Employers are required to furnish employee W-2s no later than January 31st. Employer will meet the “furnish” requirement if the form is properly addressed, post-marked, and delivered electronically or by hand on or before the due date. Every employer engaged in a trade or business who pays remuneration, including noncash payments of $600 or more for the year (all amounts …
Managing Through an Emergency
Managing through an emergency or disaster might be a passing thought for an employee, but for the management team and HR, it’s a necessity to try and keep all employees safe and informed. HR planning is integral to strategic disaster management plans. Because organizations grow and change over time, the emergency plan should be reviewed and updated periodically to ensure …
Workplace Danger: Distracted Driving
As tablets and smartphones become a part of every day life, multi-tasking behind the wheel is becoming a workplace danger, and gaining more notice as accidents are on the rise. Along with the physical harm and danger, this trend to be “connected” at all times can carry significant financial perils for employers. A worker who causes an accident while reading …
Document, document, document
Workplace miscommunication and conflict can add stress to every day and make your life miserable. In a work environment, most conflicts arise due to miscommunication. Either expectations weren’t clear or they changed when you weren’t looking. The best way to avoid conflict is to understand what you are being asked to do. The next best way is to have proof …
The Benefits of Behavioral Interviewing
Behavioral interviewing requires candidates to respond with specific examples of past experiences rather than generalized or hypothetical responses. At the root of this interview style is the belief that past performance is the most accurate predictor of future performance. Typical behavior-based questions begin with, “Tell me about a time when…” or “Give me an example of…” and require candidates to …
Timeline of Health Insurance Reform
As most everyone knows, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was upheld in a somewhat surprising Supreme Court decision in August. Below is a timeline of changes, deadlines, and in some cases decisions, that employers will face going forward. W2 Inclusion of cost of employer-sponsored health coverage for employers who filed more than 250 Forms W2 in prior year …
The I-9 Document Expiration
As some of you may have noticed, the current Employment Eligibility Verification Form, commonly referred to as Form I-9, expires Aug. 31, 2012. At this point as an employer, what should you do and what can you do? All employers are required to obtain a completed I-9 form from all new employees, and retain that document for three years after the date …
Payroll Deductions: Mandatory vs. Involuntary
There are a number of different payroll deductions that can be deducted from an employee’s paycheck each pay period. These range from FICA taxes, contributions to a retirement or 401(k) plan, child support payments, insurance premiums, and uniform deductions. Some of these payroll deductions are mandatory… meaning that an employer is legally obligated to withhold this money from an employee’s …
2013 FSA Cap
As outlined in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010, annual FSA contributions will be limited to $2,500 as of January 1, 2013. Going forward, the limit will rise annually based on the rate of inflation. There has been some debate over the overall impact of this ruling. Those FSA participants who regularly elect more than $2,500 annually, …
Developing Beneficial Job Descriptions
Finding and retaining employees can be tough hill to climb, especially with undefined and sometimes non-existent job descriptions. Most employees will want to know what is expected of them, and most employers already have a pre-conceived expectation once an employee is hired. And a great deal of the time, those two separate expectations don’t necessarily match up. Developing and implementing job …
Why Wellness Works
Employers of all sizes feel the pain from rising health benefits costs. While there’s no single solution to keeping benefits costs under control, many organizations are finding that wellness initiatives, when done right, offer an effective way to save money. An Ailing Country Wellness programs offer many advantages to employers, including reduced health care costs, improved employee health and increased …
Why Harassment Training is Important
Why We Train It has been recommended that companies all over the US conduct harassment training on a yearly basis. Utah’s Department of Human Resource Management Rules require that all state employer provide sexual harassment training consistent with the department’s Unlawful Harassment Prevention Training Standards. It is not to cause problems, or put ideas into employee’s heads; but rather to …