Welcome to the CMEA
CMEA The Employers Association is a non-profit, member-owned
organization established solely to help
employers promote positive
employer / employee relations. More than 800 companies in
Massachusetts use
our services to help with day-to-day employer /
employee issues. More importantly, we help our members
understand the laws and how they apply to their companies.
As the state and federal governments pass more and more legislation governing your relationship with your employees, you may find yourself or your staff bogged down with time-consuming research or costly legal bills by trying to keep up-to-date. CMEA The Employers Association may be your answer to save time and money as you better understand your responsibilities as an employer.
Click here to learn more about our
services......
Featured
in the January Commentator
Newsletter
- COBRA Premium Subsidy Eligibility
Period and Length Expanded
- Massachusetts Unemployment Rate at
9.4%
- Unemployment Tax Increases Expected
- DUA Extends Employment
and Wage Report Filing Deadline
- Boston Woman Pleads Guilty to
Unemployment Fraud
- Required OSHA 300-A Posting Due in February
-
OSHA Cites Home Goods for Alleged Exit Access Violations
- Creditable
Coverage Disclosure to CMS
- Mandatory U.S. Labor Department EFAST2
Form 5500 Filing System Operational
- Centrend's Technology Tip:
New Regulations for Information Protection
OK
to Use I-9 Despite June 30, 2009 "Expiration"
Date
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) recently announced that the Employment Eligibility Verification
Form I-9 (Rev. 02/02/09) currently on the USCIS web site, will continue to
be valid for use beyond June 30, 2009, despite the fact that the form as
posted "expires" on June 30, 2009. USCIS also indicated that, once
the form is updated with a new revision date, employers will be permitted
to use either the Form I-9 with the new revision date or the Form
I-9 with the 2/02/09 revision date at the bottom of the form. For
more information on USCIS and its programs, visit www.uscis.gov.
COBRA
The Department of Labor
has provided FAQs on the new COBRA requirements under ARRA.
Request the FAQs by emailing us at cmea@att.net or MarkPatrick@att.net .
The
Internal Revenue Service has published guidance on the COBRA premium
subsidy requirements in IRS Notice 2009-27. Request the guidance by
emailing us at cmea@att.net or MarkPatrick@att.net.
New Mass. Data Security
Regulations
M.G.L. c. 93H, enacted in 2008,
requires any "person" (corporation, association, partnership or other
legal entity) to take steps to safeguard all "personal information in
their possession related to a resident of Massachusetts." The
purpose of this law is to ensure the security and integrity of such
information and to combat the threat of identity theft.
The state
Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation ("OCABR") has issued
regulations detailing the steps that businesses need to take to
comply with the new law. These regulations set forth in 201 CMR
17.00 are to be effective March 1, 2010.
For more information,
including a sample written security program and a compliance checklist,
email us cmea@att.net or MarkPatrick@att.net.
FMLA
In early 2008, the United States
Department of Labor ("DOL") proposed changes in the long-standing FMLA
regulations. In November 2008, the DOL published new Final
Regulations. Those Regulations became effective January 16,
2009. The new regulations include new model forms, which employers
may use to satisfy the new notice obligations.
To request a
set of forms, CMEA members may email us at cmea@att.net or MarkPatrick@att.net .
Non-members are welcome to call us at (508) 755-5244.