Minimum Wage IncreasesJanuary 1st saw the minimum wage increase in 14 states: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia. This summer will see minimum...

While 23 states and the District of Columbia have decriminalized marijuana for medicinal use—with four states and DC legalizing recreational use—the sale and use of the drug remains illegal at the federal level. Understandably, the discrepancies between state and...

IRS Extends Employer Mandate Reporting Deadlines After considering feedback from private sector businesses and insurers, the IRS has extended the deadlines for reporting 2015 information under the Affordable Care Act.Employers now have until March 31 (previously...

Thanks to NPR for this article and to those that are circulating it around LinkedIn during this holiday season.  It definitely rings true for many of the stories we've heard over the years at Austin HR. ~ NPR Article ~A few days ago, we offered up some tips for...

The IRS has announced the annual dollar limit on contributions for health care flexible spending accounts (FSAs), health savings accounts (HSAs), and 401(k) accounts based on cost of living adjustments (COLAs). These limits are reviewed annually by the IRS. For the...

If you can afford health insurance but choose not to buy it, you must pay a fee called the individual shared responsibility payment. (The fee is sometimes called the "penalty," "fine," or "individual mandate.") You owe the fee for any month you, your spouse, or your...

It's confusing to say the least.  We're getting lots of calls on this topic.  Most payroll companies have cut off taking on reporting of new clients for ACA tracking purposes because of overload and timing and have even turned their own clients away who didn't sign up...

Evan Stall, the HR manager for Federal-Mogul Powertrain’s South Bend, Ind., plant, worries about how he will fill 13 foundry operator positions.The company, which makes automotive parts, primarily aluminum pistons, has just acquired another casting cell that contains...

Yet another study has found overwhelming evidence that men get paid more than women. The pay gap exists even when male and female workers have the same job with the same qualifications. Overall, American women earn just 74 cents for every $1 a man earns, PayScale...

  Question: My employer has asked that we create a Non-Disclosure Agreement for employees to sign regarding discussion of their salaries. Can this be done legally? Answer: No, this cannot be done legally. Under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act...

Home Care Final Rule UpdateAs of October 13, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Home Care Final Rule is in effect.The Home Care Final Rule, which greatly narrows the home health care and companionship services exemption under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA),...

On September 17, 2015, the IRS issued Notice 2015-68 advising its intent to propose new regulations under Section 6055. Section 6055 requires providers of minimum essential coverage (“MEC”) to report health coverage information to the IRS and covered individuals....

California governor Jerry Brown has signed Senate Bill 358, a revision of existing law aimed at closing the gender wage gap in the state. Despite California prohibiting gender-based wage discrimination since 1949, women working full-time year round earn an average at...

Society of Human Resources Reprint  Employers don’t have to be in a holding pattern while waiting for the Department of Labor’s (DOL's) proposed overtime rule to be finalized.While the DOL reviews 290,000 comments on the proposed rule, Lee Schreter, chairperson...

When an employee has a medical condition and needs some leave time or other job adjustments, they are often protected by two separate and distinct federal labor laws: the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The purpose of...

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requires certain companies over a certain size to submit a report categorizing their employees by race/ethnicity, gender, and job category. This demographic survey, called the EEO-1, is due by October 30 (most years...