2025 W-2 Forms are now available in your GMS Connect employee portal here.

Request a call Login

  • In August, employers slowed hiring, pointing to a cooling labor market and rising interest rates. The Labor Department reported that employers had added 315,000 jobs in August, a major downfall from 520,000 in July. The unemployment rate rose to 3.7% from 3.5%. Economists say the rise in unemployment represents individuals who began looking for work and were counted as unemployed.

    The continued growth of jobs shows that the economy continues to expand, even as the gross domestic product contracted during the year’s first half. Hiring has been one of the bright spots in this slowing economy. Employers have added an average of 380,000 jobs each month over the past three months. While the government has estimated the economy has shrunk in the first six months of 2022, an informal definition of a recession, employers still increased jobs.

    Overview Of August

    Wage growth in August continued to slow, with average hourly pay rising 5.2% for all workers and 6.1% for production and nonsupervisory workers. Nonsupervisory workers exclude managers and make up more than 80% of the workforce. Consumer prices have increased 8.5% in the last 12 months. As a result, most employees’ paychecks aren’t keeping up with the rising costs. In August, employers added:

    • 68,000 jobs in professional and business services
    • 48,000 in healthcare
    • 44,000 in retail
    • 31,000 in leisure and hospitality 
    • 22,000 in manufacturing

    What The Future Looks Like

    While the economy is facing unprecedented times, economists have given encouraging signs in recent reports. The participation rate, which measures how many people are working or looking for jobs, rose to 62.4%. This now matches its level in March, which marks a post-pandemic high. While many industries have recovered from the jobs lost during the COVID-19 recession, some businesses are still falling behind. Even though the overall economy is at a turning point, the labor market seems to be on the rise.

    How GMS Comes Into Play

    While no individual can necessarily predict what the future holds for businesses, there are specific steps you can take to be proactive. While unemployment is rising, what can you do as a business owner? If you have open positions but are struggling to fill those with quality talent, GMS is here to help. Our HR experts are here to write enticing job descriptions, advertise open positions, and conduct interviews to find the best talent for your business. Fear no more. GMS is here to make your business simpler, safer, and stronger. Contact us today to get started.

  • According to a report released by the Texas Department of Insurance, 24% of workers in Texas who had approved COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims received medical or hospital/facility services one-month post-injury. In addition, the division reported that 74 insurers in Texas saw more than 90,000 COVID-19 claims and 459 fatalities.

    Sixty-eight percent reported had involved employees who tested positive or had been diagnosed with COVID-19. It was determined that insurers had denied 39% of COVID-19 claims for tests that came back positive. However, with more than 22,000 denials of COVID-19 claims with positive tests or diagnoses, there were only 207 disputes filed with the Division of Workers’ Compensation as of August 7th.

    Of the 35% of the medical and indemnity claims:

    • 89% of the hospital/facility payments were made for inpatient services
    • 8% for outpatient services
    • 3% for other

    How GMS Can Help You

    While COVID-19 is unpredictable and we can’t stop the spread completely, our team of experts can certainly help you take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace. While you probably already have a safety protocol in place for COVID-19, our risk management team can do a walkthrough of your building to ensure you are taking all necessary steps. Partnering with GMS makes your business simpler, safer, and stronger. Let us take on the administrative burdens so you don’t have to. Contact us today.

  • Many businesses have been forced to adapt to new working conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many workers maintain a hybrid or remote work schedule. With the rise of remote employment, the focus has shifted to developing clear communication. This is vital to employers being able to communicate and meet the needs of their employees. Another major concern for employees stems from rising inflation and talk of an upcoming recession. This is the time when employees look to their employers for guidance. Let them know you care during the open-enrollment period by developing a plan that fits everyone’s needs.

    Communication Means Success

    As open enrollment is approaching, the need for effective and open communication is the biggest asset employers can implement. It’s imperative that employees have access to all information about each plan and can ask questions about it. Employees want to communicate with their employers. As the open enrollment period begins, they will be looking for guidance. Developing an open line of communication will create a happy, healthy, and productive workforce.

    Virtual communication is not likely to change anytime in the future. Even as businesses welcome their employees to return to in-person positions, virtual communication is here to stay. At the click of a button, employees can access their information when and where they need it. This will allow employees to understand their benefit plan offerings. When there is easier access to learning, employees will be more likely to take advantage of the offerings provided.

    GMS Steps In

    Many employers question which benefits their employees want to see during the open enrollment period. GMS can help you develop a plan that is right for your employees, along with creating a personalized experience working with a benefits account manager. Finding a plan that fits your business during open enrollment can be overwhelming. Let GMS simplify the process every step of the way, easing the line of communication with your employees. Contact us today to learn more.

  • California passed a program known as CalSaver in 2016, which stated that employers who don’t sponsor an employee-retirement plan must participate in a state-run retirement program. CalSavers is a retirement savings program for private sector workers whose employers do not offer a retirement plan. It gives employers an easy way to help their employees save for retirement without employer fees, no fiduciary liability, and minimal employer responsibilities.

    If you’re an employer who sponsors or participates in a retirement plan, including a 401(k) or pension plan, you are not required to participate in CalSavers. Eligible employers are defined as a “person or entity engaged in a business, industry, profession, trade, or another enterprise in the state, excluding specified federal, state, and local governmental entities, with five or more employees and that satisfies certain requirements to establish or participate in a payroll deposit retirement savings arrangement.”

    What The New Plan Means

    Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Senate Bill (SB) 1126, expanding the definition of an eligible employee. Expanding eligibility will reduce complexity for employers and expand access to CalSavers to small businesses with one to four employees currently not covered. Ultimately, this bill will improve employee recruitment and retention across California. In addition, it’s estimated that SB 1126 will expand access to CalSavers to approximately three-quarters of a million California workers.

    A payroll deposit savings arrangement is required for employers with five or more employees that do not offer a retirement savings plan within 36 months of the board opening the program for enrollment. In addition, all eligible employers with one or more employees would need a payroll deposit savings arrangement by December 31st, 2025, if they don’t provide a retirement savings program.

    GMS Is Here To Help!

    Implementing a 401(k) retirement plan will help attract and retain great employees. It shows employees they are critical to your company’s success by rewarding them for their hard work. So, how does a PEO help you? PEOs such as GMS can leverage group buying power to reduce plan costs for small businesses and take on the fiduciary burden to ensure you remain compliant with your 401(k). GMS can help you set up fully customizable retirement savings plans that make your company more attractive to quality employees. Contact us today to learn more.

  • The Business Group on Health released its annual survey, which dictated that cancer is now the biggest driver of employer health costs. This annual survey examines large employers’ strategies around benefit design, cost management, and other healthcare strategies. This year, 13% of employers who partook in the survey said they had seen a significant increase in late-stage cancers among their employees. The survey was completed by 135 large employers covering more than 18 million lives within the U.S.

    The top three conditions that are fueling health care costs include:

    1. Cancer
    2. Musculoskeletal conditions 
    3. Cardiovascular disease

    Why Cancer Is Now The Top Driver 

    After analyzing the results from the survey, cancer is now the top driver of employer health care costs, most likely due to COVID-19 increasing delays in care and preventive services. Between 2019 and 2020, there was no increase in health care costs. As a result, there was an 8.2% spike in 2021.

    In 2022, employers expect to cover 82% of their workers’ health costs. This number has risen from 80% in the previous year. Employers are more reluctant to shift costs onto employees due to rising healthcare costs. Now, employers are considering alternative reforms, including advanced primary care and centers of excellence. A center of excellence is a program within a healthcare institution assembled to supply an exceptionally high concentration of expertise and related resources centered on a particular area of medicine, delivering associated care in a comprehensive, interdisciplinary fashion to afford the best patient outcomes possible.

    Additionally, employers are focusing more on policy efforts to lower healthcare and prescription drug costs. Prescription drugs accounted for 21% of employer health costs in 2021. More than half of that percentage was just for specialty medications. Employers are more concerned than ever about the increase in prescription drug costs.

    What Will You Do As A Business Owner? 

    While this new survey dictates that cancer is now the top driver in health care costs and prescription drugs are on the rise, as an employer, how will you protect your employees and your business? When you partner with GMS, you gain access to a GMS’ Rx specialist in addition to HR, benefits, payroll, and risk management expertise. Your Rx specialist will aid in searching for the most competitive prices on any prescription costs to save both you and your employees time and money. We offer flexibility, control of premiums, access to data and networks, and overall options that you can’t find elsewhere. Allow your employees to get the healthcare they need. Contact us today.

  • The NorthShore University HealthSystem agreed to pay more than $10.3 million to resolve allegations over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Liberty Counsel, a Christian organization, filed a lawsuit on behalf of employees who were denied a religious exemption from the health system’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

    The class action settlement against NorthShore University HealthSystem is on behalf of more than 500 health care workers. Among those workers, half became compliant with the vaccine policy, and the other half were fired or resigned based upon their religious objection to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. This is the first-of-its-kind class action settlement against a private employer who unlawfully denied hundreds of religious exemption requests for COVID-19 vaccines.

    What The Agreement Means

    As part of the agreement, Liberty Counsel stated that NorthShore will change its policy to allow unvaccinated employees to work if they have an approved religious exemption. All religious exemptions are now considered on a case-by-case basis rather than denied to all employees.

    Employees who are unvaccinated and were let go because they claimed a religious exemption now have the opportunity to take their jobs back. In addition, employees who quit or were fired will receive about $25,000 each. The original 13 plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit will get $20,000 more. Employees who agreed to get vaccinated despite their religious objections could potentially receive up to $3,000.

    How This Impacts Businesses

    If you’re a business owner and want to mandate the COVID-19 vaccination, you must consider all religious exemptions, you must notify employees of the exemption process, and what forms should be utilized. Employers can mandate that all employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine. However, the policy must be job-related and consistent with business needs. It’s the employer’s responsibility to show that an unvaccinated employee will pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other employees.

    What Next?

    As an employer, listening to your employees’ needs is vital. When it comes to mandating the COVID-19 vaccine within the workplace, it can stir up issues among employees. Ultimately, you want to do what’s best for your employees. When you partner with GMS, we work with you to provide an employee handbook that will provide your employees with all the information they need to know about rules and regulations. Contact GMS to learn how we can help you and your business.

  • President Joe Biden announced a three-part plan to provide additional breathing room to America’s working families as they continue to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In his announcement, he shared that the federal government would cancel up to $20,000 of federal student loans for millions of individuals.

    More specifically, those earning less than $125,000 annually will receive $10,000 off their student loan debt. In addition, individuals who received Pell grants will have $20,000 in student debt removed. Federal Pell Grants are typically awarded only to undergraduate students with exceptional financial needs who have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree. However, not everyone with debt will qualify for student loan debt relief.

    What You Can Do As A Business Owner

    As an employer, your employees are your biggest asset. Without them, your business would not be able to grow. Alongside the most common employee benefits, including health insurance and retirement plans, providing student loan relief helps companies to attract and retain employees. A survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute displayed that 17 percent of employers currently offer student loan debt assistance. In addition, 31 percent of employers plan to provide student load debt assistance in the future.

    However, many business owners are finding ways to lower costs, and cutting benefits has been one of them. There are additional steps you can take as an employer to provide your employees with student debt relief, including the following:

    • Offering student loan payment counseling
    • Third-party low-interest or interest-free educational loans
    • Debt consolidation 
    • Refinancing services
    • Tax-advantaged repayment support

    What Next?

    While President Biden’s student loan repayment announcement leaves you with questions and concerns as a business owner, GMS is here to put you at ease. If you’re a business owner considering offering your employees additional student loan relief, our benefits department has you covered. We work with you to provide your employees with the benefits they need. Don’t let the ever-changing rules and regulations keep you up at night. Contact us to learn more.

  • The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received adequate petitions to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap. In addition, the USCIS reached the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, the master’s cap, for the fiscal year (FY) 2023. This is set to begin October 1st, 2022. To account for employers who do not follow through with the petition process or were denied, rejected, or withdrawn, additional petitions are typically selected.

    An H-1B visa is a nonimmigrant classification that applies to individuals who wish to perform services in a specialty occupation, services of exceptional merit, and ability relating to a Department of Defense (DOD) cooperative research and development, or services as a fashion model of distinguished merit or ability.

    The USCIS has completed sending non-selection notifications to registrants’ online accounts. H-1B registrations that were submitted correctly for FY 2023 but were not selected will appear as:

    • Not selected: Not selected – not eligible to file an H-1B cap petition based on this registration

    They will also continue to accept and process petitions exempt from the cap. Current H-1B workers whose cap number hasn’t expired but who were previously counted against the cap are exempt from the FY 2023 H-1B cap. The USCIS will continue to accept, and process petitions filed to:

    • Extend the time a current H-1B worker may remain in the U.S. 
    • Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers
    • Allow current H-1B workers to change employers
    • Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in additional H-1B positions

    Employers can register foreign workers who weren’t selected for an H-1B visa when the FY 2024 cap season begins in the spring of 2023.

    GMS Is Here To Help

    GMS helps you stay up to date on all policies. In addition, our experts provide you with general guidance and advice about Visa questions and concerns, ensuring compliance while hiring employees from another country. While the H-1B visa cap for FY 2023 has been reached, let GMS assist with your application for FY 2024. Contact us today.

  • With recent news regarding gun control, there has been additional confusion over when, where, and how weapons can be carried. Laws and regulations related to carrying firearms, specifically concealed guns and where weapons can be carried, continue to change.

    The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, “a well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” As a business owner, you may wonder how this affects your business. To remain compliant with evolving legislation, employers should communicate expectations consistently throughout their organization.

    Safe Work Environment 

    Employers must provide a workplace for employees that does not pose a severe risk of harm. A weapons-free workplace policy sets the stage for a safe work environment. There should be training for any possible incidents of workplace violence, including those that involve weapons. For this to happen, employers must assess risks through a workplace audit. This will allow the workplace to be prepared should an incident occur.

    In addition, you must monitor any additional changes to relevant laws and regulations. Understand that laws vary at local and state levels. If you’re a business owner with office locations in multiple states, you must understand each law that could impact the organization.

    Ensure you are consistent when issuing and maintaining policies and procedures throughout the workplace. If you’re an employer who enforces a strict no-weapons policy, it must be implemented fairly throughout the organization. For example, if no employee is allowed to have a weapon in the workplace, this policy should include all employees, even executives such as the CEO.

    How Will You Protect Your Employees?

    Partnering with a PEO such as GMS can provide you with the resources you need to make informed decisions. Our safety experts conduct walkthroughs of your facility to ensure you remain compliant with OSHA rules and regulations. In addition, our HR experts work with you to create employee handbooks. If you already have an employee handbook written, we can help you update it with a no-weapon policy. Contact us today to learn more.

  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers increased their mental health and well-being benefits. Heading into 2023, many employers are poised to continue offering these benefits. However, for many Americans, this can still be challenging to implement.

    Why Implement Coverage

    When healthcare plans offer a wide selection of in-network providers, mental health support becomes more accessible and affordable. Easy access to voluntary benefits lets your employees know they are supported. Survey results released in August by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a health insurers’ trade association, shared:

    • All respondents provided some telehealth coverage for mental health services
    • The number of in-network behavioral health providers grew by 48% in three years
    • 89% of health plans are actively recruiting health care providers
    • The number of providers eligible to prescribe medication-assisted therapy (MAT) for substance disorders has grown 114 percent over three years

    “More than half of Americans, nearly 180 million, have employer-provided coverage for their health care needs – which offers an essential path to accessing much-needed mental health support,” stated AHIP.

    Access To Care

    Many therapists prefer to remain out of network, allowing them to receive direct payment from their patients. This limits those with lower incomes from receiving the care they need. Other therapists may only allow a certain number of clients that are unable to pay out of pocket. When it comes to improving access to care, one way to do it is through telehealth. Virtual appointments give patients more options while reducing the cost to practitioners.

    GMS’ Support

    There is a significant payoff when you alleviate the burdens of accessing mental health and wellness services. Employees feel a sense of validation through quality benefit offerings. You and your team can benefit from a streamlined approach when you partner with GMS. Telemedicine is just one way to enhance the employee experience by supporting their mental wellness goals. Learn how to get started today!