INSIGHTS
Visit Insights regularly to find industry-shaping news, trends, guidance and more.
PCORI Fee Extended 10 Years
Author: hrwsAdmin
Once scheduled to expire in 2019, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee has been extended for 10 years. PCORI was set up by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to conduct research in order to evaluate the effectiveness of medical treatments, procedures, and strategies that treat, diagnose, manage, or prevent illness or injury. The fee…
State-by-State Minimum Wage Changes for 2020
Author: hrwsAdmin
Effective January 1, 2020, twenty-one states, as well as multiple municipalities and counties, will raise their minimum wage rate. The chart below highlights the changes. Minimum Wage Increases Beginning January 1, 2020* State or Municipality Effective Date Min. Wage Tipped Min. Wage AK 1/01/2020 $9.89 Same AZ 1/01/2020 $11.00 $8.00 Flagstaff 1/01/2020 $12.00 $9.00…
2019’S TOP HR ISSUES
Author: Adam Kulliver
By answering questions, consulting and advising thousands of U.S. employers – HRWS maintains a bird’s eye view of the Country’s most pressing business issues. We developed the “HRWS 5” to highlight and give some perspective on the most pressing HR topics that challenged U.S. companies throughout 2019. Our Formula HR Workplace Services (HRWS) used data…
Are Non-Compete Agreements Headed for Extinction?
Author: Adam Kulliver
Non-competition agreements have always been a popular topic fielded by the HR Workplace Services, Inc. (HRWS) Consulting Teams. And it should be no surprise that companies remain interested in keeping former employees from using existing relationships to compete against them down the road. In many cases, the client discussions we engage in, revolve around best…
ERISA Doc Requests: It’s Not Just the DOL You Need to Consider
Author: hrwsAdmin
Now it’s the workers’ comp and labor attorneys who want to see the employee’s file, your handbook and all of your ERISA Plan documents … When it comes to ERISA Plan Documents, most employers immediately think, “I better get these in place or risk a DOL audit or fine.” While this thought is not incorrect,…
OSHA’s TOP 10 Cited Violations in 2019
Author: Michael Rosenthal
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released their Top 10 violations for 2019. For the 9th year in a row “Fall Protection” ranks as the most cited violation. OSHA publishes this list to alert employers about these commonly cited standards so employers can take steps to find and fix recognized hazards. “The OSHA…
Increased DOL Enforcement Returns $322M in Wages to Employees
Author: Adam Kulliver
With $322 Million collected, fiscal year 2019 became a record year for the recovery of unpaid employee compensation by the DOL’s Wage & Hour Division. “These record-breaking numbers top the Department’s totals from last year, which also set records, and confirm our ongoing commitment to strong enforcement and to providing employers with the tools they…
HR Self-Help Tools & Downloads – Are They Worth It?
Author: hrwsAdmin
As we review employee handbooks from companies across the country, we find that many of these documents were constructed from self-help tools or templates downloaded from the internet. Our advisors explain that many of them share similar issues, such as: the exclusion of state or local regulations, for example, state-specific sick leave laws. the inadvertent…
HRWS Compliance Alert: FLSA Overtime
Author: Michael Rosenthal
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced on September 24, 2019, that it will publish a final overtime rule, setting the minimum salary threshold for overtime eligibility at $35,568 or $684 per week. This is an increase from the current amount of $455 per week. The change will make an estimated 1.3 million, additional U.S….
