Court Upholds San Francisco Healthcare Initiative

Employers Forced To Foot Bill For Universal Coverage

San Francisco has been battling the Golden Gate Restaurant Association and other groups for over a year trying to pass a healthcare initiative that requires employers to help fund health coverage for nearly 80,000 uninsured adults in the city. However, last week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals approved the new healthcare initiative.

The new law became effective retroactive to 01.09.08. It forces employers to invest either $1.17 or $1.76 for every hour worked between 10 hours and 40 hours a week, depending on the number of workers employed, both in or out of San Francisco:

Employers with over 100 employees must pay $1.76 an hour.
Employers with 20 to 99 employees must pay $1.17 an hour.
Employers with less than 20 employees are off the hook.

Employers with less than 50 employees have until April 1, 2008 to take action.

For more inforamtion on the requirements of compliance, click below, or give us a call at (925) 556-4404.

SF Universal Healthcare Initiative

Frequently Asked Questions

New I-9 Forms

The Department of Homeland Security has updated the I-9 form. The key to this new form includes the removal of several documents that were inadequate, and lacking in features that would make them easily identifiable as counterfeit.

Click on the links below to download the updated forms:

I-9 Form, English

I-9 Form, Spanish

As this new form is effective immediately, please be sure to update your records accordingly.

"No-Match Letters"

“NO-MATCH LETTER” REGULATIONS
The Department of Homeland Security announced the final adoption of new rules governing employer responses to Social Security Administration “No-Match” letters. Under these regulations, an employer that fails to follow up on a no-match letter can be charged with knowingly employing an unauthorized worker. Employers who over-react to these letters open themselves up to anti-discrimination actions and labor law sanctions.

EMPLOYERS’ SAFE HAVEN
Employers who follow the steps outlined by DHS will be given a legal "safe-harbor" from responsibility should an undocumented worker be discovered on their payroll. HRI has prepared a No-Match Response Kit that contains all the forms and information employers need to gain Safe Harbor by helping them properly respond to governing agencies and employees when a No-Match letter is received. Included in these materials are:

DOCUEMENT	PURPOSE
Initial Response Steps	Outlines steps employers should take to respond to a “no-match” letter.
Employer Checklist	Helps employer take all the necessary steps to receive a safe-harbor.
Form I-9 (English & Spanish)	If employee cannot correct SSN, then form I-9 must be completed again.
SSN Notification of Resolution	Form letter notifying SSA of no-match investigation outcome.
Options for Verifying SSN	Comparison of electronic SSN verification system choices.
Employee Notice (English & Spanish)	Notice to employee when employer cannot correct SSN mismatch.
Employer Correction Notice (English & Spanish)	Notice to employee when employer can correct SSN mismatch
Frequently Asked Questions (English & Spanish)	FAQ document employers give to employees.
SS-5 Form	SSA form to apply for SS card in the event of loss or name change.
Local Social Security Offices	Office locations for employees.

ORDER YOUR “NO-MATCH” RESPONSE KIT TODAY
The No-Match Response Kit is available for $149.99. If you sign up for any of our HR Shield services, the Kit is free. Call us at (925) 556.4404 or click here for a fax order form.