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Employers can give employees up to 2½ months after the end of the plan year to spend unused money in their flexible spending accounts (FSAs). Since so many plans have a calendar-year basis for their plan years, many employers and plan administrators that chose to grant the grace period are handling claims from last year […]
Many employers provide some sort of benefits for employees’ dependents. These can take many forms. Some are benefits that do not require expenditure of much, or any, money and which are not taxed. Other benefits for dependents, however, may entail more significant expenditures and have to be provided under specific rules in order to not […]
By Rich Glass. The IRS is hitting the ground running. Just a few days into 2012, we received Notice 2012-09, which addresses reporting health care coverage costs on Forms W-2. Following are a nine more things that Glass says we can expect from the federal government this year. Affordable Care Act (ACA), Part I: Health […]
Your employees might be disappointed when they learn their tax exempt transit benefits are no longer $230 next month. Commuter benefits for mass transit are a top benefit offered by companies. But the monthly $230 cap for mass transit is set to be cut nearly in half to $125 a month in just six days – […]
On Jan. 1, employers in San Francisco will have to make sure that employee health reimbursement accounts the city requires them to fund are available to employees for two years, not just one. Amendments to the Health Care Security Ordinance (HCSO) add to the requirements the city already has in place to establish access to universal […]
Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) are a common feature of employee benefit plans. But why would an employer offer an FSA plan to its employees? Well, it’s extra money in your workers’ pockets that you and your employees probably don’t want to leave lying on the IRS’ table. Karen Kirkpatrick, senior compliance adviser for Infinisource, explained […]
The year 2011 will soon be in the history books so it is not too early to work on the master “to do” list for 2012. Here are a dozen suggestions for benefits and insurance professionals who are involved with flexible benefits, by Rich Glass, JD, Chief Compliance Officer, Infinisource, Inc. Keep an eye on […]
This summer, the U.S. House and Senate took a break from its floundering over debt and deficits to consider a few measures affecting employee benefits. Perhaps it was refreshing, spending at least a little time thinking about something else. Let’s take a look at the latest House and Senate bills that could affect employee benefits. […]
From a bird’s-eye view, Comcast is probably a lot like your company. Employees run the gamut from management to administrative staff to field technicians. But with more than 100,000 employees, Comcast does everything on a larger scale than most companies do. However, size alone does not guarantee that employees understand and appreciate their benefits. Comcast, […]
Here’s a chance for you to interact with the blog editors from Thompson Publishing Group’s HR and benefits group. If you have a question or comment about flexible benefits cafeteria plan enrollment, send it along! In the meantime, here’s John Iekel, managing editor of the Flex Plan Handbook, responding to just that kind of question. […]