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.

Posted on October 04, 2018

Minimum Wage Rate to Increase 50 Cents an Hour

Effective January 1, 2019, San Diego employers will generally be required to pay a minimum wage of at least $12.00 per hour to their employees. Currently, San Diego employers are generally required to pay a minimum wage of at least $11.50 per hour to their employees. As a reminder, under California law, employers are not permitted to use an employee's tips as a credit toward its obligation to pay the minimum wage.

Click here for more information from the City of San Diego.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on October 04, 2018

Minimum Wage to Increase for Regular and Tipped Employees

Effective January 1, 2019, Vermont employers will generally be required to pay a minimum wage of at least $10.78 per hour to their regular employees and $5.39 per hour to their tipped employees. Currently, Vermont employers are generally required to pay a minimum wage of at least $10.50 per hour to their regular employees and $5.25 per hour to their tipped employees.

Click here for more information from the Vermont Department of Labor.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on October 02, 2018

Minimum Wage to Increase for Regular and Tipped Employees

Effective January 1, 2019, Colorado employers will generally be required to pay a minimum wage of at least $11.10 per hour to their regular employees and $8.08 per hour to their tipped employees. Currently, Colorado employers are generally required to pay a minimum wage of at least $10.20 per hour to their regular employees and $7.18 per hour to their tipped employees.

Click here for more information from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on October 02, 2018

Training Requirement to Apply to Employers with 5 or More Employees

Under a new California law, by January 1, 2020, and once every 2 years thereafter, employers with 5 or more employees—including temporary or seasonal employees—must provide:

• At least 2 hours of classroom or other effective interactive training and education regarding sexual harassment to all supervisory employees within 6 months of their assumption of a supervisory position; and
• At least 1 hour of classroom or other effective interactive training and education regarding sexual harassment to all nonsupervisory employees within 6 months of their assumption of a nonsupervisory position.

As a reminder, under current law, employers with 50 or more employees must provide at least 2 hours of classroom or other effective interactive training and education regarding sexual harassment to all supervisory employees within 6 months of their assumption of a supervisory position and once every 2 years.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.

Posted on October 02, 2018

Training Must Be Provided Within 12 Months of October 9, 2018

New York State has released finalized versions of its model sexual harassment prevention training program and model sexual harassment prevention policy. As a reminder, within 12 months of October 9, 2018, and annually thereafter, all New York employers must provide training to all employees using either the state's model training program or one that equals or exceeds the state program. Additionally, starting October 9, 2018, all New York employers must adopt either the state's model sexual harassment prevention policy or one that equals or exceeds the standards of the state policy, and provide it to employees in writing.

© 2018 HR 360, Inc.