Technology is making remarkable strides across the employee benefits landscape. A 2019-2020 survey found that the vast majority of organizations are utilizing a benefits application in some shape or form. Benefits administration is regarded as the most complex HR process. MORE

As I built the EffortlessHR platform – a Human Resource Information System – I kept being asked several questions: Why do I need to …. What this really told me was that most companies without a HR Department had no idea how the number of their employees impact which law/regulation they needed to follow and understand. Federal Income Tax Withholding – Employers must withhold and pay the federal government a set percentage of employee wages for the federal government. MORE

Learn to tell “your” story and how it impacts what you do today. Tell the real story…the heart-breaking story…shining as the “survivor” and possessing a CEO’s toolbox to keep me in front of other Advocates. School was my favorite place in the world. Tell the truth. MORE

Welcome to The Source, your one-stop-shop for the latest and greatest HR and benefits news. Start off your week on a high note with The Source! In this week's edition, we discuss important employment law updates that you should be watching, how to use social media for recruiting, the new trend of 'adulting' benefits and more! Get ‘The Source’ sent directly to your inbox! Alexa, can you spell HIPAA? Thought Of The Week. MORE

Employers may only hire those who can legally work in the United States and must maintain up-to-date I-9 forms for all employees. Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) , via DoL. Employers must withhold and pay the federal government a set percentage of employee wages for the federal government. Employers must withhold and pay the federal government a set percentage of employee wages for Social Security and Medicare. MORE

Employers that offer group health insurance plans to their employees have an interest in learning how employees’ entitlement to Medicare benefits can affect the administration of those plans. This article discusses the coordination of benefits between the two plans. In other words, it answers the question: How does my company health plan interact with Medicare? The post 4 Facts About Medicare That All Employers Should Know appeared first on HR Daily Advisor. MORE

Rarely do you find a business started for the sheer thrill of processing payroll or because hiring and firing people is a hobby. Nor does anyone start a business for the excitement they feel when complying with employment law. Small and mid-sized businesses can provide the HR their people need without wasting time or money by engaging with a Professional Employer Organization or PEO. This allows owners and executives to spend their valuable time growing the business. MORE

Because a group health plan covered room and board expenses for stays at skilled nursing facilities, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) required it to do so for residential mental health treatment facilities as well, a federal appeals court ruled in Danny P. The plan also covered mental health services, including licensed “residential treatment facilities” that deal with mental health disorders. After exhausting the plan’s administrative remedies, Danny P. MORE

Alight deploys artificial intelligence and data-driven insights to reach new levels of engagement in the employee experience Link ». Aon Buys Willis Towers Watson: Another Waypoint In The Demise of Employer Pensions Link ». That’s the bigger picture here. MORE

The keys for plan sponsors to avoid penalties under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as well as other liability that may come with data breaches, were discussed by HIPAA experts in a recent webinar. Periodic risk assessments, updated policies and procedures, and ongoing training are critical to HIPAA compliance, said Kathryn Bakich, senior vice president at Segal Consulting. Minimizing HIPAA Privacy Liability. MORE

Lost in Space” was a popular television series in the 1960s. Sabotage by crew member Dr. Zachary Smith threw the ship off course and launched endless adventures. The ensuing adventures are anything but fun. The possibility of cyberdata sabotage is now a day-to-day threat that frequently makes the headlines—and employee benefit plans are not spared exposure to data sabotage. The EBSA Advisory Council to the U.S. by Mary B. MORE

Encrypt everything so that in the event your data is stolen, it can’t be read. Since users are the weakest link in the information security chain, phishing tests are extremely important. I played many sports growing up and learned the importance of teamwork at an early age. MORE

Business owners who outsource HR tasks via a co-employment relationship benefit from the following: Access to better health and retirement benefits. Companies that enter into a co-employment relationship benefit from a decrease in the cost of employer payroll processing and related accounting costs. Many small business owners fear workers’ compensation claims and lack the knowledge to navigate the process. But firing John doesn’t stop the claim. MORE

ERISA stands for the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. In short, this is the federal law that creates standards for retirement, health, and pension plans. Even though such plans are typically set up privately, employers that opt to offer them have an obligation to meet the requirements under ERISA when implementing their plans. The Act advises when employees must be allowed to join the plan. Compensation benefits COBRA ERISA HIPAA MORE

A federal appeals court recently confirmed that the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) prohibition of lifetime benefits maximums does not apply to retiree-only group health plans. However, the court ruled, the plan had failed to disclose this adequately as required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The case is King v. UPS issued a summary plan description (SPD) in 2006 that applies to both the active employee and retiree plans. MORE

When I first started my business, I would sit at the back of the room in meetings. It was when I moved to the “front of the room” and started “speaking” up that it started to flourish. There was no running water or a bathroom in the house until I reached 8th grade. MORE

Established in 1913, the Department of Labor (DOL) has legal responsibility over matters related to employment. On their website today, they state their mission [i] : “To foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.”. These laws affect millions of workers throughout the country. MORE

Two major plan sponsor organizations urged the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to withdraw the revisions it proposed to the Form 5500 reporting requirements for group health and retirement plans. Further, we are concerned that many of the Proposed Revisions would require plan administrators, under penalty of perjury, to answer questions for which they do not have readily available information.”. The notice of proposed revision was published July 21 (81 Fed. MORE

As more of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are officially implemented, there are many questions as to what rules and regulations apply to individual organizations. Wellness programs are rising in popularity, and some wonder if they are governed by the ACA. It’s important for employers to know the facts in order to comply. If you do, what are the requirements and restrictions? Must You Provide an Employee Wellness Program Under the ACA? MORE