As we celebrate Christmas and look forward, with hope, to the New Year, we
want to thank you for your support, trust and friendship. It’s been a great
year! May you be overjoyed with the love of family and friends this holiday
season and may 2011 be a year of prosperity and growth, (despite what the
experts say!).
With gratitude and appreciation,
Terri Olson and Maggie Hattan
In this issue:
- Join us for our HR Legal Update – January 14, 2011 – Free poster!
- What is your obligation to provide reasonable accommodations to a
disabled employee?
- Payday Payroll explains new requirements effective January 1, 2011
- Getting those credits with health care reform? Maybe not!
Hosted by the Fullerton Chamber, Terri Olson is the guest speaker for
the January breakfast meeting in January. Terri will highlight employment
law changes, areas of liability and touch on some interesting court cases –
all with the intent to increase your ability to protect your business from
exposure to employment complaints and lawsuits. Make your reservations
today!
- Fullerton Marriott
- 7:30 – 9:00 a.m.
- 2701 E. Nutwood Avenue
- Chamber Members $35 / Non-Members $45
- Attendees who reserve a seat before December 31st will receive a
complimentary 2011 Employment Poster
Reservations required by January 5th
Call the Fullerton Chamber (714) 871-3100
Reasonable accommodation is any change or adjustment to a job or work environment that permits a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the job application process, to perform the essential functions of a job, or to enjoy benefits and privileges of employment equal to those enjoyed by employees without disabilities. For example, reasonable accommodation may include:
- acquiring or modifying equipment or devices,
- job restructuring,
- part-time or modified work schedules,
- reassignment to a vacant position,
- adjusting or modifying examinations, training materials or policies,
- providing readers and interpreters, and
- making the workplace readily accessible to and usable by people with
disabilities.
Reasonable accommodation also must be made to enable an individual with a disability to participate in the application process and to enjoy benefits and privileges of employment equal to those available to other employees.
It is a violation of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) to fail to provide reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of a qualified individual with a disability, unless to do so would impose an undue hardship on the operation of your business. Undue hardship means that the accommodation would require significant difficulty or expense.
- EEOC
Are you in need of greater understanding on ADA requirements? Give us a call.
HR Prescriptions is fortunate to have an alliance with Payday Payroll Service, a local and successful group of payroll professionals. Brett Adolph, Senior District Manager, provided the following important information:
As of January 1, 2011, many businesses will be required to make federal tax deposits electronically. If you are processing your payroll in-house, you need to know about these changes.
Your options for making your federal tax deposits include:
- 1. Using the Web site or the voice response system.
- You must be enrolled in EFTPS (Electronic Fund Transfer Payment System) to pay via either system. If you recently were pre-enrolled in EFTPS and cannot find your PIN, call (888)434-7338. Payments must be scheduled by 8 p.m. ET the day before the due date to be received timely.
- 2. Asking your financial institution to initiate an ACH Credit payment on your behalf.
- This option requires an EFTPS enrollment, but your banking information is not part of that enrollment. Financial institutions are not required to initiate payments for you, and may charge you a fee if they offer this service. Check in advance for cutoff times, which may be earlier than if you make a payment yourself using EFTPS.
- 3. Asking another trusted third party such as Payday Payroll Service (see contact information below) to make the payment for you.
- 4. In extraordinary circumstances, asking your financial institution to make a same-day tax wire payment for you.
- Financial institutions are not required to do this, and may charge you a fee. Check with your financial institution in advance for cutoff times.
Do you need more information or the link to the website mentioned above?
Please contact Brett at (714) 467-3434 (office), (562) 889-0730 (mobile) or via e-mail at
Word from Matt Apodaca, tax expert with NCH Wealth Advisors, is that the credit for medical premium payments your company makes is not going to be easy to get through the new Health Care Reform Act.
Here is what Matt has to say:
The credit is 35% of medical premium payments paid by the company. Here are some limits that make it a challenge:
- Premiums paid to 2% or greater shareholders/partners do not count toward the credit. Their wages also do not count toward calculating “average wages.”
- Premiums paid for family members of a 2% or greater shareholder partner do not count toward the credit. Their wages also do not count toward calculating “average wages.”
- The credit is phased out between $25,000-$50,000 in average wages. Which means if your average wages are just under $50,000, most of the credit will be phased out (of the 35% credit of premiums paid, 95% would be phased out).
The end result is that any premiums paid for you in the company WILL NOT be eligible for the credit. This is truly one of the hardest credits to qualify for. We have seen it help manufacturing firms that are already paying for health care for line workers with wages under $25k. The owners, officers, and any family members will not benefit from this.
If you were thinking of (or already are) paying the health insurance for your employees, this would help reduce the cost a bit.
Questions on this topic can be discussed with Matt by calling him at (714) 870-4542 or via e-mail at .
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