The DOL has provided model notices to aid employers with compliance. There is a model designed for employers who offer a health plan to some or all employees and another for employers who do not offer a health plan.

In addition to the Marketplace notice guidance release, the DOL also issued a new COBRA election notice model. The notice contains information for potential COBRA participants regarding the coverage options available through Marketplaces.

For more information on Health Insurance Marketplace notices, please refer to our Employee Health Insurance Marketplace Notices article or visit the APS Eye on Health Care Reform resource page.

About This Article

This article is only accurate as of the publish date. Guidance from regulatory agencies can impact the information in this article, so it is important to check back with APS for updates. This article does not constitute legal advice to any current, past, or prospective client of the author or customer or prospective customer of Automatic Payroll Systems, Inc. on any particular issue. Any action taken or contemplated in connection with any benefits tracking or employer legislative requirements issue should be discussed in advance with legal counsel of your choosing.

Sources

• · U.S. Department of Labor
• · JD Supra Law News

It is estimated that the gross domestic product from April to June of this year will slow to a pace of 1.5 percent. It held steady at 2.5 percent for the three months prior to that. There is no way to pinpoint the precise cause of the slowdown, but the payroll tax increase, which reverted the tax back to 6.2 percent from 4.2 percent, may finally be having an impact on consumers.

On the bright side, the jobless rate dropped to 7.5 percent in April, which is the lowest it’s been in four years. In April, 165,000 workers were added to the workforce, which blew away estimates. Furthermore, 114,000 more jobs were added in February and March of this year than was previously estimated. Payrolls have been expanding more quickly this year than they were in 2012 too, which is another positive sign. In 2012, payrolls increased by 183,000 workers per month. So far in 2013, payrolls have increased by 196,000 workers per month.

As rosy as things look on the jobs front, it should also be noted that it appears that those who are working are working less. In April, the average workweek was 34 hours and 24 minutes. In the month prior to that, the average workweek was 12 minutes longer. It is difficult to determine why the average workweek has shortened and unclear whether this trend will continue.

Although there are conflicting signs out there, the most important thing is that it seems like employers are confident about hiring more employees these days. This is generally a sign of upward momentum. Most economics believe that the slowdown will only last for a single quarter. By the time the third quarter rolls around, we could very well see an improved economy and even more jobs. At that point, it will be safe to say that things are really turning around. Housing markets appear to be improving too, so 2013 could be a banner year.

Contact Pinnacle Payroll Solutions Today 800-925-7701

Five reasons to invest in a face recognition time clock are:

1. Stop Spreading Germs – With fingerprint time clocks and many other biometric time clocks, employees must all touch the same device. This promotes the spread of germs, which makes the workplace less hygienic. With face recognition time clocks, no touching is required.
2. Improve Morale – Because your employees won’t be sharing and spreading germs as readily, they’re less likely to take turns being sick. This means there will be less absenteeism, so productivity will soar. This also improves morale and makes work a more enjoyable place to be.
3. Enjoy Fast, Accurate Time Management – The best face recognition time clocks instantly scan employees’ faces and clock them in and out. Their 3-D cameras rapidly assess up to 60 points on a person’s face. They’re so accurate that they are even capable of distinguishing one twin from another.
4. Keep Costs Low – If you think face recognition time clocks are too rich for your blood, think again. These systems are surprisingly affordable. When you consider how much they will save you in terms of wasted time and preventing abuse, you’re sure to agree that they are worthwhile investments.
5. Get Started Quickly – Employers often fret about freeing up computers to work with face recognition systems. Fortunately, standalone systems are available. You don’t necessarily need to devote an entire computer to this type of setup. What’s even better is that a face recognition time clock can be up and running in no time.

Face recognition technology has improved dramatically in the last few years. What better way to take advantage of it than with a face recognition time clock? If you’d like to protect your bottom line while keeping your employees happy, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better solution.

Find out more about our face recognition here.

Contact Pinnacle Payroll Solutions Today 800-925-7701

1. Keep Major Mistakes at Bay – Payroll mistakes can cost you dearly. From upsetting your employees to attracting unwanted attention from the government, they are to be avoided at all costs. Payroll service providers are well-versed with local, state and federal tax laws.
2. Save Money – Keeping employees on staff to process payroll is a costly proposition. You should also consider the costs that are associated with preparing tax documents, printing and handing out checks and other aspects of this type of work. In the end, you will pay less to outsource these tasks.
3. Unleash Your Employees’ Creativity – In a small business, creativity can bring about exciting changes. Why bog your employees down with payroll-processing duties? By outsourcing this work, you’ll free them up to pursue opportunities that can help your business grow.
4. Increase Security – No employer wants to pay people who don’t actually work. Sadly, some employees are less than honest. It’s difficult to catch such shady practices yourself. A third party like a payroll service provider has technology in place that can detect such occurrences.
5. Get it Done More Quickly – Because payroll service providers specialize in processing payrolls, they get it done really fast. You will appreciate having the work done quickly, and your employees will appreciate getting paid right away.
6. Boost Productivity – Outsourcing your payroll processing lifts the burden from your employees’ shoulders, which frees them up to focus on more important matters.
7. Peace of Mind – When you outsource your payroll, it’s one less thing to worry about. You won’t have to hover over your employees to ensure that they’re getting it done, either.
8. Improve Accuracy – Even tiny payroll errors can cost you dearly. You have little or no recourse when mistakes are made by your own employees. However, you can seek restitution from a payroll service provider if costly errors are made.
9. Enjoy Accountability – It’s in a payroll service provider’s best interests to make things right in the event of a mistake. If that doesn’t happen, you can seek greener pastures with another provider.
10. Get Consistent, Reliable Results – When your employees handle your payroll, you have to deal with new hires and other interruptions. That’s not the case when you rely on a payroll service provider instead.

Contact Pinnacle Payroll Solutions Today 800-925-7701

Initially, the demolition company was reluctant to use time clocks. Their outdated system seemed to be working well enough. A few issues occurred at the main office, however, and management decided to add a time clock to get to the bottom of things. Shortly thereafter, two employees quit. They had been turning in the wrong time and had finally been caught. This was a major revelation to the people in charge, and it got them thinking. If just two employees in a small office were stealing time, who else was?

The honor system clearly wasn’t working, but it wasn’t the only problem. Two entire departments were consumed with sorting through the paper time sheets and manually entering information from them into the computer system. They would then send this information to the payroll processing company. One phase of the process took an entire Monday, and the second phase took nearly the entire second day. As a result, payroll couldn’t be processed until Wednesday. In total, approximately eight to 16 man hours per week were devoted to preparing the paper time sheets so that employees could be paid.

The demolition company has several work crews out at job sites at any given moment. After seeing the results that were generated from using a single time clock in the office, the company decided to use a time clock with one of the work crews. After a successful two-week trial period, the company decided to use time clocks with all of the crews. In the time since, it is estimated that the company will save upwards of $200,000 per year. Management can now rest assured that employees are only being paid for the hours they work. In the end, the added cost of the time clocks was more than justified.

Contact Pinnacle Payroll Solutions Today 800-925-7701

• Is the business focused?
  A key element of success is understanding what’s drives the business, knowing staffing levels and how to maintain them. Having a solid comprehension of the business’ focus is a critical element and would benefit employees, strengthening the bottom line and saving jobs.
• Are you communicating?
  Staff planning requires working together at every seam. To get a firm handle on future business needs, consider a team that operates cross-functionally. It would include reps from the likes of Sales, Human Resources, Finance and Operations.
• Is your staff informed?
  Too much work to do. Too little work to do. Either of these can have a dynamic impact on motivation. Improve employee engagement by communicating with and showing staff how to find a balance. It’s important and will create a staff with a greater sense of responsibility.
• Is the word getting out?
  To avoid confusion, employees should always be on the same page. Keeping them in line with corporate strategy guarantees employees will not only put all their energy into a hard day’s work. They realize it’s a team effort and everyone wants to achieve the same goals.
• Are you gauging performance vs. workload?
  Having a handle on how long it takes to get tasks done provides an accurate picture of how effectively the business runs. Whether it’s delivering a package, cleaning a bathroom or installing a tankless water heater, a business can better align resources with demand.
• Are you talking with your staff?
  This is not the same as communicating with them. Communicating can be anything from email blasts to staff meetings. This is about reviewing and capturing skill sets, preferences, desires, availability and certifications and using them to the advantage of the business.
• Are you utilizing the right technology?
  All devices should function specifically to business needs. Tech should also be convenient for staff, allowing them to communicate, swap shifts, request time off, etc. The Internet and social media is a must, creating a public image and boosting reputation and potential revenue.
• Should you optimize scheduling for a better workforce management system?
  A well engineered workforce management system enables the business to deal with variables and constraints, including breaks, skills and certifications, legislation, individual employee preferences and more. This leads to a better balance for meeting business demands.
• Are you prepared for hiccups?
  The perfect schedule goes out the window the moment an employee calls out sick, a delivery truck breaks down or a computer crashes. Having contingencies and quick reaction will not only make a difference. It will generate confidence for all staff involved.
• Now that you’ve overviewed the business…
  Knowing how to match staff to demand will have a significant impact on staff costs and customer service, morale and productivity. Maintaining this level of business will see growth in all areas, creating an environment that will be strong even in the worst economic times.

Contact Pinnacle Payroll Solutions Today 800-925-7701

Why Do I Need the I-9?

The U.S. government requires that employers verify their employees’ identities and their eligibility to work in the United States. It is the employer’s responsibility to have the I-9 form completed for their records and to obtain copies of those documents presented according to the List of Acceptable Documents on page nine of the form. In the event there is an investigation by the U.S. government, the employer must be able to produce the documentation or be subject to a fine. The I-9 form must be completed no later than the first day of employment.

Employee Information

The employee should complete all the information in Section 1 of the form. If the employee has used other names such as a maiden name or alias, it should be recorded; if the employee has never been known by another name, N/A should be written in the box. The employee may opt to not include their social security number on the application unless the employer participates in E-Verify; however, if the employee chooses to use their social security card as proof of identity, the employer must be allowed to copy it for their records. Non-citizen nationals, lawful residents and aliens authorized to work in the U.S. should provide their work authorization with the completed I-9 form. The employee must sign the bottom of the form attesting that the information they provided is true and accurate.

Employer’s Responsibility

Within three business days of the employee’s first day of employment, a representative of the employer must examine the documents provided by the employee and complete Section 2 of the I-9 form. The first date of employee’s employment must be recorded on the form. Once the documents are recorded on the form, the representative who examined the documents must sign at the bottom of Section 2 attesting that the documents are genuine and the employee is authorized to work in the U.S.

The old I-9 form, which expired December 31, 2012, was still being accepted while the new form was being finalized. However, all employers should immediately begin using the new I-9 form, released March 8, 2013.

Contact Pinnacle Payroll Solutions Today 800-925-7701

Why Are Bad Hires So Costly?

Bad hires force companies to deal with a cascading array of problems, all of which cost time and money to fix. These problems can range from obvious expenses, such as the time and cost of finding a replacement, to more subtle problems, such as missed opportunities or decreased productivity.

Finding a Replacement is Expensive

Finding a new worker drains your company’s finances, both directly and indirectly. Recruiting a new worker requires you to spend money advertising the position and performing background checks on potential hires. In addition, you’ll have to divert some of your valuable personnel to interview potential hires.

Incompetent Workers Miss Opportunities

If your new hire just isn’t capable of performing the job he was hired to do, your company will likely miss out on opportunities for growth. He may waste money on investments that don’t help your company, or he may damage your company’s reputation for excellence.

The Wrong Fit Damages the Workplace

If your new hire doesn’t fit into your company’s culture, she may change it for the worse. If she doesn’t get along with your existing staff, their morale can suffer. If the new hire is in a position to hire or fire new workers, the potential for long-lasting damage is even higher. It may take months or even years to undo the damage done by a bad hire.

Covering for a Bad Hire Drains Productivity

If your new hire simply can’t get the job done, your other staff may have to take extra time to cover for him. You may be forced to pay overtime to finish incomplete assignments. Productivity will drop as other workers leave their own assigned tasks to help the new hire. Even after the decision is made to replace the disappointing new hire, productivity will still drop as you and your staff try to find a replacement.

Contact Pinnacle Payroll Solutions Today 800-925-7701

Offer Employees Flexibility

One of the main ways to retain notoriously job-hopping millennials is to offer them some flexibility. The Internet makes it easy to work at any time from any place, and tech-savvy millennials are more likely to see fixed hours as an unnecessary burden. According to a study by Griffith Insurance Education Foundation, millennials are actually willing to accept a lower salary in exchange for more vacation time and the ability to work remotely. Companies like Google give employees time to work on projects of their choosing. This encourages employees to take initiative within the company and work creatively. Companies can also use personal projects as an opportunity for community service projects. A Pew Research Center poll shows that millennials are more motivated by helping others than by money. Allowing employees to use company time for their causes gives millennials a reason to view their companies positively.

Encourage Career Development

In addition to flexibility, millennials also demand careers that progress quickly. A 2012 survey by Adecco shows that 68 percent of people entering the workforce place a priority on opportunities to develop their careers. Unlike Baby Boomers and Generation X, millennials tend to be unwilling to wait several years for a promotion. Employers can meet their needs by providing more intermediate positions with titles. These in-between positions are a good way to provide incremental training. Employers can also help millennials to advance through leadership conferences or by bringing in educational speakers.

Employees are Responsive to Praise

Employers should make young employees feel invested in the company by giving them feedback. No employee wants his or her hard work to go unnoticed, and millennials are especially responsive to praise. Regular verbal encouragement can motivate millennials to produce their best work. Employers should also involve young workers in the goals of the company. If millennials are familiar with the company vision, they can better understand their role in achieving that vision. Members of this generation are generally more productive when they can clearly see and understand the impact that their work is having.

Contact Pinnacle Payroll Solutions Today 800-925-7701