Summer tends to be a quiet time as far as “late-breaking” HR news is concerned.  We have listed several pieces of new information that you may find of interest for you and your company:

• Now that the price of gas is going down, the IRS has announced new Standard Mileage Rates for the second half of 2011.  Effective July 1 (this Friday), the standard mileage rate will increase from $0.51 per business mile to $0.55.5 per business mile.  This is an increase of 4.5 cents a mile.
• The Society for Human Resource Management reported in their 2011 Employee Benefits Survey a strong shift toward consumer-directed, account-based health plans in which employees are given a financial incentive to make cost-effective spending decisions.  Health Savings Accounts (HSA’s) are becoming more prevalent.  There has been a slight increase in the percentage of companies offering health care premium discounts for employees who had an annual health risk assessment, participated in a weight loss and/or a wellness program, or had not used tobacco products.  These are all important topics for you to discuss with your medical insurance broker this fall when most companies go through their annual renewal process.
• ICE continues to be active, along with the IRS and OSHA.  ICE issued 1,000 Notices of Inspection across the U.S. on June 15.  We continue to encourage you to use the E-Verify program to make sure your new hires are eligible to work in the United States.  Being proactive can help you avoid some unnecessary penalties.  Likewise, IRS is getting more active in the employee vs. independent contractor issue.  And OSHA is more active than ever in work-place safety enforcement.  If you have any questions about these compliance issues, please call us, sooner rather than later!  Be pro-active in these areas.
• If you operate in more than one state, be aware that 279 employment-related immigration measures were introduced in 44 states during the first quarter of 2011, and six states have passed new employment-related immigration bills: Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia.  The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month that the Arizona law requiring employers to use E-Verify does not conflict with federal law and therefore is valid.

Frazier International sends the HR Alert to our business clients and colleagues to keep you informed of the latest developments in the HR world.  Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about this latest HR Alert, or if we can assist you in any way with your Human Resource needs.

Best regards, Ned

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