The quarter will be closing on March 29, 2019. It’s that time again where you should review the following reminders and provide updates impacting your employees’ Forms W-2 to your Payroll Advisor by March 26th to help you avoid costly amendments. Click here to view the penalties and interest that may apply if this information is not provided in a timely manner.

Thirty-three states have enacted medical marijuana laws, and 10 states also permit recreational marijuana use. None of these laws require employers to allow employees to use, possess, or be impaired by marijuana during work hours or in the workplace. Therefore, employers still can prohibit marijuana in the workplace, during work hours, and on company premises. However, some states have employment protections for employees who use medical marijuana outside of work.

Read a summary of compliance requirements that took effect recently or will take effect over the next couple of months. 

ACA Forms 1094-C and 1095-C have been submitted to the IRS for all clients who acknowledged their forms in ART for the 2018 reporting year. There is one final step ALE clients should take to finish the 2018 filing season: check MyTotalSource for forms that are Accepted with Errors and correct.

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced that the Employer Information Report EEO-1, commonly known as the EEO-1 Report opening and deadline for submission has been extended. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a final rule that eliminates the requirement for employers with 250 or more employees to electronically submit information from OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) and OSHA Form 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report) to OSHA each year. The final rule takes effect on February 25, 2019.  

A District Judge in the District of Arizona held that Walmart Inc. violated the non-discrimination provisions of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (“AMMA”) when it fired a medical marijuana cardholder for testing positive on a routine post-accident drug test.  Whitmire v. Walmart Stores, Inc., No. 17-cv-08108 (D. Ariz. Feb. 7, 2019).

A recent decision by a California Court of Appeals held that where an employee is required to call in – but not physically report to work - two hours before the start of a shift to determine whether they needed to report to work, that employee is entitled to be paid reporting pay.

Data privacy and security regulation is growing rapidly around the world, including in the United States. The recently enacted California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is intended to address some of these risks and concerns.

Glenview, Illinois has opted back into the Cook County, Illinois minimum wage and paid leave provisions effective July 1, 2019.