RKL’s Workforce Strategies team is here to help you navigate the complexities of today's HR environment with the updates, reminders and insights you need to maximize your most important asset — your people. We value your feedback, so let us know what you think of this newsletter!
OSHA to release a new proposed rule in December requiring health care employers to take additional action to prevent workplace violence.
Some of these actions include developing and implementing a written workplace violence prevention program, performing regular assessments, training, maintaining additional records, etc. Employers should keep an eye out for updates and ensure they are in compliance with current Federal, OSHA and state safety regulations.
U.S. Department of Labor's Guidance on FMLA Eligibility for Remote Employees
New guidance clarifies that a remote worker's "worksite" is the office they report to or receive assignments from, not their home. This guidance affects how employers determine FMLA eligibility and requires them to include remote employees in the employee count for the 50-employee threshold within a 75-mile radius of the "reporting office." This article indicates the importance of the guidance for employers and notes that FMLA compliance can be complicated, highlighting the need for careful consideration of these rules when managing remote employees' leave requests.
A Texas court vacated the Department of Labor's rule raising the minimum salary required for employees to be exempt from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The ruling applies to employers across the nation, who are now not required to implement the increased salary threshold set to take effect on January 1, 2025. The ruling reverts the minimum salary threshold for "white collar" exemptions back to the significantly lower 2019 level and strikes down the automatic escalator provision to adjust the salary threshold based on inflation. Read more.
Minnesota Joins the States with New Wage Transparency Requirements
As of Jan 1, 2025, employers with 30 or more employees in Minnesota are required to include a starting rate range, a general description of benefits, and any other compensation elements provided to a position.
New Connecticut Law: Private Employers Required to Provide Paid Sick Leave
Currently, employers with 50 of more employees must provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave annually. The new legislation requires that employers with 25 or more employees provide 40 hours of sick leave by January 1, 2025. By January 1, 2026, all employers with 11 employees or more must provide the paid sick leave. Finally by January 1, 2027, all employers with at least one employee or must provide paid sick leave.
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Compliance Reporting
The reporting requirements are enforced by two sections of the Internal Revenue Code. Together, they ensure that employers and health insurance insurers report health coverage information to the IRS and furnish statements to employees annually.
Section 6055 reporting requirements apply to health insurance carriers, small employers that sponsor self-funded health plans and other entities that provide minimum essential coverage.
Section 6056 reporting requirements are directed toward applicable large employers (ALEs) with 50 or more full-time employees or full-time equivalent employees (FTEs).
RKL Virtual specializes in providing comprehensive ACA reporting services that streamline your compliance process by leveraging cutting-edge technology to process your ACA reporting swiftly and accurately.
Bookmark this site: Minimum Wage Tracker by State!
Looking for a way to keep track of minimum wage requirements? The Economic Policy Institute offers a minimum wage tracker by state.
Getting the Most Out of Your Pay Equity Analysis
Trusaic, a salary and pay equity software, released the results of their Q1 2024 study on pay equity. Their study revealed some common mistakes employers make when analyzing pay gaps within their organization. The most common mistakes include only evaluating base compensation instead of total cash compensation (i.e., incentives) as well as relying on basic statistics (ex., median/averages) instead of multiple regressions that allow employers to account for relevant pay factors such as career level, job function, performance rating, company tenure, etc.
