Oct 1, 2013 is coming fast!

Are you ready?
Many changes happening in our world as it pertains to health insurance due to the Health Care Reform Act and the Affordable Care Act, and in VT we are (of course) a bit more complicated than the federal regs. Are you familiar with your responsibilities as an employer? An individual?

There is so much information to share, and not all of it is accurate (out on the web) Please be careful you don’t make major decisions based on what you read (including my posts!). My best advice – read, read, read and consult your broker and/or legal counsel.

You may have heard that I am now part of Hickok & Boardman HR Intelligence located in Burlington, VT. We have put together a great resource center and encourage you to take a look at it.

As always, please contact me if I can be of any service!

There is a NEW I-9 in Town (Finally!) —- AND a new FMLA poster!

FINALLY the new I-9 has been released!

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a long-awaited revision of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. This new form has grown from one to two pages, while the instructions have expanded from four to seven pages. The form has a revision date of March 8, 2013, and an expiration date of March 31, 2016.

Many changes made to acceptable documents and the older versions are only acceptable to use until May7th, so be sure you get rid of any old forms and get this new one!

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf

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The Dept of Labor has issued a new FMLA poster that is required to be posted by March 8th (last Friday!).

http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/posters/fmla.htm

For more info: http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-fmla.htm

The IRS has released 2013 forms and publications

The IRS has recently released the following 2013 forms and publications:
The 2013 form W4

Publication 15 (Circular E)

Publication 15A (Supplemental Tax Guide)

Publication 15B (Fringe Benefits Tax Guide)

The IRS announced changes in the 2013 amounts for transportation benefits. The amounts that may be excluded from gross income for employer-provided qualified transportation fringes for 2013 increase to $245 per month for parking and $245 for mass transit benefits.

IRS also announced several other  as well as several other updates in Rev. Proc. 2013-15

For more information please visit the IRS website

2013 is here – are YOU ready?

There are many things happening in the world of HR and Payroll now that 2013 is upon us. We have all been anxiously awaiting the results of our Congress and the fiscal cliff, which to say the least is a big pain in the butt! It’s still not resolved although we do at least have the answer to one question – and that was on the OASDI (Social Security) taxes. The rate is officially back up to the original 6.2% where it has been for years (except the last two).

We still don’t have clarification on other taxes and things will change mid year and most likely be backdated to the beginning of January. Watch closely for updates and information. I will do my best to bring you all the latest news that I find.

In the meantime, the focus now is on W2s, the health care reporting and how to find missing ex-employees when their W2s are returned to us!

Some simple tips on W2s – when one is returned to you, make a photocopy of it (the envelope with the info from the Post Office on it), then as you attempt to find that person, make a note on that copy of everything you did to attempt to get the W2 to them. You will have that record for future use if needed. Put it in the personnel file once it is resolved.

For W2 health care reporting, be sure to read the previous posts on whether you need to report and if so, what you have to report. As always, feel free to contact me if I can be of service.

Happy New Year – here is to a prosperous and happy 2013!

Recent Updates

Beginning Jan. 1, 2013, the standard mileage rates will be:
• 56.5 cents per mile for business miles
• 24 cents per mile for medical or moving purposes
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations

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Health Care Reporting on W2’s. Do you know if your organization has to report this on your W2s this year?

Do I have to report?

What has to be reported?

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Good information on the Affordable Care Act – are you up to date with compliance regarding Health Care Reform?
Click here to find out!

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A Little HR Humor!

A little HR humor (thank you to Tim Sackett for this post on his blog!)

(When it comes to performance management)
I know we are always looking for a quick fix, or a silver bullet, so here you go – pass this around to your hiring managers. A 30 second performance management discussion they can have with any of their subordinates today:

Hiring Manager:
“Answer the following questions using one of two possible answers – “Yes”

or “No”, you can only use each answer only once. So, that means you can’t answer “Yes” or “No” for both questions.

Question #1 – Are you capable of more?

Question #2 – Are you lying?”

Just give it a few seconds – you’re in HR, you’ll figure it out.

Are you gearing up for Open Enrollment?

Open enrollment time is upon us! Couple of tips and tricks — be sure to notify all your COBRA participants as well as active employees – AND if you have any Qualified Medical Child Support Orders (QMCSO) be very careful those dependents do not get dropped off the plan during this time! You may want to make a list and manually verify them. 🙂

Here are some other helpful hints and tips on making your open enrollment period go smoothly! 10 Tips for making your Open Enrollment Season run smooth

HR and Payroll are Professions – Not Jobs! Education is KEY!

Human Resources and Payroll are Professions – Not Jobs!

As a Human Resource or Payroll professional, you are probably the most under appreciated dept in the company. When someone asks what you do and you say “Payroll” – the assumption is “Oh you write checks”…… as we all know there is much much more to it than that.  When you say you work in HR, you are often viewed as the “party” organizers and the cheerleaders of the company when in reality you are the heart and soul of the organization.
As HR or Payroll professionals you aren’t always looked at as professionals. Sometimes you are viewed as an administrative position or even viewed as a data entry position.
We need to change that perception! We need to share the vision of what HR and Payroll are truly all about.
         As an HR professional you have a major role from hiring to firing and everything in between. You are the “go to” department when there are issues to deal with. You are also the department that your CEO views as the one that deals with “the people”.   As a Payroll professional you have primary responsibility over the largest expense category (or at the least the 2nd largest) in your entire company!  You control more cash than any other person –AND – your actions can either SAVE or COST the company millions of dollars in fines, penalties and lawsuits. We need to get this information out to the management of the company, that you are professionals and this “job” deserves respect and consideration.
In both professions you deal with many outside agencies: DOL, IRS, Homeland Security to name a few –  you also have to understand FLSA, IC, OT, FMLA, you need to know laws, you have to understand taxes — and probably the biggest piece of your day is dealing with PEOPLE!  Do you have the right people skills?

Don’t ever sell yourself short or let yourself be viewed as anything less than a professional that makes a major contribution to your organization. And the Key to being a major contributor to your organization is Education.
    Education is the key to anyone’s success – we have all heard that many times. In the fields of Human Resources and Payroll not only is education KEY to your success and your organizations success, it is also imperative to continue to learn and keep up to date on all the latest rules, regulations and laws.

As HR and Payroll Professionals you know the importance of learning the latest laws and regulations so you may do your jobs to the best of your ability – and most importantly to keep your organization in compliance. YOU are the key to your organizations success – you may not be a revenue generating department, but you sure keep money on the bottom line by staying in compliance and avoiding fines and penalties.
With those thoughts in mind –  In the month of September there are several great opportunities for you to “brush up” on the compliance and best practices of Payroll and Human Resources.

Upcoming Conferences

On September 12th – the Green Mountain Payroll Association is hosting their annual one day payroll conference. It is being held in the beautiful town of Stowe at the Stoweflake Spa and Resort. Not only do you get to network with 150 other payroll and human resource professionals, but you get a discounted rate on the room, free access to the sports center and a 20% discount at the spa! You get a great lunch and learning opportunities to help you in your career.

To find out more information on this conference – Click Here

To find out more information about the Stoweflake – Click Here  If you wish to make a reservation and get the discounted room rate you need to call them and let them know you are with the GMPA conference.

On September 17th and 18th – The SHRM VT State Council is hosting their annual two day conference in Burlington at The Sheraton Hotel.

To find our more information or to register Click Here

Upcoming Classes

Starting on August 27th thePayroll 101 class begins again!  The class is almost full – only three spots left! For more information on the class and how to register Click Here
This payroll class is also offered again beginning on September 24th.

Beginning on Sept 24th the HR 101 class will also be offered again. For information on this class Click Here

Upcoming Webinars

Sept 20 (Thursday) – New Hire Orientation – Beyond the Paperwork

We know we have certain paperwork required when hiring a new employee – I9s and W4s are required – but what else can you do to orient a new employee to your organization and it’s own unique culture?
The cost of this webinar is $49. You may pay via credit card over the phone or send a check to Key Concepts, LLC. Contact me for details on payment.
To register –  http://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=EF50D6858846

For future webinars Click Here

Many changes are happening with rules and regulations. Many laws are updated and many new laws on the horizon are being discussed. Stay up to date – and you will be a real asset to your organization!

Hope to see you all at the GMPA meeting and at the VT SHRM conference!

Criminal Background Checks – Credit Checks – State of VT and the EEOC

There has been alot of movement lately regarding background checks on potential employees.  

The EEOC recently issuded this guidance as it relates to Criminal Background Checks.  http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/arrest_conviction.cfm

This is worth reading especially if you plan on hiring in the near future.

The State of VT has changed their laws on conducting background checks as it relates to credit checks. 

The legislature in Vermont stated “that studies on middle and low income households have found that most indebted families go into debt to pay for basic expenses, such as groceries, utilities, child care, and health care. A study has shown that families with medical debt had 43 percent more credit card debt than those without medical debt.”

It went on to state: Social science research thus far has shown that information contained in a credit report has no correlation to job performance. The Palmer-Koppes study conducted in 2004 found that those employees who were late on payments were more likely to be associated with a positive job performance.

The EEOC also has stated that:  “Inquiry into an applicant’s current or past assets, liabilities, or credit rating . . . generally should be avoided because they tend to impact more adversely on minorities and females.”

If you are unfamiliar with the new law in VT – read more here: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/DOCS/2012/ACTS/ACT154.PDF  (page 1-6 apply to this law change).

Hiring new employees has always had it’s pitfalls as it relates to employment laws. Now with this new guidance from the EEOC and the law change in VT, you may need to revise your hiring policies.

DOL – Free FMLA Webinar!

The Federal Dept of Labor is hosting a complimentary webinar on June 27th at 2pm. To register and get more info Click Here

Due to this webinar I have changed my webinar for July from the FMLA to USERRA. See tab above for details.