BUSINESS

Rule Permits Associations Based on Industry or Geography The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a new rule that allows employers to join together as a single group to offer group health insurance coverage to employees, working owners (including those without other employees), and their spouses and dependents as part of an “association health plan.” The […]

Minimum Wage Rates Will Increase in MD, OR, DC, and Several Large Cities Effective July 1, 2018, the minimum wage will increase in the following states and localities as follows: Maryland: $10.10 per hour Oregon: $10.75 per hour ($12.00 per hour in the Portland metropolitan area; $10.50 per hour in nonurban counties) District of Columbia (DC): $13.25 per […]

Certain Group Health Plans Required to File Group health plan administrators are reminded that Form 5500 must be filed with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) by the last day of the seventh month after the plan year ends. For calendar-year plans, that due date falls on July 31. Who Must File Form 5500 In general, […]

Rule Effective for Plan Year 2018 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a new rule that allows employers to directly enroll in SHOP (Small Business Health Options Program) coverage through a SHOP-registered agent or broker. This enrollment approach is now generally available in federally-facilitated SHOPs (FF-SHOPs), including state-based Exchanges using the […]

Cooks & Dishwashers Can Now Participate in Certain Tip Pools The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released guidance clarifying federal law on tip pooling. The guidance was issued in response to a federal law that amended the federal Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) tip pooling rules. The DOL guidance states that: Employers are prohibited from keeping […]

Service Advisors May Not Be Exempt Under State Law The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that service advisors—employees at car dealerships who consult with customers about their servicing needs and sell them servicing solutions—are exempt from the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime pay requirements. Previously, the U.S. Department of Labor and a federal […]

Changes May Impact Amount of Premium Tax Credit Individuals with coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace who are receiving advance payments of the premium tax credit—which are paid directly to insurance companies to lower monthly premiums—that certain changes in their income or family size may affect the credit. As a result, if circumstances have changed for […]

2018 Publication 15-B Covers New Tax Law Changes The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released the 2018 Publication 15-B, Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits, which contains information for employers on the employment tax treatment of fringe benefits. The 2018 version of the publication has been updated to include the following changes (among others) from the […]

Publication Includes Tax Guidance for HSAs, Health FSAs, and HRAs The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released a new Publication 969, Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans, which contains information for use in preparing 2017 tax returns. Publication 969 is released annually and provides information on the rules related to health savings accounts (HSAs), […]

Law Currently in Effect California has issued guidance and FAQs on the state Immigrant Worker Protection Act to help employers comply with the law. Guidance and FAQs Among other things, the guidance and FAQs address the following topics regarding the Immigrant Worker Protection Act: Employer prohibitions; Employer requirements; Penalties; Clarifications of terms used in the law; and The law’s interaction with federal requirements. Background The Immigrant […]