- The Social Security Wage Base for 2012, beginning January 1, 2012 will increase for the first time in several years. The wage base increases from $106,800 to $110,100.
- The maximum annual amount an employee can contribute to a 401(k) Plan during 2012 increases to $17,000. Employees age 50 and above can contribute an additional “catch-up” contribution of $5,500, for a total maximum contribution of $22,500.
- The maximum annual amount an employee can contribute to a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA in 2012 is $5,000; employees age 50 and above can contribute up to $6,000.
- Simple IRA’s have a maximum annual contribution of $11,500 for employees in 2012; employees age 50 and above can contribute up to $14,000.
- Colorado’s Minimum Wage increases from $7.36 per hour to $7.64 per hour, effective January 1, 2012. The Tipped Employee’s Minimum Wage increases to $4.62 per hour, also effective January 1, 2012.
- The 2012 IRS standard mileage rate has not been announced. Please note that the 2011 IRS standard mileage rate changed at mid-year. From January 1, 2011 to June 30, 2011 the rates were: $0.51 cents per mile for business miles driven; $0.19 cents per mile for medical or moving purposes; and $0.14 cents per miles driven in service of charitable organizations. Effective July 1, 2011 the business mileage rate increased to $0.555 cents per mile; medical rate increased to $0.215 per mile, and the charitable rate remained unchanged at $0.14 per mile.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
2012 Contribution Limits
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Holiday Party Planning
Yes it’s that time of the year--the annual event to celebrate the Holidays. Has it become an “obligatory” event for your employees?
We have run Human Resources as employees and consultants for large and small companies over a few decades and the “general reaction” to attending a company sponsored Holiday event has sometimes surprised me. Maybe we’ve not gotten the real truth BUT more often than not, the employees seem not to want the traditional party or celebration event. Reasons cited have included not wanting to spend money on dress clothing, babysitters, and other costs associated with attending events as well as employee desire to spend time off away from work in other ways.
We are not advocating not hosting a celebration but the importance of really exploring options and understanding what your employees want from an event. Be open and listen. We have the good fortune to work with a number of creative companies and through the years have watched as they have tried a number of approaches to this annual dilemma. Here’s a few of the more well received Holiday ideas.
1) A gift card to each employee with the option of donating the card to a choice of charities.
2) Hosting a Holiday celebration for/with a non-profit group who otherwise would not have the funds to do so.
3) A simple two hour window at work with light catering, comical gift exchanges limited to $1.00.
4) A company donation to an organization selected by employees in the amount normally spent for a party.
5) An extra hour off to allow employee Holiday shopping and/or family time.
6) Renting a skating rink or bowling alley and opening it to children’s organizations as a present for the kids.
7) Delay the celebration to another less busy time in the year.
Celebrations are important to companies and their employees but be certain as an employer you are deriving the best value for the dollars spent.
Just a thought……….
We have run Human Resources as employees and consultants for large and small companies over a few decades and the “general reaction” to attending a company sponsored Holiday event has sometimes surprised me. Maybe we’ve not gotten the real truth BUT more often than not, the employees seem not to want the traditional party or celebration event. Reasons cited have included not wanting to spend money on dress clothing, babysitters, and other costs associated with attending events as well as employee desire to spend time off away from work in other ways.
We are not advocating not hosting a celebration but the importance of really exploring options and understanding what your employees want from an event. Be open and listen. We have the good fortune to work with a number of creative companies and through the years have watched as they have tried a number of approaches to this annual dilemma. Here’s a few of the more well received Holiday ideas.
1) A gift card to each employee with the option of donating the card to a choice of charities.
2) Hosting a Holiday celebration for/with a non-profit group who otherwise would not have the funds to do so.
3) A simple two hour window at work with light catering, comical gift exchanges limited to $1.00.
4) A company donation to an organization selected by employees in the amount normally spent for a party.
5) An extra hour off to allow employee Holiday shopping and/or family time.
6) Renting a skating rink or bowling alley and opening it to children’s organizations as a present for the kids.
7) Delay the celebration to another less busy time in the year.
Celebrations are important to companies and their employees but be certain as an employer you are deriving the best value for the dollars spent.
Just a thought……….
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Feds Add Wide Array of Women's Health Services to List of No-Cost Preventive Care Under Healthcare Reform Law
Executive Summary
• Federal agencies have issued rules requiring non-grandfathered health plans to cover a wide array of women's health services with no cost-sharing.
• The mandate includes coverage for contraceptive devices, subject to a "conscience clause" exempting some plans sponsored by religious organizations.
• The new rules take effect for plan years beginning after July, 2012, and therefore won't affect calendar year health plans until 2013.
• In recent months, federal authorities have also added several other new preventive care services to the list of those which non-grandfathered plans subject to healthcare reform must cover with no cost-sharing.
• Grandfathered employer health plans (both insured and self-funded) are exempt from the rules requiring coverage of certain preventive care with no cost-sharing.
What Women's Preventive Services Must Be Covered?
The women's preventive services that must be covered (without cost-sharing) by non-grandfathered plans subject to healthcare reform include:
• The mandate includes coverage for contraceptive devices, subject to a "conscience clause" exempting some plans sponsored by religious organizations.
• The new rules take effect for plan years beginning after July, 2012, and therefore won't affect calendar year health plans until 2013.
• In recent months, federal authorities have also added several other new preventive care services to the list of those which non-grandfathered plans subject to healthcare reform must cover with no cost-sharing.
• Grandfathered employer health plans (both insured and self-funded) are exempt from the rules requiring coverage of certain preventive care with no cost-sharing.
What Women's Preventive Services Must Be Covered?
The women's preventive services that must be covered (without cost-sharing) by non-grandfathered plans subject to healthcare reform include:
1. Well-woman office visits: An annual well-woman preventive care office visit for adult women to obtain the recommended preventive services.
2. Gestational diabetes screening: A screening for women 24 to 28 weeks pregnant, and those at high risk of developing gestational diabetes.
3. HPV DNA testing: A test every three years for women age 30 or older for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV).
4. STI counseling, and HIV screening and counseling: Annual counseling for sexually-active women concerning HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
5. Contraception and contraceptive counseling: Access to all FDA-approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, patient education and counseling.
6. Breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling for pregnant and postpartum women: Lactation support and counseling, as well as breastfeeding equipment.
7. Domestic violence screening: Annual screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence.
Contact your insurance broker or carrier for further details and how this may impact your health care coverage for employees.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Workplace Conduct
Is there a problem employee in your workgroup? I’m not talking about a person or a type who are annoying or stirring a pot…. but is there one who you know is a lawsuit waiting to happen? An easy way to answer this question is to answer another; do you find yourself saying “that’s just how he/she is”- “everyone is aware of it but we ignore or work around him/her.
We conduct numerous workshops around the topic of Professional Conduct in the Workplace. These workshops cover a variety of topics including office etiquette, laws affecting the workplace and the implication of social media including textual harassment and sexting. Regardless of industry or employer size, the “that’s just how he/she is” person is sometimes in the room. If they are not in the room, we quickly learn who they are and what they do on a regular basis. We watch as others roll their eyes, move their heads to point others out and sometimes just outright express the frustration about “that’s just who he/she is” behavior on others.
There are as many reasons for bad behavior as there are people and our intent is not to make judgments. This is just a gentle reminder that behavior problems generally don’t just go away or fix themselves.
Next time you hear “that’s just how he/she is” we suggest you immediately talk to someone in a position of authority in your organization. Let them confront the behavior before it becomes a law suit which causes incredible disruptions in the workplace and can impact profits, pay and reputations of organizations.
We conduct numerous workshops around the topic of Professional Conduct in the Workplace. These workshops cover a variety of topics including office etiquette, laws affecting the workplace and the implication of social media including textual harassment and sexting. Regardless of industry or employer size, the “that’s just how he/she is” person is sometimes in the room. If they are not in the room, we quickly learn who they are and what they do on a regular basis. We watch as others roll their eyes, move their heads to point others out and sometimes just outright express the frustration about “that’s just who he/she is” behavior on others.
There are as many reasons for bad behavior as there are people and our intent is not to make judgments. This is just a gentle reminder that behavior problems generally don’t just go away or fix themselves.
Next time you hear “that’s just how he/she is” we suggest you immediately talk to someone in a position of authority in your organization. Let them confront the behavior before it becomes a law suit which causes incredible disruptions in the workplace and can impact profits, pay and reputations of organizations.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
IRS ADJUSTS HSA LIMITS FOR 2012
Last week the IRS released parameters for health savings account-compatible high deductible plans, (or HDHPs) for 2012. These limits are tied to changes in the Consumer Price Index by application of cost of living adjustment rules.
The limits for 2012 are:
Annual HSA contribution Maximum:
$3,100 for single coverage, $6,250 for family coverage (increase from $3,050 and $6,150 respectively)
Annual Catch-Up Contribution Maximum:
$1,000 for HSA eligible individuals age 55 or older
(no change from calendar year 2011)
HDHP Minimum Deductible:
$1,200 for single coverage, $2,400 for family coverage
(no change from calendar year 2011)
HDHP Out-of-Pocket Maximum:
$6,050 for single coverage, $12,100 for family coverage
(increase from $5,950 and $11,900 respectively)
The limits for 2012 are:
Annual HSA contribution Maximum:
$3,100 for single coverage, $6,250 for family coverage (increase from $3,050 and $6,150 respectively)
Annual Catch-Up Contribution Maximum:
$1,000 for HSA eligible individuals age 55 or older
(no change from calendar year 2011)
HDHP Minimum Deductible:
$1,200 for single coverage, $2,400 for family coverage
(no change from calendar year 2011)
HDHP Out-of-Pocket Maximum:
$6,050 for single coverage, $12,100 for family coverage
(increase from $5,950 and $11,900 respectively)
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Social Media
It’s no news flash that social media has gone from cutting edge to mainstream. However, some employers are slow to respond with new policies and practices on the use of social networking. How does your organization stack up? And, by the way, there is no one size fits all program for this one! Here’s a few statistics just in case you’ve been out of touch:
• Facebook signs up 600,000 new users daily
• 33% visit social media sites to engage in product research before buying
• 26% of respondents changed their minds about purchasing a product after reading about it on a social media site
• 91% say consumer reviews are the #1 aid to buying decisions
We conduct Professional Workplace Conduct programs on a regular basis and the number one topic is social media with questions from employees including “where’s the line between personal and business in the social medical world”. “Does my employer have the right to take action against employees because they have posted a sexist, racist, or other offensive message?”
This ever-changing world of social media is an opportunity for business leaders to lead by example. Leaders should model the behavior they would like to see employees take with an emphasis on responsible use. Social technologies including blogs, social networks and Twitter are communications tools. A company’s social media approach should integrate and work with existing communications channels and goals. Writing and implementing a set of guidelines is likely not enough. We know social tools are used to engage and interact with others including customers so provide the guidance to get the best results. We can help design policies, practices and programs to provide guiding principles for employees and well as to employees - give us a call today.
• Facebook signs up 600,000 new users daily
• 33% visit social media sites to engage in product research before buying
• 26% of respondents changed their minds about purchasing a product after reading about it on a social media site
• 91% say consumer reviews are the #1 aid to buying decisions
We conduct Professional Workplace Conduct programs on a regular basis and the number one topic is social media with questions from employees including “where’s the line between personal and business in the social medical world”. “Does my employer have the right to take action against employees because they have posted a sexist, racist, or other offensive message?”
This ever-changing world of social media is an opportunity for business leaders to lead by example. Leaders should model the behavior they would like to see employees take with an emphasis on responsible use. Social technologies including blogs, social networks and Twitter are communications tools. A company’s social media approach should integrate and work with existing communications channels and goals. Writing and implementing a set of guidelines is likely not enough. We know social tools are used to engage and interact with others including customers so provide the guidance to get the best results. We can help design policies, practices and programs to provide guiding principles for employees and well as to employees - give us a call today.
Monday, February 28, 2011
March 2011
It’s amazing. We have serious trouble in the Middle East, major protests in US cities, budget headaches and numerous issues across the globe. AND the lead story on the major internet sites has been the use of the “f- bomb” on the Oscars. This is more than sad- have we truly gone to this new low level and is civility dead or just deeply wounded?
Yes this site and our company is dedicated to Human Resources in the workplace and we certainly don’t intent to make judgment. But ... the point of the story of the Oscars illustrates what is happening too many times in the American workplace.
Using swear words has become a norm and although not really accepted, the practice is tolerated. Leaders, mangers, co-workers turn away and shrug their shoulders. We work with companies to create good and sometimes great cultures and be a place where employees really want to work. This takes strong leadership principles and would suggest a practice of non-tolerance for cursing. The good ones we see seem to have this common ground.
Yes this was a Hollywood event but honestly listen to what goes on around you at work. The reason it seemed ok to the person using the term while accepting the Oscar was that it has become too widely accepted in everyday conversation. Now picture a work place where civility returns, words are used with purpose and manners are rewarded. The business books are full of clever titles and lines about lessons learned from our dog, friends, kindergarten and our past. In checking, not one of these titles has a chapter on throwing around the f bomb! As business leaders, let’s work today to put our conversations back on a better track.
Yes this site and our company is dedicated to Human Resources in the workplace and we certainly don’t intent to make judgment. But ... the point of the story of the Oscars illustrates what is happening too many times in the American workplace.
Using swear words has become a norm and although not really accepted, the practice is tolerated. Leaders, mangers, co-workers turn away and shrug their shoulders. We work with companies to create good and sometimes great cultures and be a place where employees really want to work. This takes strong leadership principles and would suggest a practice of non-tolerance for cursing. The good ones we see seem to have this common ground.
Yes this was a Hollywood event but honestly listen to what goes on around you at work. The reason it seemed ok to the person using the term while accepting the Oscar was that it has become too widely accepted in everyday conversation. Now picture a work place where civility returns, words are used with purpose and manners are rewarded. The business books are full of clever titles and lines about lessons learned from our dog, friends, kindergarten and our past. In checking, not one of these titles has a chapter on throwing around the f bomb! As business leaders, let’s work today to put our conversations back on a better track.
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