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According to the US Department of Labor, in the week ending March 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 388,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 394,000. The 4-week moving average was 394,250, an increase of 3,250 from the previous week’s revised average of 391,000.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Rate Remains Unchanged

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0% for the week ending March 19, unchanged from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 3.0%.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Decreases

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 19 was 3,714,000, a decrease of 51,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 3,765,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,765,250, a decrease of 32,750 from the preceding week’s revised average of 3,798,000.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released Notice 2011-28, Interim Guidance on Informational Reporting to Employees of the Cost of Their Group Health Insurance Coverage.

Notice 2011-28 Does not Cause Excludable Employer-Provided Health Care Coverage to Become Taxable

According to Notice 2011-28, nothing in §6051(a)(14), Notice 2011-28, or the additional guidance that is contemplated under §6051(a)(14), causes or will cause otherwise excludable employer-provided health care coverage to become taxable.

Notice 2011-28 Applies to 2012 Forms W-2

Notice 2011-28 applies to the 2012 Forms W-2, which will generally be furnished to employees during January 2013. Employers are not required to report the cost of excludable employer-provided health care coverage before the 2012 Forms W-2. The reporting will be in box 12 of 2012 Form W-2, using code DD.

Notice 2011-28 Contains Information on Calculating Reportable Amounts

Notice 2011-28 provides detailed information, in a question and answer format, on calculating reportable amounts, which amounts are included in the reportable amount, and which amounts are excluded from the reportable amount.

Contact Vision Payroll Today

Contact Vision Payroll today if you have further questions on changes to the 2012 Form W-2 reporting for health coverage.

South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard recently signed SB 86 into law. SB 86 declares an emergency and revises the employer’s investment in South Dakota’s future fee or “investment fee”.

Employers with Low Reserve Ratios to Pay a Lower Investment Fee

Employers with a reserve ratio of less than 1% had their investment fee lowered from 0.55% to 0.53%, effective retroactively to January 1, 2011.

Investment Fee Payments Do not Affect An Employer’s Experience Rating

Investment fee payments may not be credited to the employer’s experience rating account and may not be deducted in whole or in part by any employer from the wages of individuals in its employ.

Contact Vision Payroll Today

Contact Vision Payroll today if you have further questions on changes to the South Dakota investment fee.

On April 7, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will host a free webinar titled Easy, Low Cost Ways to Start Your Small Business Retirement Plan.

Learn What Will Work for Your Small Business

Watch this free webinar to learn about the following:

• Low-cost retirement plans
• Low-maintenance alternatives to traditional 401(k)s
• Points to consider in choosing the right plan for your business
• Types of advisors who can help you set up and operate your plan
• How to avoid plan mistakes
• How the IRS can help correct mistakes in your plan

Small Businesses Can Benefit from This Webinar

The webinar is suited for the following:

• Small businesses and sole practitioners
• Tax professionals working with small business
• Enrolled Retirement Plan Agents
• Enrolled Agents

Contact Vision Payroll Today

Contact Vision Payroll today if you have further questions on small business retirement plans.

On March 21, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) launched E-Verify Self Check, the first online E-Verify program offered directly to the US workforce. E-Verify Self Check, a fast, simple, secure and free service, enables individuals to voluntarily check their own employment eligibility status.

First Phase Open To Residents of Five States and DC

USCIS is releasing E-Verify Self Check in phases, with the first phase only accessible to users who maintain an address and are physically located in Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, Mississippi, Virginia, or the District of Columbia.

Availability to Expand After Testing and Further Improvements

The availability of E-Verify Self Check will be limited for the initial launch as the service is tested and improved upon based on the outcomes of the initial implementation.

Contact Vision Payroll Today

Contact Vision Payroll today if you have further questions on E-Verify Self Check.

Governor Gary Herbert recently signed SB 206, Labor Organization Provisions in Teacher Contracts. Highlights of the bill include:

• Requirement that an employer promptly cease or commence a union dues wage deduction upon the written request of the employee;
• Statement that an employee’s request to cease a union dues wage deduction may not be conditioned on the labor organization’s advance notice or consent;
• Statement that a labor organization is not liable to an employee for any claim, service, or benefit that is available only to a member of the organization if the employee requests cessation of union dues wage deductions;
• Statement that the rights described in this bill cannot be waived.

Technical Corrections Also Applied

Additionally, certain technical corrections were also made in the legislation.

Contact Vision Payroll Today

Contact Vision Payroll today if you have questions on payroll processing in Utah.

This week’s question comes from Colton, an HR manager. I know that the new ADA regulations took effect recently. What is the impact of new ADA accessibility regulations? Answer: Effective March 15, 2011, the US Department of Justice’s Final Rule revised and expanded the regulations regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Amended Regulations Adopt New Standards

The amended regulations adopt the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, which implement new accessibility guidelines for government facilities and commercial places of public accommodation.

Appendices Include Analysis and Responses To Comments

The revised regulations amend the Department’s title II regulation, 28 CFR Part 35, and the title III regulation, 28 CFR Part 36. Appendix A to each regulation includes a section-by-section analysis of the rule and responses to public comments on the proposed rule. Appendix B to the title III regulation discusses major changes in the ADA Standards for Accessible Design and responds to public comments received on the proposed rules.

Contact Vision Payroll Today

Contact Vision Payroll if you have further questions on the new ADA accessibility regulations.

According to the US Department of Labor, in the week ending March 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 382,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 387,000. The 4-week moving average was 385,250, a decrease of 1,500 from the previous week’s revised average of 386,750.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Rate Remains Unchanged

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.0% for the week ending March 12, unchanged from the prior week’s unrevised rate of 3.0%.

Advance Seasonally Adjusted Insured Unemployment Decreases

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending March 12 was 3,721,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the preceding week’s revised level of 3,723,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,755,250 a decrease of 28,000 from the preceding week’s revised average of 3,783,250.

With social media’s expanding influence, many companies have been quickly shifting to more open methods of managing the business and their employees to share ideas and get things done.

Social Media Technologies that Can Change the Nature of Business Relationships

The following social technologies, among others, change the nature of business relationships and thus require changes in leadership.

• Virtual Meetings
• LinkedIn
• reddit
• Facebook
• Twitter

Learn How Social Media Can Change Your Company’s Leadership

To learn more about the impact of these and other social technology changes, be sure to listen to How Social Media Can Change Your Company’s Leadership in this month’s HRCast, a recording provided by our team of HR Pros and available exclusively on MyHRSupportCenter.

MyHRSupportCenter Provides Alerts, Best Practices, and HR Tools Every Day

Visit MyHRSupportCenter regularly, not only for our HRCasts, but also to get late-breaking compliance alerts, best practices to implement, and HR tools to use every day. If you haven’t yet signed up and would like a free trial of MyHRSupportCenter, contact Vision Payroll today.

The US Department of Labor recently announced the availability of a new online tool to collect public feedback on ways to improve regulations and the department’s regulatory review process.

Executive Order 13563 Compliance Lead To Website’s Launch

The online tool is part of the department’s compliance with Executive Order 13563, which calls for federal agencies to detail how they will review existing significant regulations to identify whether regulations may be made more effective or less burdensome.

Visit the Website to Provide Comments or Suggestions

Members of the public who wish to provide comments or suggestions to improve Department of Labor regulations by modifying, streamlining, expanding or repealing them are encouraged to visit http://www.dol.gov/regulations/regreview.htm.

Contact Vision Payroll Today

Contact Vision Payroll for further information.