Gulfshore Business: Green Business Guide | |
| As seen in Gulfshore Business July 2010... |
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Veritas Employer Services achieves SAS 70 certification | |
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| As seen in Gulf Coast Business Review and Naple Daily News on May 11, 2010...
Veritas Employer Services, the Bonita Springs-based professional employer organization providing customized human resources, payroll and employee benefits solutions to businesses throughout North America, has achieved SAS 70 certification by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The SAS 70 certification process is designed to test and validate the quality and integrity of Veritas' internal standards and controls on behalf of its clients. Veritas achieved the designation following an in-depth audit – conducted by an independent accounting firm – of the company's control objectives and activities, in addition to information technology and related processes.
"The very nature of our service to clients requires an incredible amount of trust in our internal systems to protect the quality, security and accuracy of the employee data we collect and process for them," said Charlie Ingram, CEO of Veritas. "The scope covers payroll, benefits, insurance, taxes and a host of other services that must be dead-on accurate for every employee, every day. We're proud to have an independent certification that validates our processes."
Specializing in large organizations in the service industry, health care fields, banking, automotive industry and retail, Veritas Employer Services handles client payroll processing and administration, workers' compensation and risk management, employee benefits administration and regulatory compliance in human resources, all in a paperless environment. For more information, visit http://www.GoVeritas.com or call 239-495-3763 or toll free 800-397-1566. |
Veritas Employer Services Keeps Growing | |
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| As seen in Gulf Coast Business Review and Naples Florida Weekly...
Veritas Employer Services contracts with Shadow Wood Country Club and Commons Club
BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (April 1, 2010) – Veritas Employer Services, the Bonita Springs-based professional employer organization providing customized human resources, payroll and employee benefits solutions to businesses throughout North America, has been selected by the member-owners of Shadow Wood Country Club and The Brooks Commons Club in Bonita Springs to provide the clubs with professional employer services.
“We’re pleased to have the opportunity to work with the management and members of both clubs,” said Veritas CEO Charlie Ingram. “By providing professional employer services, Veritas will allow club management to maintain focus on their core mission: providing world-class services to club members.”
Specializing in large organizations in the service industry, health care fields, banking, automotive industry and retail, Veritas Employer Services handles client payroll processing and administration, workers’ compensation and risk management, employee benefits administration and regulatory compliance in human resources, all in a paperless environment. For more information, visit http://www.GoVeritas.com or call 239-495-3763 or toll-free 800-397-1566.
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| As seen on naplesnews.com...
Veritas Employer Services contracts with Hotel Indigo in Fort Myers
Veritas Employer Services, the Bonita Springs-based professional employer organization providing customized human resources, payroll and employee benefits solutions to businesses throughout North America, has been contracted to provide services for Hotel Indigo, the downtown Fort Myers hotel that opened in March 2009.
“We’re pleased to be selected to partner with Hotel Indigo, its management and employees,” said Charlie Ingram, CEO of Veritas. “With Veritas on board, the Hotel Indigo team can focus on its core business – running a premier boutique hotel.”
Specializing in large organizations in the service industry, health care fields, banking, automotive industry and retail, Veritas Employer Services handles client payroll processing and administration, workers’ compensation and risk management, employee benefits administration and regulatory compliance in human resources, all in a paperless environment. For more information, visit http://www.goveritas.com or call 239-495-3763 or toll free 800-397-1566.
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A Sea Of Mandates Demands Constant Navigation | |
While recent business media attention focuses on the possibilities surrounding the various government- imposed healthcare mandates looming on the horizon, employers are faced daily with things (though not always labeled as "mandates") they must provide or do that have been imposed on them by local, state and/or federal governments. Some of the areas affected include:
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| Meal and Rest Breaks | The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) doesn't outline requirements for meal or rest breaks, but many state regulations do, and seven states also have rest period requirments (California, Colorado, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington). See www.dol.gov/esa/whd/state/meal.htm for details addressing meal and rest breaks.
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| Jury Duty | Every state has some sort of jury duty or witness duty leave statute. The Jury System Improvements Act protects employees who serve as jurors in federal court, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act protect an employee's attendance at administrative hearings. Thus, both private and public employers are obligated to provide jury duty leaves and may be obligated to provide leave for employees to participate in administrative proceedings.
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| Military Service | The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) prohibits employers from taking adverse employment action against workers due to military service and mandates that these workers be allowed to return to their positions with the same pay, privileges and seniority that they would have had without the military absence.
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| Mental Health Parity | The Mental Health Parity Act of 2008 mandates that health benefit plans that offer treatments for mental health do so on the same basis that they treat other physical ailments.
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| Credit Reports | The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and similar complementary state laws, require notice and permission to obtain consumer reports and prescribes how employers can and cannot use such reports. Employees have written notice rights and advance opportunity to address credit report issues before an employer can take adverse action.
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| Equipment | The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and its state counterparts may require specific equipment or procedures for specific industries. For example, there are specific standards, requirements, and procedures for health workers who will be handling needles and blood-borne pathogens. (See www.osha.gov/publications/osha3189.html.) |
OSHA to Audit Employers for Under Reporting Workplace Injuries | On October 1, 2009, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration released its plan for implementing its National Emphasis Program (NEP) to assess the accuracy of injury-and-illness data recorded by employers. The NEP was enacted in response to several studies, including one by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), that have claimed there exists a serious problem of under reporting workplace injuries and illnesses on the OSHA Form 300. Specifically, the NEP will focus on auditing employers' reports of workplace injuries and illnesses to identify instances of underreporting in high-hazard industries.
To see if your business is on the targetted-industry list or to read complete article, click here. |
USCIS Update: Expiration Date of Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 | U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the Office of Management and Budget has extended its approval of Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) to Aug. 31, 2012. Consequently, USCIS has amended the form to reflect a new revision date of Aug. 7, 2009.
Employers may use the Form I-9 with the revision date of either Aug. 7, 2009 or Feb. 2, 2009. The revision dates are located on the bottom right-hand portion of the form.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, or to obtain Form I-9 and the Handbook for Employers, see http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/?mode=WN or call toll-free at (800) 870-3676.
USCIS forms and information on immigration laws, regulations, and procedures can also be requested by calling the National Customer Service Center toll-free at (800) 375-5283. |
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Launches a Bold, New Audit Initiative
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USCIS Initiates Surprise Visits Re H-1B Visits | Notices of Inspection (NOIs) alert business owners that ICE will be inspecting their hiring records to determine whether or not they are complying with employment eligibility verification laws and regulations. Inspections are one of the most powerful tools the federal government has to enforce employment and immigration laws.
An official from ICE speaking publicly at a recent conference indicated that the agency is preparing to launch a round of nationwide employer audits in late summer or early fall. If you receive a Notice of Inspection, insist on your right to a three-day notice period, and contact your attorney.
This new initiative illustrates ICE's increased focus on holding employers accountable for their hiring practices and efforts to ensure a legal workforce."ICE is committed to establishing a meaningful I-9 inspection program to promote compliance with the law. This nationwide effort is a first step in ICE's long-term strategy to address and deter illegal employment," said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for ICE John Morton.
Employers are required to complete and retain a Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States. This form requires employers to review and record the individual's identity document(s) and determine whether the document(s) reasonably appear to be genuine and related to the individual. (See http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0907/090701washington.htm)
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has initiated surprise site-visits to employers to ensure compliance within the H-1B visa program requirements, and to confirm that the H-1B visa holder is working and being paid in accordance with the terms of the H-1B visa petition. |
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| E-Verify Effective September 8 for Federal Contractors | E-Verify for Federal Contractors - September 8, 2009, has been announced as the new effective date for rules implementing Executive Order 12989 requiring federal contractors to verify the work authorization of all employees through E-Verify. Any federal contractor awarded a new contract after that date that has a Federal Acquisition (FAR) E-Verify clause will have to use E-Verify to ascertain the current work authorization of all employees (new and existing). Federal contractors may not use the E-Verify system for current employees until after September 8, 2009, and they are awarded a contract with the E-Verify clause. |
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| Gulf Shore Business By: Beth Luberecki
And a business should be sure its PEO has the business’s interests at heart. “They really ought to make sure they’ve got somebody who sees themselves as being their partner,” says Ingram. “It’s one thing when you’re saving people money or time, but it’s another thing altogether when you are an integral part of them staying in business.” (Click here to read the entire article.)
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![]() | Gulf Shore Business Celebrating the Region's Rising Stars - The Silver Lining
Charles Ingram - WHY HIM: . . . his Bonita Springs-based professional employer organization, which handles human resources, payroll and employee benefits for companies like Galloway Family of Dealerships and FineMark National Bank & Trust. “There are people whose solvency is at stake in making these kinds of processes better,” he says. “It’s no longer just a nice idea; it’s exactly the right thing at the right moment for a lot of companies.” (Click here for the entire article.) |