On September 3, 2010, the IRS released guidance on reimbursement of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and medications through the Flexible Spending Account 125(c) Plan. Beginning with purchases made on January 1, 2011, the cost of over-the-counter medicines cannot be reimbursed from an employee’s Flexible Spending Account Plan unless a prescription is obtained. This change does not affect insulin, if purchased without a prescription, or any items that are not considered medicines or drugs such as crutches, bandages, blood sugar test kits and contact lenses.

In order for employees to receive reimbursement for expenses such as allergy medicines, pain relievers, cough and cold medicines, etc., a current prescription from a medical provider must be obtained and submitted along with the reimbursement request. Without a prescription, these types of OTC expenses cannot be reimbursed through the Flexible Spending Account Plan.

Employees will still be able to submit 2010 expenses for OTC items through March 31, 2011, provided that the purchases were made in the 2010 plan year.

All employees will be notified of this change when enrolling on the Flexible Spending Account Plan for the 2011 plan year. Employees will need to take these changes into account when determining their election amounts for 2011. If employees have questions in regards to these changes, please have them contact RMI’s Benefits Department at (888) 764-0200.

The RMI Payroll Department offers many services to our clients and we want to make sure you’re taking advantage of all of them. Below are some of the many services we offer. If you’d like more information regarding any of these services, please contact your RMI Payroll Manager at (888) 764-0200 or payroll@rminc.com.

Job Costing
The RMI Job Cost Report lists all employer charges for each individual employee on the payroll. The report combines gross wages, employer taxes and employer benefits to give you a total employer cost per employee. If RMI isn’t “job costing” for you, you’ll see all employees displayed together in alphabetical order with one total cost. If you’d like RMI to “job cost” your hours for you, we can split the employees into different categories that give you total costs for each category. You can have the employees split by location, department, supervisor, job function, etc. RMI can actually do up to four levels of job costing for each employee.

Tracking Paid Leave Accruals
If you are tracking your paid leave policy in-house and are interested in turning this task over to RMI, please contact Megan Smith at (888) 764-0200 or megan@rminc.com. Our system tracks both time accrued and used and generates an accrual report each time payroll is processed. If accruals are tracked through RMI’s payroll system, employees can pull up their balances on-line through RMI’s secure website. In many cases, RMI can print the balances directly on the employees pay stub. Payroll contacts can also pull up an on-line accrual report for all employees.

Verification of Employment Requests
If you receive a verification of employment request via phone or fax, forward the request directly to your RMI Payroll Manager. Our Payroll Department will handle all verification of employment requests for you.

Employee Payroll Inquiries
Do not be afraid to pass on our phone number and e-mail addresses to your employees. We are here to assist your employees with payroll questions via phone or e-mail. If they come to you to question how to access a blank Form W-4, Direct Deposit Authorization Form, etc., please direct them to their RMI Payroll Manager. We will take the time to show the employees how to access these forms on-line and help them with any questions they may have.

If an employee is injured on the job, please complete an Employee Injury Report and submit it to RMI within twenty-four hours of the occurrence. Delays in reporting injuries can result in problems in filing a worker’s compensation claim, increased costs on the claim, and possible delays in recovery. Please always submit an Employee Injury Report even if the employee does not initially seek medical treatment. Having a report on file is important if they need to seek treatment at a later time. Be sure to indicate if the employee has missed any time from work as a result of their injury.

You may download the form from RMI website and send the completed Employee Injury Report to your HR Representative at your area RMI office.

Backing your vehicle is a common occurrence that becomes a habit for most drivers. Habits can lead to shortcuts that might result in injury or property damage. At times, most of us have been challenged by our ability to parallel-park. The tight space and commotion of pedestrians, cyclists, and often traffic behind us add stress to this action. Your goal is to develop safe driving habits and gain confidence as you travel in forward or reverse directions.

The following are guidelines for driving your vehicle in reverse.

1. Reduce your backs – A best practice is to minimize the number of backing actions you complete while driving. Reducing the frequency of backing reduces your risk for a crash. In parking lots, park in the unoccupied spaces that are often farthest from the storefront and provide ample space to park your vehicle in a forward-facing position. When you return from shopping, you pull forward to exit. Congratulations, you have eliminated one backing event.



2. GOAL: Get Out And Look – This acronym is utilized by professional drivers to reinforce the importance of getting out of the driver’s seat and walking behind the vehicle before backing. Visually size up the scene as you walk to your vehicle or just before backing to inspect for children, physical objects, or any obstacles that could be struck.



3. Warn others and adjust your mirrors to provide maximum visibility as you slowly back your vehicle.



4. Use all your senses to size up the scene before taking decisive actions. Use your mirrors, lower your window, and use store windows as a reflective mirror to provide yourself with information before you start to back. If your vehicle has a rear-view camera, use it with your mirrors to gain information. Don’t rely on the camera alone; you will miss the big picture. Make sure you see everything behind you before you back.



5. Signal your intentions – Use your turn signals appropriately and give a quick honk of your horn as you start to back. Back only enough to allow you to park or travel forward.



6. Use a spotter – If you have someone with you, ask them to exit the vehicle and guide you into the parking spot.



7. If you do have to back – do it first. Back into your parking spot so later when you exit, you are aware of the conditions and can travel forward safely.

For additional information for developing your fleet safety program or training, please contact your RMI HR Representative.

Falls from heights are not just a problem in the construction industry, but in all industries. This type of injury ranks third among the most disabling and costly occupational injuries.

In 2007, falls from heights cost industry $6.2 billion in the United States (LM Workplace Safety Index). This problem has grown significantly. While most disabling injuries are trending down, falls from heights are trending up (34% real growth in 10 years). In response, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has placed falls in the spotlight, hosting the International Conference on Fall Prevention and Protection in 2010.

OSHA continues its focus on fall prevention and protection compliance. Fall protection regulations are consistently in the top-cited OSHA regulations, ranking second in frequency and first in cost.

Fall prevention and protection regulations vary by industry and trade; see the regulations specific to your operations for additional regulatory information.

Fall Prevention Barriers
Physical barriers are the preferred fall prevention strategy. They include guardrails, barricades, and covers. If barriers are not practical, then other types of fall protection are necessary.

Fall Prevention Restraints
A fall prevention restraint system consists of the equipment used to keep an employee from reaching a fall point, such as the edge of a roof or the edge of an elevated working surface. Physical restraints, such as a harness with lanyard or tether, are used to ensure the worker will not fall off the elevated work area.

Work Positioning Systems
Work positioning systems hold the worker in place while keeping his/her hands free to work. The work positioning system, however, is not specifically designed for fall arrest purposes. Equipment consists of a harness and positioning device that typically has two or three snap hooks.

Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS)
A personal fall arrest system is a system used to stop an employee in a fall from a working level prior to striking the next lower level. It consists of an anchor point, connectors, or body harness and may include a lanyard, deceleration device, lifeline, or combination of devices. The entire system must be capable of withstanding the tremendous impact forces involved in stopping the fall. This system is used when other fall prevention options are not practical. A PFAS activates once a person begins to fall.

For assistance in developing a fall protection plan, or for more information on this topic, please contact your RMI HR Representative.