Monthly Archives: January 2021

Good news, not all trends are pandemic related!  Many of the 2021 employee benefit trends are related to employee issues that have arisen due to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as accommodating employees working remotely and keeping employees healthy and productive during these challenging times.  While some of these benefit trends will fade when the pandemic does, others may become the “new normal” in employee benefit programs.   According to a 2019 Employee Benefits Survey administered by […]

The business mileage rate will be $0.56 cents per mile   For 2021, standard mileage rates for the use of cars, vans, pickups, or panel trucks will be:   $0.56 cents per mile driven for business use, down from $0.575 cents in 2020.  $0.16 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, down from $0.17 cents in 2020.  $0.14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations, which remains unchanged.  While the standard mileage rates […]

As vaccines become available, workplace vaccination requirements may expand.  The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released guidance under federal law that makes it clear that employers may require workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine – with limited exceptions. This is also true under Oregon law.     Employers may require employees to get a COVID-19 vaccination before returning to a worksite if the absence of a vaccination constitutes a direct threat to other employees in the […]

Within the bill to fund the government and provide continued economic relief in response to the pandemic, there are expansions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and an extension of the refundable employer payroll tax credit for paid sick and family leave through March 31st 2021.   Here are the highlights of what employers need to know … 

IRS New Rule: OK to hide SSN/TIN Numbers on W2s   The IRS has approved a rule that allows Social Security [SSN] and Taxpayer Identification [TIN] numbers to be “masked” or truncated on W2s issued after December 31, 2020. The SSNs and TINs can now be printed on W2s with the first five numbers represented as “X” or “*” to conceal the actual numbers.   Example might read: XXX-XX-0000 or ***-**- 0000.  What this means for employees: […]