February 2020
New Year. New Forms. Staying in compliance with rapidly evolving HR requirements continues to challenge employers into the new year. Along with many other changes, 2020 brings new forms.
A new version of the I-9 employment eligibility verification form is now available.
When is the form effective?
The new form is effective immediately. Employers must start using the new form by May 1, 2020. To identify the correct version, look for the date 10/21/2019 (lower left-hand corner of the form) and the expiration date of 10/31/2022 (upper right-hand corner).
Do all current employees have to fill out the new form?
No. If you have a properly completed Form I-9 on file, current employees do not have to re-do the form merely because of the new version.
What is Form I-9?
As a reminder, employers must properly complete Form I-9 for all individuals hired for employment in the U.S. The form is used to verify both the identity and the employment eligibility of the new hire.
Find a copy of the new form here.
The IRS redesigned Form W-4 for 2020. The new form has created some confusion for employees and employers alike!
Do all current employees have to fill out the new form?
Current employees are not required to furnish a new form merely because of the redesign. Employers are expected to compute withholding based on the information from the most recently furnished Form W-4.
How about new hires or employees with changes?
Employees hired after January 1, 2020 will use the new form, as well as current employees that want to adjust their withholding.
What do I do if my employee doesn’t fill out the new form?
If a new hire fails to complete the redesigned form, they are treated as a single filer with no other adjustments.
Adding to the confusion, Minnesota and Wisconsin also have W-4 requirements.
Minnesota Form W-4MN
According to the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the redesigned Federal Form W-4 will not compute allowances for determining Minnesota withholding tax. That means every employee that completes a 2020 Form W-4, must complete Form W-4MN to determine Minnesota withholding tax.
Wisconsin Form WT-4
According to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, the redesigned Federal Form W-4 cannot be used for Wisconsin purposes. Employers are advised that: (a) all newly-hired employees must provide Form WT-4 to their employer, and (b) existing employees that change the number of their Wisconsin withholding exemptions must provide Form WT-4 to their employer.
Don’t forget! The new salary threshold under the FLSA increased to at least $684 a week ($35,568 per year) effective January 1st. In comparison, the old threshold required at least $455 a week ($23,660 per year).
For more information, check out our December blog post!
Minnesota minimum wage also increased, effective January 1st. The large employer minimum wage increased to $10 per hour (from $9.86). The small employer limit increased to $8.15 per hour (from $8.04).
Don’t forget to also update the required Employment Law Poster.
Reference our previous blog posts for information on Duluth’s Earned Sick and Safe Time requirements, also effective January 1st.
HR thought leader, Stacy Johnston, provides innovative HR solutions with a mission to support organizations in understanding and engaging their biggest competitive advantage… their employees. Johnston writes and speaks about contemporary HR topics. She is a licensed attorney and holds the SHRM-CP and PHR credentials.
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