole thing while you’re reviewing the program details on the IL Secure Choice website.

Good luck navigating the system (if you are one of our clients — please reach out and we’ll help you), and congratulations on helping your employees save for retirement!

If this or any other posts on the website were useful to you, and your financial situation permits it, please consider contributing to my tip jar. Ths allows me to continue to provide free accounting resources to small businesses who do not have the funds available to hire a CPA.

Education, Illinois

Chicago Minimum Wage Increase Takes Effect July 1, 2023

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Chicago Office Of Labor Standards Minimum Wage Chart

The City of Chicago and Cook County both saw increases to their minimum wage requirements as of July 1, 2023 (they have fiscal years that end June 30, which is why we see their updates at this time each year, rather than January 1, which is when the State of Illinois changes usually go into effect). Since reaching $15 per hour in 2021, the minimum wage for Chicago increases annually per ordinance according to the Consumer Price Index, or 2.5%, whichever is lower.

In Chicago, minimum wage will increase to $15.80/hr for “large” employers (21 or more employees) and domestic workers. The minimum will be $15/hr for “small” employers (4-20 employees). For tipped workers, who tend to earn a large portion of their pay from gratuities, the minimum wage is going up to $9.48/hr for large employers, and $9/hr for small. (Efforts to eliminate this practice are yet again gaining momentum under the new mayor.) As has always been the case, if tips do not bring the worker up to the non-tipped employee minimums, the employer must make up the difference. Most payroll software (including Gusto) will address this discrepancy automatically, but it’s worth checking your system to make sure.

The overtime minimum wage for non-tipped employees is calculated at 1.5 times the minimum wage. The overtime wage for tipped Employees is calculated at 1.5 times the tipped minimum wage, minus no more than the current maximum tip allowance. The maximum tip allowance is calculated by subtracting the tipped minimum wage from the regular minimum wage. Therefore, in Chicago, overtime minimum wages will increase to $23.70 and $22.50, respectively.

Rates for “youth” workers in Chicago — those under age 18, in a subsidized temporary youth employment program, or transitional employment program — are now $13.50/hr for regular pay, $20.25 for overtime, and $8.10 for tipped workers.

In addition, the minimum wage to be paid under City of Chicago contracts or concessionaire agreements is increasing from $16.00 to $16.80 per hour for non-tipped employees and from $8.20 to $8.80 per hour for tipped employees.

Chicago’s Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave Ordinance guarantees a minimum wage for employees working more than 2 hours in any 2-week period in Chicago for an employer with four or more workers. Domestic workers are guaranteed Chicago’s “large” employer minimum wage irrespective of the number of workers.

Employers must provide the Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave notice to all covered employees with their first paycheck, as well as in communal areas at a workplace. Notices must be provided in English and any language spoken by employees that do not speak English proficiently, if a notice in that language has been provided by the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection on the Office of Labor Standards website. Notices can be provided electronically.

The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection offers a free webinar with Q&A on the topic of the recent changes on its YouTube channel. They also have a great PDF download of their FAQ. For more information on Chicago Labor laws to pay attention to this year, see our recent summary of reminders for local business owners.

Parts of Cook County that are not in Chicago, and for which the municipality did not “opt out”, allow lower rates than Chicago ($13.70/hr regular pay and $8/hr for tipped workers), but require higher hourly pay than the State of Illinois ($13/hr regular pay and $7.80 tipped workers).

The federal minimum wage, which was last raised in 2009, stands at $7.25 an hour, which when adjusted for inflation is the lowest in 66 years.

Reactions to increased minimum wages by small business owners are understandably mixed. On the one hand, higher wages often help the local economy and boost consumer spending power. On the other, many small businesses owners operate on slim margins and make far less per hour than their employees. An increase in the minimum wage often means that some staff hours are reduced or eliminated in order to stay in the black.

Note when speaking with your employees that phrases like “poverty wage,” “minimum wage,” and “living wage,” while all related, are not the same thing. That said, Chicago consistently ranks as one of the most affordable places to live, when evaluating the relatively low cost of living compared to other big cities, and the relatively high minimum wage.

If this or any other posts on the website were useful to you, and your financial situation permits it, please consider contributing to my tip jar. Ths allows me to continue to provide free accounting resources to small businesses who do not have the funds available to hire a CPA.

Cooperatives, Education, Tips

Transitioning To Employee Ownership: FREE On-Demand Webinar

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Yesterday I attended an excellent webinar on how two different small business owners transitioned ownership to their employees — one using an ESOP and one using a Worker Co-op structure.

As a CPA and consultant to many small business owners, I often am asked about succession planning and exit strategies, and my experience in cooperative taxation often leads me to recommend a transition to employee ownership. So I was glad for the opportunity to learn from the experiences of these folks who are in the thick of it.

My colleague Courtney Berner of the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives led the webinar and Q&A, and Steve Storkan of the Employee Ownership Expansion Network interviewed business owners Gina Schaefer and Marty Ruddy.
– Courtney – https://uwcc.wisc.edu/staff/berner-courtney/
– Steve – https://eoxnetwork.org/
– Gina – https://acehardwaredc.com/pages/employee-owned — gina@acehardwaredc.com
– Marty – https://www.terrafirmamn.com/

I strongly recommend the informative and helpful free recording!

And just in case they might be helpful as an outline or while following along with the recording, the notes I took during the session are below.

Thanks again to Courtney, Steve, the panelists, and UWCC for this excellent resource!

Three main EE ownership structures —

  • ESOPs, most common, about 70% – better for larger busineses
  • Worker co-ops, less common but fast-growing
  • EE Ownership Trust, more common in Britain

Half of privately-held businesses are owned by boomers — who will be retiring soon (the “silver tsunami”).

ESOP – Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Employee financial control, not management control.
How does it work? the company gets a loan (from bank or owners) to pay the owners (whatever percentage ownership is agreed upon; can happen in tranches)
The owners get paid, and the company pays the loan off over time on behalf of the staff, and releases the stock to the employees
Employees just “get” their shares as opposed to worker co-ops where each member has to buy in.
Owner can remain CEO as long as necessary.
The tax benefits of an ESOP can save about 20% of value in terms of the company price compared to selling to private equity.
Vests in 20% increments annually until the employee is fully-vested.
If someone departs, the company has five years to pay them off.

Worker Cooperative
Employee-Owners have both financial and managerial control. One member, one vote.
Must sell 100% ownership to the workers; no partial purchases like with an ESOP.
Owner may become one of the many worker-owners in the new structure.
Owner or bank can finance a loan to pay the owners off over 15 years or however long.
John Abrams model – buy-in for each new owner is the price of a decent used car. :)
So they are two different things: buy-in by each worker-owner, vs company-held loan to pay off the owner.
Company can lend each owner some of the money to buy their share if that helps.
What happens if someone leaves from Marty’s worker co-op: the company has five years to pay back $9k initial investment if necessary,
but usually pay it off very quickly just to get it off the Balance Sheet if they have the cash to do it.
Then the internal capital account gets paid out in a different way, on a schedule with other owners.

Inviting staff to have an ownership mentality and be a democratically-run organization is very valuable, especially in anticipation of transitioning to ownership — but different from actual EE ownership.

Recommended book: John Abrams, “The Company We Keep”.

Neat idea – buying a pie for new owners as a way to say “here’s your piece of the pie”.

National Cooperative Resource Map – links to co-op development centers, associations, cooperative-friendly capital, co-op statutes by state:
https://uw-mad.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=a5eda85604f84f02a4f24b3b4483fb69

Questions from Q&A:
Are you using the terms “Exit Planning” and “Succession Planning” interchangeably, or do they have different meanings for you?
How did you educate your employees on employee ownership?
I am working with two businesses doing projects with students in my co-op business management course. An existing worker co-op has lots of legal questions how they can and/or must differentially treat workers as employees and workers as owners. Can you advise a good first landing on legal assistance to help get their questions answered or directed to those who should. I’m no lawyer and most that I work with are in the farmer co-op world. Thanks.
What is your advice for business-owners where the owner is the key employee with specialized knowledge and credentials that is not easily replaced by other existing staff?
In Marty’s buy in model, can that buy in level be paid to the co-op over time (installments) or is it all upfront (day 1).
What happens to the equity in the business as an employee leaves, and how is that different between the 2 structures
Could a consumer cooperative spin off, say, 30% for employees to become owners under either of these structures?
What is the difference in governance control of workers as an ESOP vs a Worker Co-op? I expect there is a range of options.
A follow up to the question about spinning off 30% of a consumer co-op, could the creation of the ESOP or worker co-op component be a vehicle for capitalizing the co-op for expansion or other purposes?
Are worker equity shares in a worker co-op appreciable over time?
Steve, you mentioned existing ESOPs or Coops bringing in another small biz as a merger/acquisition, perhaps sold by a founder with no buyer prospects. Can you talk more about this as another pathway for transitioning an existing biz to an employee-owned company?
I appreciate the conversation about sharing the wealth, but one challenge I see as a CPA is that workers are always convinced that owners are “hoarding” the profits and that’s one of the motivations for becoming worker-owned. However, the company has to be healthy and profitable for this to happen! It’s not magic. If the company is struggling, the worker-owned version of the company will struggle, too. It’s not a magic bullet.
I know there are food co-ops that are also worker co-ops. How could a consumer co-op facilitate their workers starting their own worker co-op inside the food co-op?
Are there incentives, support, programs, etc. for someone looking to start a private business with a roadmap from the beginning to convert to an employee ownership model?
If a small worker owned cooperative or ESOP is often structured as a partnership for tax purposes, does the cooperative structure only impact management?
For Marty, how do the workers owner manage or address the tension between investment in the equipment needed for the business versus profits place into the internal capital account and subsequently distributed?
Interested in any ideas or models for how workers in a consumer co-op might gain “more stake in the game,” feel a real sense of ownership and directly benefit from the growth and success of the business.
What are unique challenges associated with performance management (horizon problem, shirking, freeriding, etc) at employee owned businesses? Do you use any tools/tech for reviews, ratings, etc?
Can you highlight top 3 challenges of running an employee owned business that technology or tools can help solve?
Is there any way to plan succession or manifest employee ownership when the company is merely a one or two person shop without younger family?

If this or any other posts on the website were useful to you, and your financial situation permits it, please consider contributing to my tip jar. Ths allows me to continue to provide free accounting resources to small businesses who do not have the funds available to hire a CPA.

COVID-19 Financial Relief, Illinois, Tips

BACP Updates | Chi Biz Strong Initiative

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City of Chicago :: Business Affairs and Consumer Protection

From the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, an update on the myriad changes that Chicago’s City Council made when they recently passed the Chi Biz Strong Initiative — many of which affect small business owners in our city. The list is arranged by the date the legislation is effective.

Note: We have no formal relationship with BACP — just sharing this info as a public service.

July 9, 2021

Dear Chicagoan,

BACP is pleased to announce that Chicago’s City Council passed the Chi Biz Strong Initiative on June 25, 2021. This bold legislative package contains a number of initiatives to help jumpstart our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and set our businesses, workers and consumers on the path towards a stronger future. Below you will find an overview of the effective dates and important details for businesses on the various pieces of this broad legislation. BACP will share more information as the effective dates approach, and please do not hesitate to email bacpoutreach@cityofchicago.org with any questions.

Effective June 26, 2021:
Extension of Third-Party Delivery Fee Caps: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the City instituted a 15% cap on fees that Third-Party Delivery Companies can charge restaurants. This fee cap has been extended until 180 days after all indoor dining restrictions are lifted – December 8, 2021 if current regulations remain in place. See here for an industry notice.
Extension of Legalized Cocktails To-Go: Last year, the sale of cocktails-to-go was temporarily legalized to support bars and restaurants during the pandemic. The State of Illinois recently extended this legalization until 2024, and the Chi Biz Strong Initiative ensures that the sale of cocktails to-go from a business with a Tavern or Consumption on Premises-Incidental Activity license remains legal in Chicago during that time. Additionally, this measure allows these businesses to also sell single-serve wine to-go. See here for more information on cocktails to-go.
New Package Goods Operating Hours: No establishment that holds a Package Goods License shall sell, permit to be sold or give away any alcoholic liquor between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on Mondays through Saturdays and between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Sundays, except that a supermarket may commence the sale of package goods at 8:00 a.m. on Sundays. Please see here an industry notice on the new hours of operation for Package Goods Licensees.
Hospitality Reforms: In order to reduce red tape for the hospitality industry and align with state regulations, the term for a special event liquor permits has been extended from 11 to 15 days. Additionally, the requirements for entrepreneurs to receive a liquor or Public Place of Amusement License have been modernized to reduce barriers to entry for returning residents.
Extension of Sidewalk Café Operating Hours: Retail Food Licensees with a Sidewalk Café Permit can now begin operating at 7:00 am, one hour earlier than previous requirements.
Flavored Tobacco Regulations: The sale of flavored tobacco is prohibited in Chicago. This regulation has been clarified to make it clear that the cigarette wrapping paper or wrapping leaf cannot be flavored, even if it does not contain nicotine.

Effective July 31, 2021:
Wage Theft Protections: Almost $400 million in wages are stolen from Chicagoland workers by bad-faith employers every year. Chicago’s first Wage Theft Ordinance will give Chicago’s Office of Labor Standards the authority to hold business accountable for the non-payment of wages required for work performed, with potential violations ranging up to $1,000 per offense per day.
Expedited Restaurant Licensing: 
The City is making it easier for new restaurants to open in previously licensed restaurant spaces, provided that the previous restaurant had recently passed an inspection. Beginning July 31, new Retail Food Licenses can be issued by BACP to new restaurants prior to the completion of a health inspection, provided that the previous restaurant had passed their most recent health inspection on or after July 1, 2018 and that other conditions are met to ensure that food is prepared safely.
Fair Marketplace Reforms: Any “Third-Party Facilitator” that connects customers with clients via a digital application will be required to make sure that their clients are properly licensed.

Effective August 1, 2021:
$15 Minimum Wage for Domestic Workers: Effective August 1, 2021, all Chicago domestic workers will be guaranteed a $15.00 per hour minimum wage, no matter the size of their employer. This ensures that domestic workers have access to the full minimum wage earlier than had been previously guaranteed.
Paid Sick Leave Enhancements: Chicago workers are guaranteed one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked. Starting August 1, the possible uses for that paid sick leave will be expanded to include caring for a family member with a closed school or place of care, compliance with public health orders, and mental and behavioral health.
Chain Business Workers: This initiative will ensure that chain business workers are paid the minimum wage that they are guaranteed under the Minimum Wage Ordinance by clarifying that all workers at a chain business count towards the size of the business.
Public Vehicle Reforms: The public vehicle industry, especially taxicabs, have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to support the industry, the City will increase vehicle utilization by allowing taxicabs to stay on the road longer – up to fifteen years for fuel efficient or wheelchair accessible vehicles, and up to ten years for all other taxicabs. Additionally, the requirements for individuals to become public chauffeurs will be modernized to reduce barriers to entry.
Charter Bus Reforms: The City will maintain public safety and continue to require charter buses with 15 or more passengers which allow drinking onboard (including BYOB) to secure a separate security guard. Also, trips without any scheduled stops (mobile social clubs) will also need separate security guards. All other charter bus trips with 15 or more passengers will require the driver or someone else on board to be trained in safety protocols to ensure the safety of the passengers. All trips transporting 15 or more passengers must maintain a plan of operation ensuring passenger, driver, and public safety.
New Low-Speed Electric Public Vehicle License: The City will create a new license to promote operation of environmental friendly and sustainable electric public passenger vehicles, three or four wheeled. These vehicles must be powered by an electric motor with a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour may legally transport passengers for hire, with solicitation of rides prohibited. Full licensing details will be available on the BACP website.

Effective January 1, 2022:
Contract Requirement for Domestic Workers: Care workers have been hard-hit by the pandemic and face high rates of exploitation. Beginning in 2022, all domestic workers must be provided with a written contract that sets forth their wage and work schedule to ensure accountability, transparency and predictability. More details will be shared as the effective date approaches.

Effective March 1, 2022:
Legalized Sidewalk Signs: Currently, A-Frame, T-Frame or other temporary self-supporting sidewalk signs are prohibited. Beginning next March, businesses will for the first time be able to receive a low-fee permit allowing them to advertise their business legally with a sidewalk sign. More information will be shared as the effective date approaches. 
City of Chicago :: Chi Biz Strong Initiative

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