HRIS News & Blog Archive
Read up on all things Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS). Optimum Solutions’ team of HRIS/HRMS experts offer tips, tricks, and other valuable information to help you streamline your HRIS processing, while navigating payroll, HR, and time & attendance updates.
Learn more about human resource management, as well as specifics like managing or processing employee information, federal and state law updates, employee training and more.
Have a specific HRIS software question? Email us at info@optimum-solutions.com and your question may be featured on the blog.
HRIS News & Blog Articles
HRIS Software and Data Back Up
May 10 2011
When deciding to back up your HRIS software and other data, you have taken an essential first step in protecting your information assets and, in some cases, the actual survival of your organization. But simply deciding to back up data is not enough to sufficiently protect your organization from the…
Five Ways to Get More from Your HRIS Software Help Desk
May 3 2011
When a call is placed to your Payroll/HR software help desk, “first-contact resolution” is the ultimate goal for both customers and support reps. It’s win/win when the user gets an immediate answer AND the call center rep can mark an item as completed with no need for follow up.
…Reporting Employer-Sponsored Health Coverage on Form W-2: Interim Guidance from the IRS
April 7 2011
It was announced March 30, 2011 that the IRS issued Notice 2011-28 giving interim guidance on reporting employer-sponsored health coverage on Form W-2. On March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act of 2010 was enacted that will require employers to report the aggregate cost of health plans. …
Iowa Department of Revenue’s Online Training
March 31 2011
Kudos to Iowa Department of Revenue!
Plagued by a reputation of being techno-challenged, state Departments of Revenue have not been THE place to go for employer or taxpayer assistance. Iowa is out to change this image, and we can hope the other states follow! The Iowa Department…
Jefferson County Alabama Occupational Tax Ruled Unconstitutional
March 25 2011
Jefferson County announced March 22, 2011 that the Jefferson County Alabama Occupational Tax is unconstitutional because of flaws in the procedures used in passing the law. All employers are to stop withholding and remitting the tax effective immediately. Any tax that has been withheld but not yet remitted should be…
Contributing Employers in Florida to Pay Federal Interest Assessment
February 17 2011
Florida has borrowed $1.8 billion from the Federal Unemployment Trust fund to pay unemployment compensation benefits. As of November 2010, the state’s trust fund had dropped to zero.
Typically a state will increase its unemployment wage limit and employer experience rates to help rebuild the state’s trust fund and…
Health Care Benefits: How to Determine the Tax Treatment for Children Under 27
December 20 2010
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed March 23, 2010 and the Education Reconciliation Act signed on March 20 extended health care benefits to children under the age of 27. The IRS states these benefits are to be pre-tax for employer-provided health insurance and reimbursements for medical care. The…
Preventing Data Loss Events
April 22 2010
I recently sat in on a webinar that focused on Data Breach Violations and how HIPAA and HITECH Data Backup rulings are affecting how risks are managed more and more. The subject matter was particularly directed towards healthcare and insurance professionals, but the basic information certainly applies to payroll and…
HRMS Systems and Employee Data – Is Anything Secure?
March 24 2010
Is your employee data secure? Whether your HRMS system is an in house solution or you use an outsourcing vendor, the security of your employee data is imperative. In either case the question is, can someone on the outside, access (hack) into the database that houses your employee’s HR and…
Payroll (PR) and Human Resources (HRMS) Made Simple with Date Effective Benefit Tables
March 22 2010
Benefits management can be a nightmare when rate changes occur. Payroll and Human Resources software systems that have benefit rate tables triggered by effective date can transform the nightmare into a walk in the park.
Take advantage of rate tables whenever possible by coding your employees’ benefit records to…
Payroll, HR, Time and Attendance, ESS, and Recruiting Should Share the Same Database
March 10 2010
An integrated software system solution for payroll (PR) and Human Resources Management (HRMS) does not necessarily mean the systems share a single database. Often payroll will be a hosted solution and human resources will be local. Obviously the two systems do not share the same database.
The two applications are…
IBM System i- Interesting LinkedIn User Group Discussion
March 8 2010
Robert Presser the President at Odyssey Data Systems, Inc. and Labels-4-Meds, LLC posted the discussion below in a LinkedIn group (AS/400 Professionals). To view the comments join LinkedIn and join the group AS/400 Professionals.
Is IBM i dead? Follow-on discussion to “Is RPG/400 dead?”
First of all, I have been…
3 Questions You Should Ask Yourself When Looking for an HRIS System
March 8 2010
After speaking with numerous companies who are in search for new Payroll Software and/or new HR software I have found that many are looking for the same thing. There are three questions you should ask yourself when searching for a HRIS system.
- Is it easy to use? - Is…
IBM System i (AS400)- Still a Great Platform for HRMS Software Solutions
March 1 2010
AS400, iSeries, i5, System i, no matter the name it is still a viable platform for HRIS Software and Payroll Software. Over the last 4 or 5 years more and more companies have selected a Windows platform for the payroll software, human resources software, and time and attendance software needs…
Choose the Right HRIS Software for Managing the Employee Life Cycle
February 26 2010
Choosing the right software can make managing the employee life cycle productive for the human resources manager and a rewarding experience for the employee. From the time a job requisition is created till the employee leaves the organization the right Human Resources software will assist in each phase of the…
HRIS Software Solutions – Owning vs. Renting
February 23 2010
Like many software applications HRIS software solutions can be either owned or rented. Historically, most HRIS software applications involved a purchase of a license which are based on either the number of users accessing the application, or the number of “active” employees maintained in the application’s database. The customer pays…
Deadline Announced for COBRA Subsidy
February 3 2010
If your company administers a federal COBRA subsidy program, the IRS has announced a February 17 deadline for notifying COBRA assistance-eligible employees/dependents that the subsidy program has been extended. In addition to the extension, there are also new regulations:
Employees who are involuntarily terminated from employment between September 1, 2008…
IRS Issues Tables for Figuring Amount Exempt from Levy
December 30 2009
The IRS has published publication 1494, Table for Figuring Amount Exempt from Levy on Wages, Salary and Other Income. This table shows the amount of an individual’s wages that are exempt from a Notice of Levy. The tables can be located on the IRS website.
IRS Has Released the Form 940 for Tax Year 2009
December 30 2009
The Form 940 has been released for Tax year 2009 and may be located on the IRS website.
IRS Pilot Program to Mask Payee TIN for Paper 1099’s
December 30 2009
For the calendar years 2009 and 2009 the IRS is allowing the masking of a Payee’s TIN, SSN, and IRS ITIN for 1099 paper filers. This is a pilot program and the notice of this program can be located at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-09-93.pdf. The allows the filer to print only the last…
New York Employees with Military Spouses
December 30 2009
Beginning in 2010 military spouses may be allowed an exemption from the New York State personal income tax withholding under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). If the spouse is in the state solely to be with a service member to comply with military orders, they will need to complete…
Extra Pay Period Next Year?
December 28 2009
Do You Have an Extra Pay Period Next Year?
When planning for a new calendar year, we often forget there could be an extra pay period for the upcoming year. Planning ahead prevents any last minute scrambling you may have to do for that extra pay.
What causes an extra…
New York Requires Written Notice of Pay Rates to New Hires
December 4 2009
The state of New York now requires all new hires receive a written notice of their rate of pay, including the overtime rate of pay and their regular rate of pay. The New York Department of Labor provides Form LS 52, Notice and Acknowledgement of Wage Rate and Designated Payday…
Cents-Per-Mile Valuation Method Maximum Car Value increases for 2010
December 2 2009
If your company uses the Cents-Per-Mile method of valuing the personal use of a company provided care, the rates have increased for 2010. The increases are as follows:
Cars in Service in 2010 can only use this method if the market value is not more than $15,300
Maximum value for…
IRS Announces 2009 Pension Plan Limit Amounts
December 2 2009
The limitation on the exclusion for elective deferrals described in IRS Section 402(g)(3) – for 401(k) type plans and Section 457 plans increases to $16,500 for 2009. The limit for 2008 was $15,500.
Other pension plan limit amount changes are as follows:
- Defined contributions plans under section 415(c )(1)(A) increases…