January/February 2017 Newsletter
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Dear , 

Welcome to HR Knowledge's January/February  2017 Newsletter! The new year brings many new employment laws and regulations including minimum wage increases in many states, updated due dates for Form 1095-C, and new paid sick leave laws in certain states. Stay tuned to HR Knowledge e-alerts and our website for more information on these regulations and more as they happen.

Save the date! Our next HR Boot Camp seminar will be held on April 7th. More details to follow.

Sincerely, 
HR Knowledge, Inc.
Changes to ACA Annual Reporting in 2017

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will not only impact large employers, it will also impact employees of large employers. You may have started to receive questions about Form 1095-C from your employees.
 
For 2017, the due dates for both distributing the Form 1095-C to employees, and the due dates for filing the 1095-C to the IRS have been moved to earlier dates compared to the 2016 due dates. 

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New Year and New Minimum Wage Increases and Employment Postings for 2017

As we head into the new year, we would like to take a moment to remind you that there are many state minimum hourly wage changes for 2017, along with new required workplace postings.  In most of these states, the new minimum wage rates applied as of January 1, 2017, however there are few states will take effect later in 2017. 
January 31 is New Filing Deadline for W-2s and 1099s

With tax season approaching, employers should be aware that beginning in 2017, the deadline to file their Form W-2s to the Social Security Administration (SSA) has been moved up to January 31. This deadline also applies to certain Form 1099s for reporting nonemployee compensation including payments to independent contractors. This earlier filing deadline is aimed at making it easier for the IRS to detect and prevent refund fraud.

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Reminder - The Updated Form I-9 Is Now Required by the USCIS

This past November, the US. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published an updated version of the Form I-9, also known as the Employment Eligibility Verification form. Employers previously had a grace period where they could still utilize the older Form I-9 dated 03/08/2013,  but as of January 22, 2017, all employers must transition to the new Form I-9 dated 11/14/16.

Revised EEO-1 Report Includes Pay Data and Hours

The Employer Information Report (EEO-1) that employers file annually with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has been revised to include both W-2 earnings and hours worked by race, ethnicity, and gender. Employers (including federal contractors and subcontractors) with 100 or more employees will be required to file the new EEO-1 report by March 31, 2018, for the 2017 calendar year. Collection of this new data is intended to assist the EEOC in identifying possible pay discrimination and to help employers promote equal pay in their workplaces.

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IRS Releases 2017 Standard Mileage Rates

The Internal Revenue Service has updated the Standard Mileage Rates for 2017. The standard mileage rates are optional rates taxpayers can use to calculate the deductible costs of operating their car for either business, medical, moving, or charitable purposes.

San Francisco Amends Paid Parental Leave Law

With its Paid Parental Leave Ordinance (PPLO) passed in April, San Francisco became the first city in the country to require employers to offer six (6) weeks of fully paid leave for new parents. Under the ordinance, employers must pay 45% of the employee's weekly wages, supplementing the 55% wage replacement benefit currently paid under California's Paid Family Leave law.

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Arizona Passes Paid Sick Leave Legislation

On November 8, 2016, voters passed the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act requiring Arizona employers to provide paid sick leave to all employees. Arizona now joins California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Vermont in enacting a statewide paid sick leave law.

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Washington Passes Statewide Paid Sick Leave Legislation

Voters in Washington state have approved Initiative 1433 which requires that all employers provide paid sick leave to all employees. Three local jurisdictions in Washington - Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma - already mandate paid sick leave. Washington becomes the seventh state to enact a statewide paid sick leave law, joining Arizona, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Vermont.

HR Knowledge Benefits News

Interested in learning more about Health Savings Accounts? HSAs have become more popular in recent years due to the fact that they are tax-exempt, and offer potential savings for both employers and employees. HR Knowledge has prepared a downloadable guide with more information on HSAs to distribute to your staff.

HR Knowledge Wellness Update

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month! Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages your optic nerve. 3 million Americans are estimated to have the disease, but because of the disease's slow progression, only about half of those 3 million know they have it. Help your employees stay informed by downloading our Live Well, Work Well flyers and displaying in your workplace.

 





Perk of the Month!
Bridgewater Credit Union offers a wide range of financial services for personal and business accounts, including checking and savings accounts, IRAs, auto and student loans, and mortgages.



 
As a member of HR Knowledge, you also receive lift ticket discounts from many of the most popular mountains in the northeast including Loon Mountain, Cranmore Mountain, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Sunday River.

Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, expires on January 22, 2017. What should we do?


Does a company have to allow employees to work from home if the office is closed due to bad weather?

 

HR Knowledge and our clients are seeking qualified and talented people. Please view our current job openings, including:
  • Project Manager - Interior Design (Boston, MA)
  • Operations/Production Manager (Mansfield, MA)
  • Client Support Coordinator (Mansfield, MA) 
View our careers page

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About HR Knowledge, Inc. 

Founded in 2001, HR Knowledge, Inc. is a privately funded company providing integrated outsourced HR services tailored to our clients' needs. Our full array of offerings includes managed payroll, employee benefits administration, and HR consulting and support services, such as training, compliance, custom-built software solutions, and Hiring Process Managementâ„¢, our comprehensive recruitment service that takes you from finding to onboarding new talent. Our major markets are fast-growing small- and medium-sized businesses, many of which are venture-capital-backed; foreign companies expanding into the states; and charter schools.  Partnering with HR Knowledge can reduce your administrative costs, minimize your legal risk, help you find and develop talent, and alleviate the HR burden so that you can focus on your core business.