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HR Policy Briefing 1/19/21

SHRM Builds on 2020 Public Policy Successes

As we welcome a new administration, Congress and state legislators, SHRM encourages you to continue to be an engaged HR leader and help shape future workplace policies.

Learn more about how SHRM and HR delivered amid a year of challenge and change in SHRM’s 2020 Policy Wins infographic.

Take a moment to watch a short video featuring Emily M. Dickens, SHRM chief of staff, head of government affairs and corporate secretary, that reflects SHRM’s public policy successes in 2020 and previews our goals in 2021.

SHRM to Shape Global Policy in 2021 as a Member of

the Business 20 Employment and Education Taskforce

In 2020, SHRM influenced policy on the global stage by becoming an official member of the Business 20 Future of Work and Education (FoWE) Taskforce. SHRM directly provided policy recommendations to the Group of 20 (G20), an international forum for governments for 19 countries and the European Union, by introducing language to the FoWE Policy Paper and to the 2020 report, which reflected the interests and point of view of the HR profession such as the inclusion of untapped talent pools, workforce mental health, employee reskilling and more.

With the conclusion of Saudi Arabia as the G20 chair and Summit host, the G20 named Italy as the 2021 chair. We are proud to announce SHRM has been appointed to the B20 Employment and Education Taskforce in 2021. This role will give SHRM the opportunity to continue influencing policy and further elevate the voice of HR professionals on the global stage to G20 Leaders in 2021. SHRM’s Emily M. Dickens will serve as the official representative to the B20.

SHRM Members Share What Advocacy Means to Them

Ed Carpenter, SHRM-SCP, Southern Indiana SHRM chapter president and HR Indiana SHRM Foundation director, and Kimberly Boulahanis, SHRM-CP, director of legislative affairs for the HR Florida State Council, spoke recently about their SHRM advocacy experiences and outlined why advocating for smart workplace policies matters now more than ever.

“As a group, we can all make a difference through our advocacy, but never forget the power of one. We can still make a difference, even if it’s just one person, if we care about something.”

– Ed Carpenter, SHRM-SCP

“I get asked a lot why workplace advocacy is important to me, and I think the answer is very simple: I truly strive to make a difference in the world. As small as touching people’s lives in HR to helping shape these policies so it makes the workplace better for everyone.”

– Kimberly Boulahanis, SHRM-CP

HR Resiliency: Equity in the Workplace

As we continue to elevate work, workers and workplaces, we cannot overlook the important role HR professionals play in building diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces. Last year, SHRM launched Together Forward @Work, a call to action to address racial equity in the workplace. In addition to providing tools and resources, we are compiling examples of organizations and leaders who are leading with innovation to create inclusive cultures that provide opportunity for all.

We want to hear how you are championing change in order to create better workplaces. Share your story about how you and your organization have taken steps to create equitable and inclusive workplace cultures.

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2021 Employer Dates for ACA Reporting Requirements

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires employers to annually submit important Affordable Care Act (ACA) information to the agency and their employees as part of the ACA’s employer mandate. Under the mandate, organizations with 50 or more full-time employees and full-time-equivalent employees are required to offer minimum essential coverage to at least 95 percent of their full-time workforce (and their dependents) or be subject to Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 4980H penalties.

Below are 2021 employer dates as they apply to ACA reporting for the 2020 tax year:

  • Feb. 28, 2021. The deadline to file paper forms 1094-C and 1095-C with the IRS for the 2020 tax year. This applies to employers with fewer than 250 total form counts who can elect to paper file their ACA information filings with the IRS.
  • March 2, 2021. The deadline to furnish the 1095-C forms to employees for the 2021 tax year, extended from Jan. 31. Employers must distribute 1095-C forms to all ACA full-time employees. Failure to do so could result in a financial penalty under IRC Section 6722.
  • March 31, 2021. The deadline to electronically file forms 1094-C and 1095-C for the 2020 tax year.
  • July 31, 2021. The deadline for self-insured plans to file Form 720 for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for 2020. PCORI was renewed through 2029.
  • Aug. 1, 2021. The first of many late-filing deadlines for the 2020 tax year. Employers that fail to file their 1094-C and 1095-C forms for 2020 by Aug. 1 could be subject to ACA penalty assessments from the IRS under IRC 6721/6722. After Aug. 1, late-filing penalties for not submitting ACA information to the IRS by the filing deadline may result in fines doubling for each return not yet filed with the IRS.

For more information about the ACA compliance and reporting in 2021, visit the IRS website.

SEPA SHRM Washington Outlook: What’s Next for Workplace Public Policy

As HR professionals continue to navigate a changing workplace, recognizing the impact of federal, state and local elections on workplace policy—and how it can affect your organization—is critical. This week, SHRM’s Emily M. Dickens joined the Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) SHRM Chapter to provide a post-election analysis, discuss the unprecedented levels of electorate participation, highlight the record number of women and minorities running for office, and outline how workplace public policy may change this year. Dickens also discussed key ballot initiatives that will impact employees and businesses across the country, and SHRM’s policy priorities for 2021 and beyond.

SHRM Member to Participate in National Women’s Collaborative Panel on Mental Health

With 41 percent of employees reporting that they feel burnt out, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an outsized impact on our mental health and well-being—both at home and in the workplace. The National Women’s Collaborative (NWC), a strategic partner of SHRM’s, hosts monthly virtual gatherings on issues like these that are important to women.

On Jan. 27 at 12 p.m. EST, NWC will host a panel of experts, including SHRM member Janet Manuel, director of human resources and civil service for the city of Pittsburgh, for an open dialogue on how to address stressors, challenges and mental health in the workplace. Learn more and register here.

SHRM Webinar: Vaccination and Treatment Updates from the Biopharma Industry

On Jan. 7, Emily M. Dickens of SHRM and Sharon Lamberton of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America provided an overview of the research and development under way by the biopharmaceutical community for COVID treatments and vaccines, as well as next steps as the dissemination of vaccines begins.

View the program on demand through April. SHRM Certification has approved this webcast for 1 PDC toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. A program code will be provided at the end of the webcast.

SHRM Foundation to Launch HR Apprenticeship Program in 2021

As employers continue to reshape and reimagine what the future of work will look like, HR professionals are thinking critically about how to develop, recruit and retain talent. The SHRM Foundation, with the help of a grant from the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Apprenticeships: Closing the Skills Gap program, is developing the SHRM HR Registered Apprenticeship Program (HR RAP) for HR.

Launching in 2021, the SHRM HR RAP will allow employers to develop and prepare the HR talent they need using a “learn-and-earn model.” Apprentices will also be prepared to earn the SHRM-Certified Professional credential, giving them the skills they need to deliver results to their organizations and an opportunity to advance their career path.

The program is designed to expand opportunities for reskilling displaced workers, upskilling incumbent workers and developing new entrants to the workforce, including those from untapped talent pools such as people with criminal convictions, older workers, individuals with disabilities, and veterans with or without four-year degrees. Visit www.shrmfoundation.org/HRapprenticeship for more information.

SHRM Launches National Campaign: When I Grow Up

This month, SHRM launched a new, national campaign, “When I Grow Up”, to highlight the limitations placed on human potential through poor people management, toxic cultures and practices that allow inequity to thrive in the workplace.

As the voice of all things work, SHRM will empower HR leaders and people managers to improve workplace cultures and drive more effective inclusion practices so that future generations no longer struggle with today’s biggest workplace inequities.

HR leaders like you play a vital role in helping organizations navigate an evolving workplace. We must continue to connect with lawmakers to shape impactful policy to build better workplaces and a better world for all, including more inclusive workplaces for employers and employees now and for future generations.

Make Your Voice Heard: Join Us at SHRM Workplace Policy Conference 2021

As a strategic HR leader, your voice can help forge a future for better workplaces and a better world.

With a new Congress and administration in place, it is your moment to be a leading advocate and HR professional who shapes the future of workplace policy. Invest today in a can’t-miss opportunity to become an even more powerful advocate for your company, your career and the HR profession: The SHRM Workplace Policy Conference 2021.

NOW AN ALL-VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE

The Workplace Policy Conference 2021, to be held March 22-24, will be hosted entirely online. Your comprehensive virtual experience features:

• Exclusive meetings with members of Congress.

• Insights on workplace policy trends and implications for the workplace.

• Opportunities for strategic relationship building with HR peers, professionals and policymakers.

• Persuasive communication tools and strategies crucial to making your voice heard.

• And much more!

Advancing Workplace Issues in 2021

SHRM is proud to be working with several organizations to highlight workplace issues in 2021. They include Fratelli Group, NAICU, Palladian Hill Strategies, Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Viatris.

As the Voice of All Things Work, SHRM pursues nonpartisan public policy to promote flexible, inclusive and equitable workplaces that help business thrive as talent is tapped, trained and empowered to reach its full potential. Policy not politics.


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