Posted on December 07, 2018

Premiums Due to State by April 30

While paid family and medical leave (PFML) benefits do not become payable to employees until 2020, beginning January 1, 2019, Washington employers must start withholding PFML premiums equal to 0.4% of the employee’s gross wage from each employee's paycheck. Employers with 1-49 employees do not have to split the premium cost with their employees, but employers with 50 or more employees must pay 37% of the premium and withhold 63% of the premium from the employee’s paycheck.

Premiums are due to the state at the end of the calendar month immediately after the end of a calendar quarter, beginning April 30, 2019. Click here for more information.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on December 04, 2018

Information Sheet Due to Employees Beginning in 2019

Delaware has released the sexual harassment information sheet that Delaware employers must begin distributing to employees in 2019. As a reminder, every Delaware employer must distribute the sexual harassment information sheet:

• To new employees at the commencement of employment, beginning January 1, 2019; and
• To existing employees within 6 months of January 1, 2019.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on November 21, 2018

New Rates Effective December 31, 2018

The minimum salary required for administrative and executive employees to be exempt from overtime pay in New York State is set to increase. Beginning December 31, 2018, the salary thresholds are as follows:

• For New York City employers with 11 or more employees, $1,125 per week.
• For New York City employers with 10 or fewer employees, $1,012.50 per week.
• For Nassau, Westchester, and Suffolk County employers, $900 per week.
• For other employers, $832 per week.

However, additional work-specific requirements must be satisfied in order for an employee to be exempt.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on November 16, 2018

Many Employers Must Provide Paid Sick Leave

Westchester County, NY has passed a sick leave law. Highlights of the law, which is generally effective April 11, 2019, are presented below.

Which Employers Are Covered?	Generally all employers.
Which Employees Are Covered?	Generally employees employed in Westchester County for more than 80 hours in a calendar year.
Must an Employer Compensate Leave?	Yes. Employers with 5 or more employees generally must provide paid sick leave compensated at the employee’s normal hourly rate. Employers with fewer than 5 employees must provide unpaid sick leave.
How Much Leave May an Employee Accrue and Use?	40 hours in a year.
How Does an Employee Accrue Leave?	Employees generally accrue a minimum of 1 hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked.
Which Life Events Qualify for Leave?	In general, sick leave may be used for an employee’s or family member’s mental or physical illness, injury, health condition, or preventive medical care.
Are Employers Required to Post or Provide Employees with Notices Regarding the Law?	Yes. Employers must: At the commencement of employment or within 90 days of April 11, 2019, whichever is later, give each employee a copy of the law and written notice of how it applies to that employee. Display a copy of the law and a poster regarding the law in English, Spanish, and any other language necessary in a conspicuous location accessible to the employee.

 

Visit our Westchester County Sick Leave page for more information.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on November 15, 2018

Contribution Limit to Increase in 2019

The IRS has announced that the contribution limit for qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements (QSEHRAs) will be $5,150 per employee and $10,450 per family in 2019. For 2018, the contribution limit is $5,050 per employee and $10,250 per family.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on November 09, 2018

New Rates Effective January 1, 2019

California has adjusted the minimum compensation rates that computer software employees must be paid to be exempt from state overtime pay requirements. Effective January 1, 2019, the law will exempt computer software employees whose compensation is at least $45.41 per hour, or an annual salary of not less than $94,603.25 for full-time employment and paid not less than $7,883.62 per month. However, additional work-specific requirements must be satisfied in order for an employee to be exempt.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on November 07, 2018

Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Remains Unchanged

Effective January 1, 2019, Arkansas employers with 4 or more employees will generally be required to pay a minimum wage of at least $9.25 per hour to their regular employees and $2.63 per hour to their tipped employees. Currently, Arkansas employers with 4 or more employees are generally required to pay a minimum wage of at least $8.50 per hour to their regular employees and $2.63 per hour to their tipped employees.

In future years, Arkansas's minimum wage for regular employees at employers with 4 or more employees is set to rise to:

• $10.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2020; and
• $11.00 per hour, effective January 1, 2021.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on November 07, 2018

Minimum Wage to Increase for Regular and Tipped Employees

Effective January 1, 2019, Missouri employers will generally be required to pay a minimum wage of at least $8.60 per hour to their regular employees and $4.30 per hour to their tipped employees. Currently, Missouri employers are generally required to pay a minimum wage of at least $7.85 per hour to their regular employees and $3.925 per hour to their tipped employees.

In future years, Missouri's minimum wage is set to rise to:

• $9.45 per hour ($4.725 per hour for tipped employees), effective January 1, 2020;
• $10.30 per hour ($5.15 per hour for tipped employees), effective January 1, 2021;
• $11.15 per hour ($5.575 per hour for tipped employees), effective January 1, 2022; and
• $12.00 per hour ($6.00 per hour for tipped employees), effective January 1, 2023.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on November 05, 2018

Parts of 2016 ADA & GINA Rules to be No Longer Enforceable

Pursuant to a recent court ruling, effective January 1, 2019, certain limits on wellness program incentives will no longer be enforceable by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In particular, the following federal regulations will no longer apply:

• Parts of a 2016 rule, issued pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), that generally limit incentives to employees who answer disability-related questions or undergo medical examinations as part of a wellness program to 30% of the total cost for self-only health coverage.
• Parts of a 2016 rule, issued pursuant to the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), that generally limit incentives to employees whose spouses provide information about their current or past health status as part of a wellness program to 30% of the total cost for self-only health coverage.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on November 02, 2018

401(k) Contribution Limit Increased to $19,000

The IRS has announced that the amounts employees can contribute to 401(k)s and IRAs will increase in 2019. In particular:

• The employee contribution limit for 401(k) plans will be $19,000, up from $18,500 in 2018. The catch-up contribution limit for employees aged 50 and over remains unchanged at $6,000.
• The employee contribution limit for IRAs will be $6,000, up from $5,500 in 2018. The catch-up contribution limit for employees aged 50 and over remains unchanged at $1,000.
• The employee contribution limit for SIMPLE IRAs and SIMPLE 401(k) plans will be $13,000, up from $12,500 in 2018. The catch-up contribution limit for employees aged 50 and over remains unchanged at $3,000.

Click here for more information.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on November 02, 2018

New Reporting Requirement Begins This Year

By November 30, Massachusetts employers with 6 or more employees must submit a Health Insurance Responsibility Disclosure (HIRD) form, which collects information about employer-sponsored health insurance. To file the HIRD form, employers may log in to their MassTaxConnect (MTC) withholding account and select the "File health insurance responsibility disclosure" hyperlink under the account alerts. If an employer does not have an MTC account, or if the employer forgot its password or username, it may follow the instructions on the MTC web page or call 617-466-3940.

Click here for more information.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on October 29, 2018

Law Preempts Local Sick Leave Ordinances

Effective October 29, 2018, New Jersey employers are generally required to provide earned paid sick leave to each employee. Notably, the law preempts all local sick leave ordinances. The following chart summarizes the law and its requirements.

Which Employees and Employers Are Covered?	All employers and paid employees in New Jersey.
Must an Employer Compensate Leave?	Yes. An employer generally must pay an employee for earned sick leave at the same rate of pay with the same benefits as he or she normally earns. However, an employee is generally not entitled to payment of unused earned sick leave upon termination, resignation, or retirement.
How Much Leave May an Employee Accrue and Use?	40 hours
Which Life Events Qualify for Leave?	Mental or physical illness or injury of an employee or his or her family member. Attending certain meetings or events for a child’s education or care.

Additional requirements and exceptions apply. Visit the New Jersey Earned Paid Sick Leave page for more information.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on October 29, 2018

Minimum Wage Rate to Increase 5 Cents an Hour

Effective January 1, 2019, Alaska employers will generally be required to pay a minimum wage of at least $9.89 per hour to their employees. Currently, Alaska employers are generally required to pay a minimum wage of at least $9.84 per hour to their employees.

Click here for more information from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on October 22, 2018

Annual Cap Also Increased

New York State has increased the employee-paid premium rate and annual cap under its Paid Family Leave (PFL) law for 2019. Effective January 1, 2019, to cover the costs of their PFL insurance premiums, employers may deduct .153% of an employee's weekly wage until the annual cap of $107.97 is reached. Currently, employers may deduct .126% of an employee's weekly wage until the annual cap of $85.56 is reached.

Click here for more details.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on October 17, 2018

Taxable Earnings to Increase to $132,900

The Social Security Administration has announced that, effective January 1, 2019, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax will increase to $132,900, up from $128,400 in 2018. As a reminder, both employers and employees pay a 6.2% Social Security tax on an employee's earnings, up to the maximum amount of earnings subject to the tax each year. 

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on October 16, 2018

Minimum Wage to Increase for Regular and Tipped Employees

Effective January 1, 2019, Florida employers will generally be required to pay a minimum wage of at least $8.46 per hour to their regular employees and $5.44 per hour to their tipped employees. Currently, Florida employers are generally required to pay a minimum wage of at least $8.25 per hour to their regular employees and $5.23 per hour to their tipped employees.

Click here for more information from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on October 11, 2018

Notice Must Also Be Posted

New Jersey has released the notice employers must provide to employees and post in the workplace regarding the state's new earned paid sick leave law. To comply with all notice requirements, employers must:

• Fill out and post the notice in the workplace prior to October 29;
• Fill out and furnish the notice to all existing employees by November 29; and
• Fill out and furnish the notice to all new employees at the time of hiring.

Click here to download the notice.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on October 11, 2018

Minimum Wage Rate to Increase 25 Cents an Hour

Effective January 1, 2019, New Jersey employers will generally be required to pay a minimum wage of at least $8.85 per hour to their employees. Currently, New Jersey employers are generally required to pay a minimum wage of at least $8.60 per hour to their employees.

Click here for more information from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on October 08, 2018

Amendments Currently in Effect

Employers that maintain, own, or license personal identifying information (PII) of Colorado residents in the course of business must adhere to consumer data protection laws. There have been three major changes to these laws, which are currently in effect:

1. The law that requires disposal of PII now requires written policies governing the disposal of both paper and electronic records containing PII.
2. A new law requires covered entities to take reasonable steps to protect PII.
3. The law that requires notification of data security breaches now requires detailed notice to consumers and, in certain instances, to the Attorney General.

Click here to read the amendments.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on October 05, 2018

Many Employers with 20 or Fewer Employees Impacted

Effective January 1, 2019, Arizona employers with 20 or fewer employees that offer a group health plan will generally be required to offer employees, their spouses, and their dependent children COBRA coverage pursuant to a new state law. General information on that law is below. For more information, check out the Arizona COBRA page.

Who is eligible for COBRA, and when?	Employees are generally eligible if, after being enrolled in the plan for at least 3 months, they lose group coverage due to termination of employment (other than for gross misconduct) or a reduction in the number of hours of employment. Spouses are generally eligible if they lose group coverage due to the employee's termination of employment (other than for gross misconduct), reduction in the number of hours of employment, eligibility for Medicare, divorce, or death. Dependent children are generally eligible if they lose group coverage due to the employee's termination of employment (other than for gross misconduct), reduction in the number of hours of employment, eligibility for Medicare, divorce, or death, or if they lose dependent child status under the plan.
For how long is the employee generally entitled to COBRA?	18 months.
For how long is the employee's spouse generally entitled to COBRA?	18 months. However, an employee's spouse may be eligible for: 29 months, if disabled at the time he or she becomes eligible for COBRA; or 36 months, if, during the original 18-month period, the employee dies, becomes eligible for Medicare, or becomes divorced from the spouse.
For how long is the employee's dependent child generally entitled to COBRA?	18 months. However, an employee's dependent child may be eligible for: 29 months, if disabled at the time he or she becomes eligible for COBRA; or 36 months, if, during the original 18-month period, the child loses dependent child status under the plan or the employee dies, becomes eligible for Medicare, or becomes divorced from the spouse.
Is there are notice requirement?	Yes. Within 30 days of becoming eligible for COBRA, employers generally must notify employees, spouses, and dependent children of their eligibility with a notice that states: Their right to continue coverage at the full cost of coverage, which includes the full premium and, if applicable, an administrative fee of up to 5%. The amount of the full cost of coverage for the employee, the employee's spouse, and the employee's dependent children, listed separately. The process and deadline to elect COBRA coverage. The date and time by which the initial and ongoing premium payments must be made to the employer. That COBRA coverage will be lost if premium payments are not made in a timely manner.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.