REMINDER: HEALTH PLAN PCORI FEES ARE DUE JULY 31 | Virginia Benefits Team

Employers that self-insured any group health plans in 2018, including health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), are responsible for determining whether the annual PCORI fee applies to their plan. If so, use Form 720 to calculate, report, and pay the fee by July 31, 2019. PCORI stands for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Federal law imposes a small annual fee on most … Continued

Ask the Experts: Overtime and Paid Time Off | VA Employee Benefits Advisors

Question: Should we include holidays, PTO, vacation, or other leave taken during the workweek in calculating overtime premium pay under FLSA rules? Answer: No. Because holiday, PTO, and vacation hours are not actually hours worked they do not count towards overtime pay. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), an employer who requires or permits an employee … Continued

Identity Theft | Virginia Benefits Consultants

Recently, the “Happiest Place on Earth” wasn’t living up to its name for many families. For almost a full year, malicious software had been installed on point-of-sale systems at several Earl Enterprises restaurants. This software then captured debit and credit card numbers, expiration dates, and cardholder names of users purchasing food at these venues. Identity … Continued

Gig Economy 101 | VA Employee Benefits Team

By now you’ve heard of the term “gig economy” but you may not know what it means. Is it describing the economy of musicians as they work gigs? Does it mean something about computers and the measurement of space allotted for their programs? Does it have something to do with fishing? Well, not exactly. But, … Continued

Ask the Experts: Executive-Only Medical Plans | Virginia Benefits Advisors

Question: Our company offers group medical and dental plans for all employees. We also have an executive-only medical plan that covers out-of-pocket expenses that the regular group plan does not pay. Does COBRA apply to the executive-only plan? Do we have to include it in our summary plan description (SPD)? Answer: The coverage continuation requirements of the … Continued

3 Ways to Improve Psychological Safety | Virginia Employee Benefits

Employees who feel a sense of psychological safety at work are more likely to be engaged, productive and generating the innovative ideas needed to move an organization forward—but promoting that type of environment requires significant commitment on the part of the employer, a process that can be supported by HR leaders. At a session at last month’s Health … Continued

Connecting Agility, Culture and Change Management | VA Benefits Advisors

Every company wants to lead their industry, and doing so means remaining competitive.  With the rate of speed the world experiences change in this age that is a very difficult proposition.  For an HR professional, it is increasingly more difficult to stay ahead of the curve. So, what are the critical pieces to the strategy? … Continued

Ask the Experts: Taxability of Reimbursements for Mileage | VA Employee Benefits Team

Question: Are amounts an employer reimburses employees for mileage taxable? Answer: They may be; the type of reimbursement plan will dictate whether reimbursement for business travel is or is not taxable. Both accountable plans and non-accountable plans allow an employer to reimburse employees for their business expenses. With an accountable plan, the reimbursement is not … Continued

IRS Announces HSA Limits for 2020 | Virginia Employee Benefits Agency

On May 28, 2019, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Revenue Procedure 2019-25 announcing the annual inflation-adjusted limits for health savings accounts (HSAs) for calendar year 2020. An HSA is a tax-exempt savings account that employees can use to pay for qualified health expenses. To be eligible for an HSA, an employee: Must be covered … Continued