Hello Is Anybody Out There Best Practices for
Hello, Is Anybody Out There? Best Practices for Employers and States Chelare-Baykal Allen, NJ Office of Child Support Services Toby Hallows, OK Child Support Services Jim Owen, Siemens Emma Smithson, Sea. World Lynnetta Thompson , Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement ERICSA 50 th Annual Training Conference & Exposition ▪ May 19 – 23 ▪ Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Overview New Hire Reporting Income Withholding/ e-IWO Medical Support Lump Sum Reporting Outreach/ Customer Service 2
Income Withholding States’ challenges Employers not implementing IWOs Employers unfamiliar with IWO process Improper amount remitted Employers not sending termination notices Employers are not meeting timeframe requirements Employers’ challenges Orders containing percentages versus flat amount States not understanding payroll pay periods Private attorneys not using the standard IWO form Expecting payroll to know about independent contractors 3
Electronic Income Withholding Order (e-IWO) States’ challenges Employers failing to acknowledge receipt Incorrect reason codes used Lack of reconciliation Lack funding or resources to implement e-IWO Employers’ challenges Private orders not on e-IWO Not all states are on e-IWO No electronic process for handling the NMSN Need courts to support standards 4
Employer Outreach & Customer Service States’ challenges Conveying the importance of consistency in reporting information State law versus child support practices Who is the right point of contact? Lack of funding for outreach Employers’ Challenges More training from states on specific topics More outreach beyond state borders Direct phone number for state contacts Access to portal to maintain basic payroll data Orders maintained at state level versus county 5
Lump Sum Reporting States’ challenges Some states have no statute IWO versus lien/levy Timeframe pressure One-way communication Need to increase employer participation Employers’ challenges Need definitions standardized Conveying to states how much income they are missing Loophole in collection process States need to develop policies to make it work Request and response need improvement 6
Medical Support States’ challenges Receiving incomplete responses Working with plan administrators Notices ignored Employers unfamiliar with process Enforcing employer compliance Employers’ challenges Still a complicated process Uncertainties about the Affordable Care Act Need implementation via the portal or e-IWO Need clarification about allowable costs 7
New Hire Reporting States’ challenges The need to develop employer portal for one-stop reporting Employers reporting as multi-state but not registered with DHHS Not reporting independent contractors when required Lack of reporting consistency States asking for too much information Standardization across states Employers’ challenges More states should offer online reporting Payroll not aware of independent contractors 8
Questions? 9
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