Read a
monthly article about the SHRM
Foundation
**********************
IMPORTANT
HR UPDATES
New Law
Provides Incentives for Hiring
Two new tax benefits are now available as part
of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act enacted into law in
March. See the recently issued IRS Form W-11 and the employee affidavit.
(see also www.otcpas.com
March/April newsletter)
Exempt/Nonexempt Classification Tools
The U.S. Department of Labor will be cracking
down on employers who misclassify workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
SHRM can provide helpful information and resources to enable employers to make
informed FLSA classification decisions.
HR
Competencies
Strategic thinking and effective communication
are the top overall competencies senior HR leaders need now, and these
competencies are expected to increase in importance over the next five years,
according to HR leaders from several regions of the world.
Fragrance
Sensitivity and the ADA
Employers may wonder what legal obligation they have to accommodate an
employee with chemical sensitivity. Wonder no more. A Detroit city employee
sued her employer – and won – after complaints about a co-worker’s scent and
room deodorizer were not adequately addressed.
Health Care
Reform Will Have Profound Effect on HR
SHRM has updated their Express Request to
include timelines as well as several articles from law firms and HR consulting
firms. They’ve also included resources on the Health Care and Education
Reconciliation Act of 2010 signed into law on March 30, 2010. This law amends
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Reminder of
Select 2010 Effective Dates
What:
New Excise Tax Reporting on Certain Health Plan Violations
When: The reporting obligation is effective for plan years
beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2010.
What: Mandatory Online 5500 Filing
When: With the start of 2010, filers must submit the 2009 and 2010
annual return/report forms and schedules electronically through EFAST2.
What:
Red Flags Rule Applies to Flexible Spending Accounts with Debit Cards
When: Beginning June 1, 2010, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
will enforce its "red flags” rule on identity theft.
What:
Mental Health Parity Regulations
When: The regulations are effective April 5, 2010, for plan years
beginning on or after July 1, 2010. Therefore, calendar-year plans must comply
with the new regulations beginning with the 2011 plan year.
What: The CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) requires employers
offering group health plans to notify employees of their potential rights to
receive premium assistance under a state's Medicaid or CHIP program.
When: Employers are required to provide these notices by the date that
is the later of (1) the first day of the first plan year after February 4,
2010; or (2) May 1, 2010. Accordingly, for plan years beginning from February
4, 2010, through April 30, 2010, the Employer CHIP notice must be provided by
May 1, 2010. For employers whose next plan year begins on or after May 1,
2010, the Employer CHIP notice must be provided by the first day of the next
plan year (January 1, 2011 for calendar-year plans).
See www.shrm.org for
more information on any of these
MINNESOTA UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY
See
attached memo
for important information on additional reasons why an applicant may be eligible
for unemployment benefits. This memo was presented at the November
12, 2009 meeting.
*********
MILITARY FMLA UPDATE
On
October 28, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Fiscal Year 2010 National
Defense Authorization Act (H.R.
2647). The new law includes an
expansion of the recently-enacted exigency and caregiver leave provisions for
military families under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA).
In
January 2008, Congress amended the FMLA to provide:
§
Exigency
leave - up to 12
weeks of leave for urgent needs related to a reservist family member’s (spouse,
son, daughter, or parent) call to active service.
o
H.R.
2647
expands the exigency leave benefits to include family members of active duty
service members. Under current law, only family members of National Guard and
Reservists are eligible for “exigency leave.
§
Caregiver
leave - up to 26
weeks of unpaid leave to an employee to care for a family member (spouse, son,
daughter, parent, or next of kin) who is injured while serving on active
military duty.
o
H.R.
2647
expands the caregiver leave provision to include veterans who are undergoing
medical treatment, recuperation or therapy for serious injury or illness that
occurred any time during the five years preceding the date of treatment.
These provisions are effective upon enactment.
********
DO YOU KNOW GINA?? (GENETIC
INFORMATION NONDISCRIMINATION ACT)
The Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) has approved a proposed final rule to implement the employment
title of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). The proposed
regulation notes that covered entities will be required to post notices in
conspicuous places describing GINA's applicable provisions.
Poster Not Yet Available: SHRM anticipates the EEOC
will publish the final rule and appropriate language for use in the notice prior
to the law’s effective date, November 21, 2009. Shortly thereafter, the
mandatory posting will be available for downloading at no charge on SHRM Online
as well as the U.S. Department of Labor’s and EEOC’s web sites.
Who Must Post: Employment provisions in Title II of
GINA will apply to the same covered entities as Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 whether or not
the employer conducts genetic testing. The provisions will prohibit employers
from discriminating against individual employees or job candidates on the basis
of genetic conditions or predisposition to certain diseases even if an employer
does not conduct genetic testing.
NOTE: SHRM is presenting a
webcast on this issue on November 20, 2009. This is eligible for 1.5
strategic HRCI credits and is only $79 for SHRM members or $99 for non-SHRM
members. See
http://www.shrm.org/multimedia/webcasts/Pages/legislativewebcast.aspx
for more information.
*******
On
September 23, 2009, the new HIPAA regulations issued by The U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) requiring healthcare providers, health plans,
and other entities covered by the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) to notify individuals when their health information
is breached will become effective. See
www.shrm.org for more information.
********
The federal minimum-wage is $7.25/hour as off July 24, 2009,
 | businesses that produce or handle goods for interstate
commerce; |
| businesses with annual dollar volume of business of
$500,000 or more; and |
| certain other businesses, including hospitals and nursing
homes, private and public schools, and federal, state and local government
agencies. |
Contact
www.dol.gov
or (612) 370-3341 regarding the federal minimum-wage law.
An employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum
wages when State and Federal minimums differ. Under MN law, the minimum wage
is $5.25 an
hour for a "Small employer," any enterprise whose annual gross volume of sales
made or business done is less than $625,000.
Contact
www.dli.mn.gov/LS/MinWage.asp, 651-284-5070, 1-800-DIAL-DLI
(1-800-342-5354), or tty 651-297-4198,
dli.laborstandards@state.mn.us regarding
the state minimum wage.
********
I-9
FORM CHANGES
Employers
Must Use Revised Form I-9 Effective April 3
Unless there is a last-minute change by the Obama
administration, employers will be required to use a revised version of the
employment eligibility form known as the Form I-9 effective April 3, 2009.
Employers must complete a Form I-9 for all newly hired employees to verify their
identity and authorization to work in the United States. The interim final rule
as published revises the types of acceptable identity and employment
authorization documents employers can accept from new hires effective April 3,
2009.
FMLA
UPDATES - changes took effect January 2009 - Are you up-to-date?
WHO WE ARE
Arrowhead Human Resources Association (AHRA) is a group of business
professionals from the Iron Range and Arrowhead region of Northeastern Minnesota. We are an
affiliated chapter of SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management).
The mission of AHRA is “to explore Human Resources
issues while providing support and resources for the growth and development of
the HR profession and practices.”
AHRA meets six times a
year and welcomes new members at any
time.
HR professionals, business managers, business owners,
teachers, attorneys, students, and anyone interested in HR issues are invited to
attend.
Welcome to our website! Please browse and learn more about AHRA.
Our Members Have Come From a Variety of Organizations in
Northeastern Minnesota, including:
|
AEOA
|
IRR |
| ASV
|
Kidspeace Mesabi Academy |
| API Outsourcing
|
L&M Supply
|
| Americinn |
Lake Country Power
|
| ArcelorMittal Minorca |
Lake States Tree Service
|
| Arrowhead Center, Inc. |
Lee Hecht Harrison
|
| Arrowhead Library System |
Manpower
|
| Arrowhead Promotion & Fulfillment |
Minnesota Deer Hunters Association |
| Blandin Foundation |
NE MN Office of Job Training
|
| Boise Forte RTC |
Northern Habilitative Services
|
| City of Grand Rapids |
Our Gang Staffing
|
| City of Virginia
|
Personnel Dynamics LLC |
| Cook Hospital and C&NC Unit |
Queen City Federal Savings & Loan |
| Delta Dental Plan of MN
|
Range Center, Inc.
|
| Dept. of Natural Resources |
Range Mental Health Center
|
| DMR Electronics, Inc.
|
Search Resources
|
| East Range DAC
|
Security State Bank |
| Ely-Bloomenson Hospital & Nursing Home |
Edgewood Vista |
| Fairview Range Regional Health Services |
Ulland Brothers, Inc
|
| Floe International
|
United Taconite |
| Fortune Bay Resort Casino |
Virginia Public Utilities
|
Contact Information
Arrowhead
Human Resources Association
PO
BOX 150
Virginia,
MN 55792
Membership Chair/Treasurer: Connie Larson (218)
749-7744 or larsonc@vpuc.com
Secretary: Becky
Seeley (218) 326-7158 or
bseeley@lakecountrypower.com
General Information:
larsonc@vpuc.com or arrowheadhrassociation@yahoo.com
