HR Alerts – February 2016

Reminder: Post OSHA 300A Forms Now

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that all employers who are required to maintain the OSHA 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses post a summary of the previous year’s log from February 1st to April 30th each year, even if no incidents occurred in the preceding calendar year.

The summary (OSHA Form 300A) must be certified by a company executive and posted in a conspicuous location where notices to employees are customarily posted.

All employers who have more than ten employees are covered by this requirement unless they qualify as part of an exempt low-risk industry.

 

IRS Standard Mileage Reimbursement Rate Decreases

The Internal Revenue Service has issued its 2016 optional standard mileage rates. Effective January 1st, 2016, the IRS standard rate will be 54 cents per mile driven for business purposes (a decrease from the previous year’s rate of 57.5 cents).

Use of this rate is optional, though it is widely seen by employers as a simple way to determine a standard rate for calculating mileage reimbursement for employees who use their personal vehicle for business purposes. If your organization uses the IRS rate to calculate mileage reimbursement, be sure to update your systems to account for this change.

 

Reminder: Deadlines Extended for 2015 ACA Reporting

As we mentioned last month, the IRS has extended the deadlines for reporting 2015 information under the Affordable Care Act.

Employers now have until March 31 (previously February 1) to provide employees with their Form 1095-C or Form 1095-B.

Additionally, the deadlines for employers to report offers of health coverage to the IRS (Forms 1094-B, 1094-C, 1095-B, and 1095-C) have been extended by three months: The deadline for paper filing (available only to employers submitting fewer than 250 1095-Cs) is now May 31. The deadline for electronic filing (available to all employers) is now June 30. 

Again, the deadline extensions apply only to this year.