Issues Newsletter

2016 Florida Minimum Wage Poster Enclosed with Mailed Copy of Newsletter

When we mailed your December newsletter to you a few weeks ago, the 2016 Florida minimum wage poster should have been included in the envelope.­ Unfortunately, there was a mix-up at the printer, and the 2015 version of the poster was enclosed instead.­ We apologize for this error.

The correct version of the 2016 Florida minimum wage poster is enclosed with the mailed copy of this newsletter.­ [The good news is that the Florida minimum wage is staying the same in 2016, so the only thing different about the enclosed poster is the year.]­ ­On January 1st, simply replace your current 8 ½” by 11” 2015 version of the Florida-specific minimum wage poster with the new 2016 version.

Employers still also need to post the federal version of the minimum wage poster, which is included on the All-in-One poster you received from FUBA when you joined. As long as your federal minimum wage poster says $7.25, your poster is current.­ [The federal minimum wage panel is in the uppermost left-hand corner of the All-in-One poster.]

If you have any questions about the minimum wage and how it affects your business, please call the FUBA offices at 800-262-4483 and ask for Erin, Karen or Lance.­ To order additional complimentary copies of the 2016 Florida minimum wage poster, please email us at fuba@fuba.org and include in your email your name, business name, phone number.

State Unemployment Taxes Going Down for 2016

Effective January 1st, most Florida employers will see a decrease in their Florida reemployment taxes (formerly called unemployment tax).­ The minimum reemployment tax rate for 2016 will be just $7.00 per employee, a reduction of over 50 percent from last year’s minimum tax rate of $16.80 per employee.

This is a drastic reduction several years ago, when Florida employers paid as much as $120.80 per employee.

The wage base for each employee continues to be capped at $7,000 for 2016.­ The wage base is the amount of each employee’s wages that is subject to reemployment tax – employers pay reemployment tax only on the first $7,000 of an employee’s wages.­ Any wages over $7,000 that an employee earns are not subject to state reemployment tax.

Employers who are at the maximum rate will continue to pay $378 per employee per year (this amount is capped by Florida law).

Employers should have received their 2016 reemployment tax rate notice from the Florida Department of Revenue sometime in December.­ This tax rate will be effective for wages paid on or after January 1, 2016, and the first reemployment tax return for 2016 will be due by April 30, 2016 for wages paid in January, February and March.

Reminder for Non-Construction LLC Owners: Your Workers’ Comp Exemption has to be Renewed Every 2 Years

Owners of Limited Liability Companies (LLC’s) that are not involved in the construction industry who want to be exempt from workers’ compensation insurance must file for and receive an exemption from the state Division of Workers’ Compensation.­ While these exemptions are free for owners of LLC’s not involved in the construction industry, they expire every 2 years. And because this requirement came into effect in July 2013, a lot of these exemptions are expiring now.­

To renew your exemption, you need to visit the Division of Workers’ Compensation’s website at www.myfloridacfo.com/division/wc/Employer/Exemptions/non-construction.htm.

If your exemption expires and is not renewed, or if there is a lapse between its expiration and renewal, your workers’ compensation insurance company can charge you extra premium.­ If you have any questions about your exemption, you should call your local insurance agent.

Are You Insured Through FUBA Workers’ Comp?

If your company’s workers’ compensation policy is issued through FUBA Workers’ Comp (coverage provided by Florida Citrus, Business & Industries Fund), you can now pay your monthly premium invoices online using FUBAworks.­ With FUBAworks, you can set up an online account with your bank account information that will authorize us to debit your account for the amount of your invoice.­ The system is secure, password-protected, and available 24 hours a day.­­

At this time, we cannot automatically debit your account each month for the amount of your bill, so you will still need to go to the FUBAworks website each month to authorize a charge.­ Also, we cannot accept credit cards for premium payments, although we can accept credit cards for payment of your annual FUBA association dues of $85.­

To set up your account today, please go to FUBAworks.com and click on “Sign up for an account.”­ You will need to have your workers’ compensation policy number to log in.

If you have any questions about FUBAworks, please call our insurance offices at 888-262-4483.­

Is This Request From the Bureau of Labor Statistics Legitimate?

Some of our members have received a letter from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) asking that they complete the Annual Refiling Survey to verify or provide general information about their business.­ The letter provides a website address with a specific web ID and password for the business owner to use when going online to fill out the survey.

Is this legitimate?­

Yes, the Annual Refiling Survey is a legitimate survey currently being conducted each year by the BLS along with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.­ It is used to verify and collect geographic and industry information about businesses. Approximately one-third of all U.S. businesses with four or more employees are contacted annually to verify their industry and physical location address once every three years. If you are selected to participate in the 2016 Annual Refiling Survey, you will not be contacted for this information again until 2019.

For more information about this survey, you can go to bls.gov/respondents/ars/.­ And please remember that if you ever get any mail, notice, phone call, or email that you are unsure of and want to know if it is legitimate, you can always call the FUBA offices at 800-262-4483 and ask for Karen, Lance or Erin.