HR Compliance / Legislation Updates

DHS Terminates I-9 Form Remote Option Flexibility; Considerations for Remote Workers
Read Time: 5 Minutes

For employers that remotely verified I-9 forms during the pandemic, the deadline for completing in-person verification is fast approaching. As background, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had provided additional flexibility due to COVID-19 to review I-9 documentation remotely and had previously announced that employers would have until July 31, 2023, to complete an in-person review of the I-9 documents that had originally been reviewed remotely under this flexibility policy. However, on May 4, DHS announced a 30-day "grace period" that extends the deadline until August 30. While immigration officials have repeatedly extended the I-9 flexibility since initially adopting the policy in March 2020, this recent delay is in the form of a grace period rather than another extension, so employers should plan for the end of the flexibility policy and prepare to comply with the in-person review requirements of I-9s previously reviewed under the remote flexibility policy. Learn More

June 2023 Compliance Recap
Read Time: 7 Minutes

June was preparation time for employers with self-funded plans and HRAs. The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee will be due for those plans on July 31. Self-insured non-federal governmental health plans can no longer opt out of the MHPAEA, and COVID-19 Form I-9 flexibilities are ending.

PCORI Fee Due Date Approaches
MHPAEA Opt-Out Expires
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Goes into Effect
RxDC Report Due to CMS for 2022

Learn More

WEBINAR:

Getting it Right: ACA Counting, Tracking, and Reporting

Tuesday, July 11, 2023
2:00PM EST

Attend this month's webinar to learn who to include, how to count, and when to track employees for Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting.

Gain insights into:

Avoiding common errors in ACA coding
Mastering lookback, measurement, and stability periods
Coordinating with sister companies, controlled groups, and M&A environments

Be able to answer these questions:

What should be done in preparation for becoming an applicable large employer?
Where do gig workers fit in?
How have electronic submission requirements changed?

In conjunction with our alliance with United Benefit Advisors, you have the opportunity to learn more about the latest compliance trends and regulations from one of the nation's leading employment and benefit law firms, Fisher Phillips. Normally the cost of the 60 minute Webinar is $200, but we are pleased to offer it to you free of charge. Simply click the blue button below to register, and be sure to use the coupon code UBA410EW.

Workplace Safety Training: 6 Things Employees Need to Know
Source: Mineral
Read Time: 5 Minutes

Safety training is an essential part of every employer’s safety and health program to protect workers from injury and illness, and ensure workers have the required skills and knowledge to safely do their work. The resulting benefits from effective safety training include fewer injuries and illnesses, better morale, lower insurance premiums and more.

Your employees have the right to a safe work environment, safe work processes and procedures, and safe tools and equipment. Although safety training is not one-size-fits-all—what your specific training program looks like will heavily depend on company operations, hazards, and risks—there are six training topics that apply to most businesses.

Learn More

Compliance Question of the Week

Q: Is there a penalty for failure to file or pay the PCORI fee?

A: Although the PCORI statute and its regulations do not include a specific penalty for failure to report or pay the PCORI fee, the plan sponsor may be subject to penalties for failure to file a tax return because the PCORI fee is an excise tax. The plan sponsor should consult with its attorney about late filing or late payment of the PCORI fee. The PCORI regulations note that the penalties related to late filing of Form 720 or late payment of the fee may be waived or abated if the plan sponsor has reasonable cause and the failure was not due to willful neglect.