As we approach celebrating the New Year, the Midwest Business Group on Health and The Benfield Group are looking towards 2014 and the climate of healthcare reform. According to survey results, only 9 percent of employers surveyed expect to participate in state health insurance exchanges — state-based competitive marketplaces allowing individuals and small businesses to […]
On November 15, Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the launch of BeTobaccoFree.gov, a resource “providing one-stop access to the best and most up-to-date tobacco-related information from across its agencies.” General information on tobacco, federal and state laws and policies, health statistics, and evidence-based methods on how to quit can be viewed from smart phones, […]
With the end of the calendar year fast approaching, many employers are reminding employees that the company’s policy does not allows for the carryover of unused vacation time or paid time off (PTO) to the next calendar year or that there is a limit on the amount of time that may be carried over from […]
With so many requirements under COBRA, it’s easy to make a mistake that could result in costly penalties. Understanding your responsibilities when it comes to compliance is the best way to prevent expensive mistakes. The following do’s and don’ts can help you get started. DO count part-time employees to determine whether your plan is subject […]
If you are a beneficiary of a Health Savings Account (HSA), then the IRS requires you to prepare Form 8889 with your tax return before you can deduct your contributions to the account. The purpose of the form is to report your deductible contributions, calculate the deduction, report the distributions you take to pay medical […]
California has just joined Illinois and Maryland in putting an important limitation on employers. Based on this regulation, employers are prohibited from requiring applicants and employees to allow them access to social media sites where, presumably, the employers might find information that would affect employment decisions. Although the legal landscape is evolving, employers are still […]
The percentage of companies that permit or encourage flexible work arrangements has grown a lot — to 77 percent, from 66 percent seven years earlier, according to a recent Families & Work Institute survey. But in allowing these arrangements, some employers “may not be paying sufficient attention to the compliance implications of wage payment laws that […]
When a company decides to close on Thanksgiving Day or for the entire week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, is the employer required to compensate any of its employees? Well, that depends. For non-exempt (overtime eligible employees), the company is generally not required to pay employees on days in which they do not perform […]
The IRS has created a chart that illustrates the types of coverage that employers must report on their Form W-2. Certain items are listed as “optional,” based on transition relief provided by Notice 2012-9 (restating and clarifying Notice 2011-28). Future guidance may revise reporting requirements but will not be applicable until the tax year beginning […]
Even the best HR staff can miss a small detail. Fortunately, BASIC’s integrated HR solutions can bring everything full-circle, offering you the expertise needed to rest easy. Let’s review FMLA basics; to be FMLA eligible an employee must have been with your company for 12 months and worked a total of 1,250 hours during the 12 […]
