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Compensation & Benefits

Develop a process for extending FMLA leave

01/26/2024
Every employer needs a clear process for handling requests for additional time off after an employee exhausts FMLA leave. How you handle those requests can make the difference between winning and losing a disability discrimination lawsuit.

Retirement: What HR pros need to know about SECURE 2.0

01/24/2024
The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, which went into effect Jan. 1, is the latest overhaul of the nation’s retirement planning laws. Here’s what you need to know.

In the Payroll Mailbag: February ’24

01/24/2024
Can a W-2c report $0 wages? … Does leap year impact exempts’ pay?

Information return penalties increase for 2024

01/24/2024
Failing to file your information returns this year, failing to file in the proper medium—which for most employers is e-filing—or failing to include correct information will now cost you more.

W-2 Wednesdays: What to tell employees about their W-2s

01/24/2024
This week we’re tackling your toughest job of all—trying to explain to bewildered employees what all those box entries mean and why they differ.

Takeaways from the DOL’s worker status rule

01/22/2024
The Department of Labor released its final rule on workers’ status as employees or independent contractors a couple of weeks ago. The rule, which becomes effective March 11 (pending litigation, of course), restores the DOL’s six-part economic realities test, with an eye toward the modern economy. This rule was never meant to upset the apple cart. But some apples will fall by the wayside. Here are some things to think about now.

Provide child-care, elder-care benefits to attract and keep the employees you need

01/22/2024
One obvious tactic to attract and retain caregivers is to offer benefits that help them care for their children and older relatives. Adding either or both to your benefit plan may mark you as a desirable employer. Here are some options.

More SECURE 2.0 guidance: Pension-linked emergency savings accounts

01/16/2024
SECURE 2.0 allows you to offer to enroll or to auto-enroll non-highly compensated employees into pension-linked emergency savings accounts, beginning with the 2024 plan year—Jan. 1, 2024—for calendar-year plans. Working relatively speedily, the IRS released initial guidance on PLESAs last Friday, before the long holiday weekend. More comprehensive guidance will follow.

Report: Health benefit costs projected to rise 9.9% this year

01/08/2024
The WTW Global Medical Trends Survey found the cost of medical care jumped from 7.4% in 2022 to a record high of 10.7% in 2023. The insurer-reported cost trend for 2024 is projected to increase by an average of 9.9%.

DOL offers mental-health assistance, compliance resources for employers

01/08/2024
Worker stress rose to record levels during the pandemic—and has remained high ever since, according to Gallup Poll surveys. In fact, Gallup says 52% of employees report they have experienced “a lot of stress” in the previous 24 hours. Employers are responding, with 63% of HR professionals surveyed by Willis Towers Watson last fall saying they planned to enhance benefits addressing employee mental health in 2024.