November 13, 2018
It’s Flu Season…Again
When flu season hits, absenteeism skyrockets and productivity drops. In a recent article, Employee Benefit News points out that the first step is the “ounce of prevention,” the flu vaccine. Providing for vaccination can be a smart benefit to offer employees, and it requires navigating ...
November 6, 2018
Giving Thanks in the Office
While our personal lives may offer plenty of opportunities to give thanks, it’s also important to make a habit of it in our professional lives, according to an article in the Cobb Business Journal. Few people in a study cited expressed gratitude for their work, and that might be because a ...
October 31, 2018
An Employer’s Guide to Annual Group Health Plan Notices
Employers that sponsor group health plans are required to give eligible employees a number of notices each year. Some notices must be given by a particular date, and some must be given as part of the enrollment packet. (This means that non-calendar year plans may need to provide Medicare Part D ...
October 31, 2018
Compliance Recap | October 2018
October was a busy month in the employee benefits world. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released final forms and instructions for 2018 ACA reporting. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released inflation-adjusted civil monetary penalty amounts. The Treasury, the Department of ...
October 8, 2018
How to Handle Benefits When an Employee is on Leave
Employers often have questions about what benefits they must maintain for employees who go on leave. Whether an employer must maintain a particular benefit will depend on a variety of factors, including the type of leave, the employer’s written policy, and federal and state laws. This chart ...
October 1, 2018
IRS Releases Final Forms & Instructions for 2018 ACA Reporting
Background Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), individuals are required to have health insurance while applicable large employers (ALEs) are required to offer health benefits to their full‑time employees. Reporting is required by employers with 50 or more full-time (or ...
October 1, 2018
Compliance Recap | September 2018
September was a relatively busy month in the employee benefits world. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released draft 2018 instructions for Forms 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C. The IRS also issued an information letter regarding health flexible spending accounts and guidance on the ...
September 24, 2018
Federal Tax Credit for Employer-Provided Paid Family & Medical Leave (updated)
Updated September 24, 2018 In December 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Act) included a new federal tax credit for employers that provide paid family and medical leave (FML) to their employees. To be clear, the Act does not require employers to provide paid leave. However, eligible employers ...
September 13, 2018
IRS Releases Draft Forms and Instructions for 2018 ACA Reporting
Background Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), individuals are required to have health insurance while applicable large employers (ALEs) are required to offer health benefits to their full‑time employees. Reporting is required by employers with 50 or more full-time (or ...
September 10, 2018
Compliance Recap | August 2018
August was a relatively quiet month in the employee benefits world. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Labor (DOL) published a final rule that amends the definition of short-term, limited-duration insurance. HHS also ...
