It’s largely become known as Presidents Day, but the holiday on the third Monday in February is nationally named for the man on the dollar bill.  First implemented by Congress in 1880 and revised to be celebrated by all federal offices in 1885, Washington’s Birthday was originally observed on his actual birth date of February 22nd.  This was changed in 1971 to fall on the third Monday of the month, which ironically means that the holiday is never observed on Washington’s actual birthday (February 22nd only occurs as a Monday during the fourth week of the month). 

Since the date falls between Washington’s actual birthday and Lincoln’s February 12th birthday, many states use the term Presidents Day as the official title of the holiday. Also, more recently the holiday has been used to celebrate the office of the President in general. 

George Washington is considered the “Father of the Nation”. After leading the American forces as commander-in-chief against the British in the Revolutionary War, the Electoral College voted unanimously to elect Washington as the first President of the United States in 1789.  He was elected to a second term but refused to run for a third.

Looking to celebrate the holiday with some of your president’s favorite foods? Take a look at The Food Timeline and see what meals the presidents’ have preferred over the years. 

Please remember that the United States Postal Service will be closed on Monday, as will most banks and public schools. Many businesses take the opportunity to hold “President’s Day Sales” over the holiday weekend.  Here at People Lease, you can receive the same 120-Day Money Back Guarantee we offer all year long. We know for sure that payroll was really simple in George’s day. Not so today, with things like benefit management, tax issues, and withholding calculations – how much more complicated can it be?  Free your company from the hassles of everyday employee administration - visit us today at peoplelease.com to get your free quote and see how easy we can make payroll for you.

Who’s your favorite president?

Determining between independent contractors and employees

Companies and employees across the country have been finding it hard in recent years to keep up with the laws concerning employment status.  While contract work can be appealing to both sides, it's important to know the rules to keep all concerned safe from possible penalties.

To determine whether a worker is an independent contractor or employee, look closely at the financial control the company has over the employee.  Is the worker incurring costs which are not being reimbursed?  This points toward a contractor situation since most employees can expect work expenses to be reimbursed while contractors have up-front costs related to their trade (such as tools and materials).

Another factor is how the worker is paid.  Contractors have the ability to set their payment amount before starting a job.  While some do set hourly rates, most contractor jobs are flat fees and work the hours they set themselves.  Independent contractors can also seek other business opportunities and are free to work on several projects at any given period while most employees are expected to have regular work hours.

Contractors also pay their own taxes and have to file a 1099 with the IRS if they earn more than $600 from a client.  Even so, the IRS suspects that 15% of workers are misclassified.

If you're looking for more information, Kelli M. Horne of Ezine Articles has written even further on the subject.