Monthly Newsletter About Workforce Development Issues
Welcome. In this issue of The Beacon, we look at the new I-9 form, the IRS announcement that it will not impose penalties on employers for timely ACA filing, the IRS's stance on HSA non-discrimination rules, the training grant awarded to EANE, and much more...
FLSA Overtime Changes Blocked!
Judge Amos L. Mazzant III, a federal judge for the Eastern District of Texas, granted a preliminary injunction that effectively blocks the revised Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime regulations from taking effect on December 1, 2016. As a reminder, these rules would raise the exempt salary threshold to $47,476 (or $913/week).
New I-9 Form Issued
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. The new version (dated 11/14/16) must be used by employers beginning January 22, 2017.
Mark's Minute
by Mark Snow, Director of Learning & Development, EANE
There is a funny thing about performance improvement initiatives. Sometimes we get so excited, so happy, that performance has improved that we forget a little itty bitty detail...
IRS Will Impose No Penalties on Timely Affordable Care Act Filings, Even if Incomplete or Incorrect; Extends Deadline for Employee Notices
by Wendy L. Grabel, Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C.
The IRS has just announced that it will continue its past policy of imposing no penalties on Employers who make good faith, timely efforts to meet their filing requirements under the the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Right now, Employers subject to the ACA are scrambling to complete both the complex IRS filings, and the separate information statements that must be sent to employees.
EANE Awarded Direct Access Program Training Grant!
EANE is very excited to announce that in October we were awarded a $200,000 Direct Access Program training grant from the MA Workforce Training Fund! As most MA employers know, the Workforce Training fund aims to promote job growth, retention and increased opportunities for employees by increasing business productivity and competitiveness for MA businesses.
Post-Election Emotions Run High in the Workplace
by Dana Wilkie
When Lisa North got to work on November 9th, just a few hours after Donald Trump was named the U.S. president-elect, she wasn't prepared for what she encountered: Some workers were weeping. Others were expressing horror and dread about the future. Others came to work late that day.
IRS Says HSA Nondiscrimination Rules Apply Differently to Former Employees
The IRS has released an information letter highlighting that employers can make different contributions to former employees' HSAs than they make to the HSAs of active employees. The letter responds to an inquiry from a former employee who questioned whether HSA contributions made by her former employer followed the applicable rules.
Membership Corner...
As we enter the month of December, we would like to acknowledge our newest members who joined EANE in October and November. To learn about our newest members...
Mark's Minute
Membership Corner...
