Abandoned wages, abandoned property, escheat…the process may have many names but only one real requirement. All “holders” must report all unclaimed property to the proper state, at the proper time, in the proper manner using the proper method. No ifs, ands or buts. The problem is most employers are unaware of this requirement or that “abandoned or unclaimed wages” fall into the category of unclaimed “property”.

Many states have moved towards unclaimed wages as a source of revenue that can be easily tapped with existing laws and a crackdown on enforcement. Failure to comply with state regulations could now result in audit assessments, significant interest accumulations, and criminal penalties. The ramifications may not even be limited to one state. For instance, organizations with the corporate headquarters in one state and employees in other states could be liable for penalties in all states that they have employees. It all depends on which employee did not claim which paycheck in which year. Unfortunately, not being aware of the requirement doesn’t stop the huge fines and penalties that befall the company for failing to report unclaimed wages.

The only way to avoid these huge penalties, fines and interest is for the payroll department to correctly identify all unclaimed wages, and report and remit them each year to the proper authorities. This course explains when wages are considered abandoned, how to track and submit these checks to the appropriate state and how to perform the required due diligence.

Learning Objectives
  • Identify when wages are considered abandoned.
  • Explore the laws and regulations that cover unclaimed wages.
  • Recognize payroll’s responsibility relating to abandoned wages.
  • Discover the processes needed to correctly report and remit unclaimed wages.
Last updated/reviewed: March 15, 2024
65 Reviews (228 ratings)

Reviews

5
Anonymous Author
This course provided a great overview for properly handling abandoned wages, including an in-depth look at individual state requirements. The supporting materials aligned nicely with the facilitator's commentary, making it a great resource for future reference. I particularly enjoyed Vicki's insights into reporting and remitting requirements.

5
Anonymous Author
Well documented material provided for this class. Abandoned wages is a common issue for many companies to not have a good policy on. This course will help a company develop a procedure if they do not currently have one in place.

5
Anonymous Author
This course was very well laid out and well paced. It gives a helpful overview of abandoned property and reporting. It gives best practices and examples of such. The instructor is very clear and knowledgeable on the subject.

5
Member's Profile
This is an excellent refresher course that I would recommend. It is a good suggestion to keep the slide materials for future reference and is also great for recertification of the CPP. I highly recommend this course.

4
Member's Profile
I learned a lot from this webinar. I didn't think Abandoned Wages would be a subject that would hold my interest however I was pleasantly surprised at what I learned from this. Again...Vicki is great!

5
Member's Profile
this course was very informative and taught me the laws necessary to complete abandoned wages. It also showed me where I could go to research additional laws per each state's guidelines.

4
Member's Profile
We have the majority of our employees on direct deposit, however, we do still issue checks from time to time. This course was a good refresher of how to track and report unclaimed wages.

5
Anonymous Author
This course was completely new information for me. I have never had to deal with abandoned wages before, but now I feel that I have the tools necessary to handle this situation.

5
Member's Profile
very informative and interesting to listen to. She uses real life examples to really bring understanding to the lesson. This always helps me to learn and retain better.

5
Anonymous Author
Excellent material, relevant and it is a good foundational knowledge. This should be included on an “Onboarding” for employees working in Payroll, AP, Accounting.

5
Anonymous Author
Ms. Lambert provides clear, concise and well-explained information on escheat laws and how a payroll department can best stay in compliance with these laws.

5
Member's Profile
This course was really helpful! I didn't know how to handle abandoned pay before, so I really needed this comprehensive look at how to take care of it.

5
Member's Profile
Vicki always delivers content in a very understandable manner. I enjoyed what I learned in the course as it was a subject that I knew very little about.

5
Anonymous Author
An excellent overview of what abandoned wages are, how they impact payroll, and the laws and regulations surrounding reporting and remitting to states.

5
Member's Profile
Vicki's courses are always informative and enjoyable. I gained knowledge of terminology that i didn't previously know, as well as, legal requirements.

5
Anonymous Author
Great course on the laws of unclaimed property along with some great tips on how to locate employees before remitting funds to the state.

5
Anonymous Author
A lot of research went into putting this presentation together, so thank you! Very detailed analysis of the unclaimed check process.

5
Anonymous Author
This course was extremely helpful as a reference for those of us that handle unclaimed property on an annual basis. Thank you!

4
Member's Profile
I have taken several webinar of Ms. Lambert and she is an excellent speaker with valuable knowledge in the payroll industry!

5
Member's Profile
Excellent informative and well-structured webinar, Vicki is very clear and gets all of the questions on the topic answered.

5
Anonymous Author
I learned much about the escheat process and reporting requirements. Making sure companies know the state laws is critical.

5
Member's Profile
Great course on the abandoned wages, especially helpful for a multi-state company. It is not uniform across the board.

5
Anonymous Author
Very informative. Vicky always does a great job in conducting these training. Examples are relatable and easy to follow.

5
Anonymous Author
Very good refresher course - it really took some work to pass the final exam. Important Information to stay current on.

5
Member's Profile
good wording, easy to understand, nice topic, very good experience. The quiz is a perfect warm up for the final exam.

4
Anonymous Author
Course covered the variances on the laws across states. Examples were to the point, graphics made it easy to follow.

5
Anonymous Author
Vicki does a great job of explaining what could be a confusing topic. I learned a lot from taking this course.

5
Anonymous Author
The course was very informative. I have not worked on the escheat process, so this was all very educational.

5
Anonymous Author
This course was very helpful. It was well organized, and just the right length given the topic. Thank you.

5
Anonymous Author
Love to take courses from Vicki she is always so informative and gives thorough explanations and examples.

5
Member's Profile
Great webinar! It has a lot of important information that will be very useful in our day to day operation.

5
Anonymous Author
A lot of work and cost having a paper check. We actively promote direct deposit and try to do pay cards

4
Member's Profile
Great course about abandoned wages. Narrative is clear and entertained. I would recommend this class.

5
Anonymous Author
great refresher and eye opening since we do not deal with some of the states that have weird rules.

5
Anonymous Author
Very interesting information and a good review for those that don't normally have to report them!

4
Anonymous Author
This was very helpful since we have to assist our payroll clients with stale date uncashed checks .

5
Member's Profile
This is not a very exciting topic, but Vicki kept the topic interesting with personal examples.

5
Anonymous Author
Great course. Made understanding Escheatment much easier. Clarified requirements for each state.

5
Member's Profile
I do not have any review comments at this time. I do not have any review comments at this time.

5
Member's Profile
great course, informative, beneficial in ensuring you are reporting abandoned wages accurately.

5
Anonymous Author
Thank you illumeo for this course. I have learned a lot about how to process unclaimed wages.

5
Member's Profile
Abandoned wages are an important compliance challenge. This was a very detailed review.

5
Anonymous Author
Great course to understand escheatment. Vickie Lambert is an exceptional instructor.

5
Member's Profile
It was very easy to follow unlike most of the information received from the states.

5
Anonymous Author
Good content. Great teacher. Very easy to follow. I would recommend this course.

5
Anonymous Author
Very informative and a topic I wanted to better understand. Thanks for sharing.

5
Anonymous Author
I really appreciate the websites given in this lecture for research purposes.

5
Member's Profile
Great refresher on escheatment laws. Very informative and easy to understand.

5
Member's Profile
Another great course let by Vicki. Great data to keep on hand for future use.

5
Anonymous Author
Helpful and insightful course on escheatment process and state requirements.

5
Anonymous Author
Course was very enlightening! This course is worth reviewing more than once.

5
Member's Profile
I really enjoy studing escheament laws. This class was interesting and fun.

3
Anonymous Author
Thank you for the class. This will be helpful for work in the future.

5
Anonymous Author
Good course material. A little dry; but still good material to know.

5
Anonymous Author
The course was very interesting and had a lot of useful information.

5
Member's Profile
great information! Learned something new with negative reporting.

5
Member's Profile
Good course on abandoned wages and how payroll can stay compliant.

5
Anonymous Author
This webinar was very inforamtive and a good refresher course.

4
Anonymous Author
Excellent content. Very complete and understandable.......

5
Anonymous Author
Great Course, excellent instructor, valuable information.

5
Anonymous Author
Great content and very well explained. Thanks Vicki!

5
Anonymous Author
Great course easy to follow and instruction was great

4
Anonymous Author
Very informative. Much needed information on Escheat.

5
Anonymous Author
This was an extremely informative class. Thank you .

5
Anonymous Author
Very informative. Really enjoyed the presentation.

Prerequisites
Course Complexity: Intermediate

No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course.

Education Provider Information
Company: Illumeo, Inc., 75 East Santa Clara St., Suite 1215, San Jose, CA 95113
Contact: For more information regarding this course, including complaint and cancellation policies, please contact our offices at (408) 400- 3993 or send an e-mail to .
Instructor for this course
Course Syllabus
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
  Introduction to Abandoned Wages: How to Stay in Compliance When Reporting and Remitting 3:18
  Terms and Definitions10:02
  History and Background12:50
  Researching the Laws11:08
  Holder Reporting17:54
  Due Diligence6:15
  Non-Compliance4:35
  Payroll Procedures13:34
  Payroll Procedures Cont'd16:32
CONTINUOUS PLAY
  Abandoned Wages: How to Stay in Compliance When Reporting and Remitting 1:36:08
SUPPORTING MATERIALS
  Slides: Abandoned Wages: How to Stay in Compliance When Reporting and RemittingPDF
  Abandoned Wages: How to Stay in Compliance When Reporting and Remitting Glossary/IndexPDF
REVIEW AND TEST
  REVIEW QUESTIONSquiz
 FINAL EXAMexam