As of January 1, new regulations that govern reporting of work-related injuries and illnesses have gone into effect. In September 2014, OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) announced that new regulations would be coming in 2015 to give companies and employers time to prepare for compliance with the regulations. Per OSHA’s Fact Sheet, Under the … Continue reading New OSHA Requirements for 2015
Affordable Care Act Updates: Employer Mandate in Effect Note: January 1, 2015, two (2) requirements of health care reform went into effect. Thereby, beginning the first phase of the Employer Mandate, the “Pay or Play” provision. Once fully implemented, the “Pay of Play” provision of the Affordable Care Act will require all employers with 50 … Continue reading Affordable Care Act Update: Employer Mandate in Effect Jan 1, 2015
According to the Washington Post, the Supreme Court announced last Friday, November 7, that it will hear the most serious challenge to the Affordable Care Act since the justices found it constitutional more than two years ago: a lawsuit targeting the federal subsidies that help millions of Americans buy health insurance. The U.S. Supreme Court … Continue reading Affordable Care Act, Supreme Court Decision May Change Fate
With several cases of Ebola diagnosed in the United States, employers should be prepared to protect the workforce, especially if employees travel to an Ebola-infected country (for business or personal reasons), or even domestically, as cases arise in this country. Employers should educate employees working in areas threatened by the Ebola virus about how to … Continue reading Ebola Outbreak: Employer Tips To Protect Workforce
Recently, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued its first enforcement Guidance on pregnancy discrimination in 31 years. The Guidance redefines the circumstances in which an employer is required to accommodate pregnancy restrictions and represents a significant departure from the current guidelines. EEOC spokesman, Christine Nazar, stated the Pregnancy Discrimination guidelines were updated, “because we … Continue reading EEOC Issues New Pregnancy Discrimination Guidance, Increases Employer Obligations
It is critical to classify workers correctly to avoid hefty fines, taxes, penalties, etc. The Department of Labor is “cracking down” on employers who misclassify workers. The consequences of misclassifying workers are many, including: Audits Company could owe IRS back taxes with interest, plus penalty 12% – 35% Federal and State agencies back pay, back … Continue reading IRS 20 Factor Test: Independent Contractor or Employee, Who Has Control Over the Work Being Done?
According to an IRS official, employers need to be sure they are offering affordable, minimum-value coverage to at least 98% of the employees on whom they report under the Affordable Care Act on a monthly basis, rather than a yearly average, in order to use simplified reporting rules. Employers that have part-time employees close to … Continue reading IRS: Affordable Care Act Simplified Reporting Must Be Met Each Month
President Barack Obama issued an executive order on July 31 requiring federal contractors to disclose violations of wage and hour, health and safety, family and medical leave, collective bargaining, and other workplace laws. The Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces executive order, applying to new federal contracts of more than $500,000 starting in 2016, will require … Continue reading President Signs Executive Order Requiring Disclosure of Employment Violations
On July 24, 2014, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released drafts of the forms that large employers will be required to file in order to show that the health coverage they offer to their employees complies with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) “shared responsibility” mandate. What is the employer’s shared responsibility mandate? For 2015 and … Continue reading IRS Released Affordable Care Act Draft Forms
When an employee is not specifically exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) overtime requirements, you must pay for hours worked over 40 per work week at a rate that’s at least one and one-half times the employee’s regular rate of pay. If during a single work week an employee does two or more … Continue reading FLSA: Calculating Overtime for Employees Who Work Two Jobs at the Company
