Pack of FIVE : Best HR Compliance Courses

Overview: Last year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Citizens and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a new version on the I-9 form along with updated regulations for completing it. Some changes include allowing remote document verification but only if additional regulations are met. Make sure you are complying with these regulations and using the correct form. The cost of not properly completing I-9 forms can be very high.

This means increased fines for violators. In addition to increasing the number of inspections, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has also nearly doubled the fines for incorrect I-9 forms to $272 to $2,701 per incorrect I-9 form. The amount of the fine depends upon the percentage of incorrect I-9 forms.

Have you conducted an I-9 audit recently? If not, the time to do so is now!!

Compliance is actually easy if you know what to do. Unfortunately, many organizations do not take the time to learn how to properly complete an I-9 form or do not train the people responsible for completing them. The forms are also changed every few years.

Don’t let your company become a statistic. Attending this webinar will help you maintain the Peace of Mind when Immigration and Customs Enforcement knocks on your door.

Why should you Attend:
The number of companies that were totally in compliance in the presenter's 25+ years of conducting I-9 Audits is a big fat ZERO.
Making sure your I-9 forms are 100% correct will give you peace of mind.
It is vital that companies get a sense of their compliance picture by ensuring they are:

• Using the correct Form I-9's - (a copy of the new form will be provided to participants)
• Filling out the forms correctly and completely
• Copying the correct documents and determining if it is necessary to copy documents at all
• Keeping proper records
• Updating temporary work visas
• Not hiring employees who do not have proper documents
• Communicating properly to employees and new hires?
• Auditing their I-9's and know how to make corrections

Areas Covered in the Session:

• ICE Worksite Investigations Have Surged
• Raids - What They Are And The Effect on Your Operations
• Recent Penalties for Non-Compliance
• Employer Responsibilities
• Review of The New I-9 Form
• Implementing a Follow-Up for Temporary Work Authorizations
• Determining Internal Practices on Retaining I-9 Forms
• Conducting a Self Audit and Correcting Mistakes
• Action Items
• Questions

Who Will Benefit:

• Human Resources Professionals
• Employees Required to sign up or the Onboarding of new Employees
• Payroll Administrators
• Individuals Responsible for Maintaining Personnel Files

Overview: Failure to comply with the new rules can have devastating financial consequences and can result in back pay for overtime not paid, the IRS penalizing you for back income taxes, FICA and states going after you for unpaid income taxes, workers compensation premiums and unemployment payments. US Department of Labor recovers $532K in back wages after employer misclassifies them as contractors.

A federal court in Virginia has entered a judgment ordering a Norfolk-based medical staffing agency, which intentionally violated federal laws by classifying their workers as independent contractors and denied employees their rightfully earned overtime wages, to pay more than $7.2 million in back wages and liquidated damages.

As you can see, violating the law regarding independent contractors can be very expensive.

Complying with the new rules is just a smart business practice.

Why you should Attend:
After going through this webinar, participants will know:

• The new rules the Department of Labor will use to determine employee vs independent contractors
• The new guidelines the safest way to use independent contractors
• What to include in independent contractor agreements

Areas Covered in the Session:

• The new DOL six factor test on Independent Contractors vs Employees
• IRS Common Law Rules Regarding Independent Contractors
• ABC Common Law Method
• Differences in Financial Obligations
• Consequences of Misclassifying Employees as Independent Contractors
• Independent Contractor Agreements
• What's Going to Get You in Trouble
• Action Item

Who Will Benefit:

• Human Resources Professionals
• Business Owners
• Supervisors
• Managers

Overview: Although the rules on exempt vs non-exempt employees has changed a few times in the past 10 years, overtime worked is, and has always been, overtime earned. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS. But 1.5 time a workers hourly rate of pay is just the start of calculating overtime earned. This course is designed as a refresher on what hours and payments are considered in calculating overtime pay.

Why should you Attend: THE DOL issued it's new final rule on exempt workers. The Rule increases salary thresholds for all employees who can be considered exempt from overtime. Learn exactly what the new amounts are and other information from the rule.

If your employee works more than 40 hrs in a workweek (or over 8 hrs in a day in some states) - they have earned overtime of at least 1.5 times their hourly rate of pay (HRP). Do you know all types of payments that carry an overtime premium? If not, Join Mark Schwartz in this informative webinar designed for the seasoned payroll professional to properly analyze compliance with overtime regulation, and help their CFO properly budget payroll expenses.

You will also find the answers to the following questions, and more:

• What hours worked qualify for paid wages, and which don't. Which qualify for overtime premiums, and which don't
• What fringe benefits and supplemental payments should be counted toward the hourly rate of pay?
• Are there any restrictions on setting work weeks?
• How do you account for shift differentials, when an employee's workweek changes, etc?
• Do payments made after a regular pay day need to be applied to weeks wherein overtime was worked?
• What states have overtime rules that are different than the minimums set by the Fair Labor Standards Act

Areas Covered in the Session:

• The basics of overtime as established in the FLSA, including:
• An overview of exempt vs non-exempt workers
• Definitions of overtime hours, workweek and more
• Employers NOT covered by the FLSA
• State definitions for hours worked, exempt employees, and more
• Work time that is included or excluded from hours that count toward overtime, including:
• Breaks
• Time away from the office
• Travel
• Pre and Post shift work
• Training
• What qualifies as a work week, and what doesn't
• How to calculate overtime due with shift differentials work week changes
• What payments count toward the "regular rate of pay"
• How to calculate regular rate of pay in unusual circumstances
• How to take into account pay that happens outside the normal payday for weeks worked overtime

And much more, Including numerical examples.

Who Will Benefit:

• Budgeting Personnel
• Payroll Personnel and Management
• HR Managers
• Department Managers and Budget Personnel
• Timekeepers
• Financial Dept Personnel

Overview: On January 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor issued an Opinion Letter regarding the applicability of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) substitution rule when an employee on FMLA leave is receiving state or local paid family and medical leave benefits. An increasing number of state governments have passed legislation that provides paid family and medical leave for reasons such as personal medical, family care and parental leave. Some local governments have also adopted paid sick and/or family leave programs for their municipal government employees. These plans generally provide paid leave programs for specified family and medical reasons and vary widely in their structure (including whether they are mandatory or voluntary), the scope and duration of benefits provided, and their similarity to the leave reasons covered by the FMLA.

For example, many of the leave programs permit leave for circumstances which may be qualifying FMLA leave reasons as well, while some define qualifying family members more broadly than the FMLA (e.g., including grandparents or parents-in-law), some provide leave for a different set of health conditions, and some provide a leave period longer or shorter than that provided by the FMLA.

The FMLA substitution rule allows employees or employers to substitute accrued employer-provided paid leave (such as vacation, sick leave, or personal time off) for any part of the unpaid FMLA entitlement period.

This webinar will help you navigate the “substitution rule” and whether and how it applies when employees take leave under state paid family leave programs in the same manner as they apply when employees take leave pursuant to paid disability plans.

Why should you Attend: Join us for an in-depth webinar exploring the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) recent Opinion Letter on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) substitution rule, particularly concerning employees receiving state or local paid family and medical leave (PFML) benefits.

Understanding the FMLA Substitution Rule: Gain a comprehensive understanding of how the FMLA substitution rule permits employees to use accrued paid leave during unpaid FMLA leave, and how the recent DOL Opinion Letter impacts this provision.

Interaction Between FMLA and PFML Benefits: Delve into the complexities of how state or local PFML benefits intersect with FMLA leave, including the DOL's clarification that the FMLA substitution provision does not apply when employees are receiving compensation from state or local PFML programs.

Employer and Employee Rights and Responsibilities: Understand the obligations of employers to designate leave as FMLA when applicable, and the conditions under which employers and employees may agree to supplement state or local PFML benefits with employer-provided paid leave.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• Understanding the FMLA Substitution Rule:
• Learn how the FMLA substitution rule allows employees to use accrued paid leave during unpaid FMLA leave
• Recognize the specific conditions under which the rule applies or does not apply, particularly in the context of receiving state or local paid family and medical leave (PFML) benefits
• Clarification on PFML Benefits Interaction:
• Understand the DOL’s clarification that the FMLA substitution rule is inapplicable when employees are already receiving compensation through state or local PFML programs
• Gain insight into how this distinction influences the coordination of benefits at both the state and federal levels
• Employer Responsibilities:
• Explore the employer’s obligation to designate leave as FMLA-protected when an employee’s leave qualifies under the Act, even if state or local PFML benefits are involved
• Understand the nuances of leave designation and the importance of accurate record-keeping to ensure compliance
• Supplementing PFML Benefits:
• Discover when employers and employees may mutually agree to use accrued paid leave to supplement state or local PFML benefits, enhancing employee support during leave periods
• Learn the limitations and permissions surrounding such arrangements
• Compliance Best Practices:
• Develop strategies to align company policies with federal and state leave requirements, minimizing the risk of legal complications
• Gain actionable insights on balancing employee needs and organizational operations while adhering to the latest legal guidance
• Impact on Leave Administration:
• Understand how the DOL’s Opinion Letter impacts current leave administration practices and what adjustments might be needed to comply with the clarified rules
• Explore real-world scenarios to illustrate how these rules apply in different workplace contexts
• Forward-Looking Considerations:
• Anticipate how evolving interpretations of the FMLA may continue to shape the landscape of leave management
• Learn about potential legislative updates that could further impact FMLA and PFML coordination

Who Will Benefit:

• Human Resources Professional
• Employer
• Supervisor

Overview: The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), commonly referred to as the Wage and Hour Act, was passed in 1938 and since then has been amended many times. The major provisions of the FLSA are concerned with minimum wage rates and overtime payments, child labor, and equal rights. The US Department of Labor, Wage & Hour Division, oversees federal labor laws. Additionally, State DOLs administer state labor laws.

Failure to comply with Wage & Hour laws may result in the employer paying the employee back wages, damages, penalties, attorney fees and court costs, plus the prospect of civil and criminal penalties from federal and/or state governments. Therefore, Wage & Hour compliance is of the utmost importance.

Why should you Attend: This webinar will lay the groundwork for determining whether your employees are properly classified as Exempt or Non-exempt and ensuring that wage and hour laws are being followed properly.

Additionally, recent changes to the overtime thresholds that took effect on July 1, 2024 have been rescinded - what employers need to know.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• What is the Fair Labor Standards Act?
• Changes to salary levels in 2024 (Overtime thresholds). (Original changes to the overtime thresholds that went into effect on July 1, 2024 have now been blocked and will not move forward on January 1, 2025)
• DOL's final ruling on independent contractor classification effective 3/11/2024
• Federal & State minimum wage proposals
• Tests used to determine if an employee is exempt from FLSA
• Importance of determining the primary duty of a job
• The six FLSA exemptions
• Exempt vs. Non-Exempt status
• Salary Level and Salary Basis tests
• Determining when to pay overtime
• Calculating overtime pay
• Minimum wage provisions under FLSA
• Equal pay provisions under FLSA
• Child labor regulations
• Recordkeeping requirements
• Repercussions of FLSA non-compliance

Who Will Benefit:

• Human Resources Professionals
• Compensation Professionals
• Compliance Professionals
• Managers & Supervisors
• Employees