Kushner & Company Blog

The Kushner & Company blog brings current legal, regulatory, and items of interest to our business executives and HR professionals in all areas of HR and benefit design and administration. The extensive library of blogs is fully searchable and contains many ideas, tips, and updates on all things HR and benefits.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law in December 2017, created a new business credit for employers that offer paid family and medical leave and which are subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA).

Posted on April 16, 2018 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
Health and Welfare Team, 
HR Compliance, 
HR Outsourcing, 
Team Rewards, 
Work / Life Balance

On March 5, 2018, the IRS published Internal Revenue Bulletin (IRB) 2018-10. Effective for calendar year 2018, the family contribution limit for HSAs has been lowered to $6,850 from the previously set amount of $6,900.

Posted on March 6, 2018 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health and Welfare Team, 
Health Savings Accounts (HSA), 
Team Rewards

The three week extension of the federal budget resolving the shutdown from January 19th through 22nd also contained a delay of the Cadillac Tax from 2020 to 2022.

Posted on January 23, 2018 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
Health and Welfare Team, 
Team Rewards

The current Administration has indicated that the number of Form I-9 employment verification audits will significantly increase in 2018. What does this mean for you?

Posted on January 22, 2018 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Accountability, 
Blog, 
HR Compliance, 
HR Outsourcing, 
Talent Aquisition Strategies, 
Talent Management

When small employers make operational errors in their 401(k) or other retirement plans, and before the IRS or DOL provide a notice of an audit, the employer has the ability to self-correct under two different IRS programs.

Posted on January 9, 2018 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
401(k), 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
Cash Balance, 
Combo Plans, 
Compensation, 
Defined Contribution Plan, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
HR Compliance, 
HR Outsourcing, 
IRS Form 5500 Services (RPS), 
Plan Document Services (RPS), 
Profit Sharing, 
Retirement Plans, 
Team Rewards

Under the recently passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, employer-provided transportation benefits are somewhat pared back beginning in 2018.

Posted on January 3, 2018 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
Commuter Benefits, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
Health and Welfare Team, 
HR Compliance, 
HR Outsourcing, 
Team Rewards

The IRS announced in Notice 2018-06 that employers will have more time to provide their employees with the 2017 required 1095-B or 1095-C forms. The new deadline moves from January 31, 2018 to March 2, 2018. However...

Posted on January 3, 2018 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Blog, 
Compensation, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
Health and Welfare Team, 
Team Rewards

The employer mandate, sometimes known as the “play or pay” clause of the ACA, imposes penalties on Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) if any of their full-time employees purchases individual coverage at the Health Insurance Marketplace (also known as an Exchange) and receives a premium tax credit.

Posted on November 16, 2017 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
FSA / HSA / HRA

Kushner & Company President and CEO Gary Kushner was recently highlighted in SHRM's video series HR Storytellers.

Posted on October 31, 2017 By Kushner & Company
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
HR Compliance, 
HR Outsourcing, 
HR Policies and Procedures, 
Talent Aquisition Strategies, 
Talent Management, 
Team Development, 
Team Management, 
Team Performance, 
Team Rewards

With IRS Notice 2017-64, we now have the applicable retirement and health and welfare benefit limits for 2018. Many (but not all) have increased from 2017. Earlier this year, the IRS announced the 2018 Health Savings Account (HSA) limits and plan designs.

Posted on October 23, 2017 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
401(k), 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
Combo Plans, 
Defined Contribution Plan, 
FSA / HSA / HRA, 
Health and Welfare Team, 
Health Savings Accounts (HSA), 
HR Compliance, 
HR Outsourcing, 
Retirement Plans, 
Team Rewards

The Internal Revenue Service has released Rev Proc 2017-36 to implement index adjustments in 2018 for certain Affordable Care Act (ACA) contribution percentages used for purposes of determining affordability under the employer shared responsibility mandate.

Posted on September 5, 2017 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
ERISA-ACA Compliance, 
Health and Welfare Team, 
HR Compliance, 
HR Outsourcing, 
Team Rewards

It’s always a good idea to keep your retirement plan as clean as possible by maintaining good employee records. In the event you do lose track of a plan participant, below are some suggested ways to locate former employees.

Posted on April 12, 2017 By Gary B. Kushner, SPHR, CBP, President
Categories: 
401(k), 
Benefits, 
Blog, 
Cash Balance, 
Combo Plans, 
Defined Contribution Plan, 
HR Compliance, 
HR Outsourcing, 
IRS Form 5500 Services (RPS), 
Money Purchase, 
Nonqualified Plans (Executive Compensation), 
Plan Document Services (RPS), 
Profit Sharing, 
Retirement Plans, 
Team Rewards