HCM Insights February 2022

HCM Insights February 2022

Upcoming Holiday

President's Day

MLKThe upcoming President’s Day Holiday falls on Monday, February 21, 2022.  While CBIZ HCM offices will be open this day, this is a Federal Reserve Bank Holiday, and payroll draft dates may need to be adjusted.  

Important Payroll Deadlines

Check Date

Check Processing Date

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Thursday, February 17, 2022   

Wednesday, February 23, 2022   

Friday, February 18, 2022

 

Please contact your payroll services team if you have any questions.


Click here to access the CBIZ 2022 Holiday Schedule

 

Multiple Worksite Reports

Worksite Report

Businesses with multiple locations may be required to submit a Multiple Worksite Report (MWR) to their state agency. The MWR is a way for states to collect information that they then use to accurately classify employment and wages based on the industry and the locality. If your organization is required to file a MWR, CBIZ can help.

 

Is Your Business Required to Submit an MWR Report?

If you answer yes to all of the following questions, you are required to file an MWR form in addition to your State Unemployment Insurance contribution and wage reports to your respective state.

  • Do you report your employees under one Unemployment Insurance account number?
  • Are you engaged in multiple economic activities, or do you have more than one worksite?
  • Do you have a total of 10 or more employees in all of your secondary worksites combined?

CBIZ Can Help

Your business can elect to have CBIZ file the MWR for your organization. We can also provide you with copies of all filings for an additional fee.  


Contact your account representative today for more information.

 

Commuter Benefit Plan - Information from the IRS

HCM_automobile

In January, the IRS released an information letter affirming that funds in a qualified transportation account cannot be cashed out, including salary reduction amounts. This was in response to a recent request by a taxpayer who wished to ascertain if they could cash out unused funds due to COVID-related changes in transportation needs. The IRS’s information indicated that it is not permissible for the taxpayer to cash out funds from the account. Funds in the taxpayer’s qualified transportation account can only be used for the permitted benefits.


As a reminder, qualified transportation is available for qualified parking ($280 for 2022), mass transit, and vanpooling ($280 for 2022). Plans can be designed to allow individuals to change their elections frequently. Meaning that individuals are not locked into a 12-month election as they are under a cafeteria plan.

A Commuter Benefit Plan is a provision under the Internal Revenue Code Section 132 that enables employers to allow their employees to have certain commuter expenses taken out of their paycheck on a pretax basis and deposited into an account. Employers sponsoring qualified transportation programs may want to review their programs and make sure employees monitor their account balances and make modifications as appropriate.

Note: These types of letters are informational only. They do not hold the weight of law, but they do indicate how the governing agency reviews these matters.


 

Is Your Onboarding Set to Impress?

OnboardingHow does your remote onboarding process stack up? With employee retention at an all-time low, companies should make sure they are poised to make the best first impression.

The world changed in March of 2020. There is no denying it and no looking back. From healthcare to HR, life and business are not the same. In this short time period companies across the globe have learned new ways to hire, obtain onboarding paperwork, and train new employees remotely.

Initially, organizations were trying to figure out how to just get through the process. Now, with a couple of years behind us, best practices along with data-driven software have come into the spotlight. Companies are taking advantage of all that technology has to offer and placing powerful tools in the hands of HR professionals.

Companies have the opportunity to expedite and automate the onboarding process, making it easier for them to save the employee record electronically and then integrate that information into their payroll system. Many HR professionals find that streamlining the processes reduces redundancy while easing the burden on the newly hired employee, thereby setting a great first impression!


How does your onboarding process stack up to today's new standard? Download the CBIZ Onboarding Scorecard today to find out.

 

Making Tax Time Easier for Employees

 

Tax SoftwareTax season can be complicated for many workers. Sometimes just making sense of the information on the W-2 form can be challenging, let alone filing taxes. To help make things a bit easier for your employees, CBIZ continues to provide W-2 integration with TurboTax and H&R Block at no additional cost to the employer.


With H&R Block or TurboTax, employees can easily import their W-2 into either online application by entering identifying information found on their W-2 form. After entering the requested details, it only takes a click of a button for all the W-2 information to appear on the screen.


Help your employees better understand their W-2. Download and share the CBIZ W-2 guide for employees today!

 

Ways to Prepare for Daylight Saving Time 

Spring Forward

Daylight Saving Time begins March 13, 2022, which means it is almost time to move your clocks forward one hour. Fortunately, modern technology allows many of our devices, such as our cell phones, to update automatically. 

If your organization has a CBIZ Time and Labor Management solution, your time clocks should also automatically adjust to the time change. But there are still some additional steps you should consider when the time changes.


Review Employee Schedules

If you have third-shift employees, review their schedules. If those employees are normally scheduled for eight hours, they may be working seven hours since clocks will be moved ahead one hour. If so, companies may want to adjust schedules accordingly. Do this as soon as possible to ensure employees aren’t caught off guard.

Establish A Policy or Standard

Determine how to handle employees with hours impacted by the beginning of daylight saving time. Whatever you decide, be consistent, so there are no surprises. 

Communicate Changes That Impact Employees

Remind employees about the time change and any related schedule changes. Alert them in advance if the beginning of daylight saving time will affect their work hours. Communicate these changes to employees. Not only should this reduce the number of questions you get regarding schedules, but it could also save you and your employees time and frustration.

Check Time Clocks

Check your time clocks to make sure that the time reflects Daylight Saving Time*.  Also, supervisors and managers should review punches to ensure each employee's time is properly recorded. (*Timesheets and time clocks through CBIZ's Time and Labor Management solutions automatically account for Daylight Saving Time, unless exceptions were requested upon implementation. If you have any questions about your time tracking solution, please contact us.)


Daylight Saving Time will return at 2:00 a.m. on March 13, 2022.

 

2022 State Unemployment Tax Rates 

Have you received your 2022 state unemployment insurance (SUI) tax rates? Many state unemployment tax agencies have sent employers information about 2022 SUI tax rates and filing frequency changes. Once you receive this information, please forward it to the CBIZ Payroll Tax Team

 

 

SUI Rates Available - January 2022

Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington, and Puerto Rico

SUI Rates Available - November - December 2021

Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin

Please note that Georgia employers will need to obtain their rates online beginning mid-November 2021.


Email Your 2022 SUI Rates to [email protected]

 

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The information contained in this HCM Insights is not intended to be legal, accounting, or other professional advice, nor are these comments directed to specific situations. This information is provided as general guidance and may be affected by changes in law or regulation. This information is not intended to replace or substitute for accounting or other professional advice. You must consult your own attorney or tax advisor for assistance in specific situations. This information is provided as-is, with no warranties of any kind. CBIZ shall not be liable for any damages whatsoever in connection with its use and assumes no obligation to inform the reader of any changes in laws or other factors that could affect the information contained herein.