Vine Solutions, Inc.December 2010
In This Issue
Wayfare Tavern
Healthcare Reform Act
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A Note From John

 

Vine Solutions Clients:

 

Unbelievably, yet another year end is upon us and with that I wanted to check in with a few reminders.  First and foremost, you should be well into your budget process with your client manager.  If you have not yet started this process, please contact your client manager as soon as possible to get the process underway so you have a budget ready for January 2011. If your budget isn't complete by the first of the year, you won't have budget numbers for 2011 in Vine Online until the process is complete. 

 

A reminder about holidays; The Vine Solutions offices will be closed Friday, December 24th and Friday, December 31st for the Christmas and New Year's holidays.  We don't anticipate too many delays on financial statements this month due to the holidays, however, your client manager will notify you if something changes.

 

Please read the important information below conveyed by our Payroll Manager, Angela Cowley, with regard to year end deadlines and cutoffs for your payroll. 

 

And lastly, our team here at Vine Solutions wishes all of our clients, client's teams, and their families the happiest of holidays.  We appreciate your business and look forward to our clients having a very busy and profitable 2011!

 

John Priest

V.P. of Operations

Restaurant Spotlight  WAYFARE TAVERN

Wayfare Tavern
In keeping with the rugged traditions of  San Francisco at the turn of the Century, Wayfare Tavern's cornerside fixture exudes a rustic flare reminiscent of the exotic Barbary Coast. A patchwork of rich, warm leather, dark reclaimed tobacco-wood floors, and let us not forget the original 5,000 bottle wine cellar built during the former Rubicon era.
As a self-proclaimed, "cross between a Victorian parlor and an Edwardian men's club," the Wayfare Tavern is steeped in masculinity, dripping in all things decadent.  

His first project upon reentering the restaurant scene, Chef/ Owner and charismatic TV personality, Tyler Florence, has created a new culinary concept suggestive of the seasoned restaurant owner. The Wayfare Tavern is home to San Francisco's infamous Financial District, however, is attracting foodies and critics well beyond the confines of the city limits.

With an already impressive title as one of culinary critic, Michael Bauer's, favorite new restaurants in San Francisco for 2010, Florence has created a menu focusing on California-based fare. While highlighting a wide variety of meat and fish dishes, he also emphasizes the comfort of old-world recipes. A raw bar as well as a multitude of hors d'oeuvres and dessert options round out the meticulous menu.


As if the food weren't impressive enough, the bar program also acts as an impressive adjunct to the overall creative culinary forces. In collaboration with Josh Harris and Scott Baird, Tyler Florence has established a selection of cocktails which are meant to echo the restaurant's late 1800's charm. "When selecting the spirits at the bar, we were sure to integrate our sensibility of a crafted bar, consisting of spirits that hail from a variety of regions and styles, sure to satisfy the everyday cocktail drinker as well as the more adventurous bar patron," reports Harris and Baird.
 
Located at 558 Sacramento Street, Wayfare Tavern is open from 11:30am to 11pm, Monday through Friday. Weekend hours are from 5:00pm to 11pm. Private parties are available upon reservation. For more details, visit their website at: wayfarertavern.com.

The Healthcare Reform Act 
 

What should employers expect.........................


Some employer-related changes are effective as early as the first plan year that begins on or after Sept. 23, 2010 (Jan. 1, 2011, for calendar-year plans). These first-up changes will impose the following on group health plans:

  • Expansion of dependent coverage to age 26
  • Prohibition on excluding children based on pre-existing conditions;
  • Coverage of preventive health services without cost-sharing requirements;
  • Limitations on rescission practices; and
  • Regulation of annual and lifetime limits on essential health benefits.
  • New group health plans cannot establish eligibility rules for health care coverage that effectively discriminates in favor of higher wage employees

This last change may have the largest impact on employers who do not have a grandfathered plan. While insurance policies that were in effect on the date of enactment (March 23, 2010) are generally grandfathered (for both the current term and any renewal terms), four of these five insurance market reforms apply to grandfathered plans. Thus, except for the preventive health services coverage requirement, these principal reforms are effective for all plans for plan years beginning on or after Sept. 23, 2010.

What Causes a Grandfathered Plan to Lose its Grandfathered Status?

Compared to policies and provisions in effect on March 23, 2010, grandfathered plans:

  • Cannot Significantly Cut or Reduce Benefits
  • Cannot Raise Co-Insurance (or fixed percentage) Charges
  • Cannot Significantly Raise Co-Payments

    Increases can be no more than $5 (adjusted for medical inflation) or a percentage equal to medical inflation plus 15 percentage points

  • Cannot Significantly Raise Deductibles or Out-of-Pocket Maximums

    Increases can be no more than a percentage equal to medical inflation plus 15%

  • Cannot Significantly Lower Employer ContributionsCannot decrease the percent of premium the employer pays by more than 5 percentage points
  • Cannot Add or Reduce an Annual Limit on What the Insurer Pays
  • Cannot force employees to switch to another grandfathered plan that, compared to the current plan, has less benefits or higher cost sharing
  • Cannot merge with another plan to simply avoid complying with the law

    For more information please click: Here 

A reminder about end-of-year ADP Deadlines



The end of 2010 is drawing near, and with it comes certain payroll practices and timelines to be aware of.  First, if you haven't already, please review your most current ADP Master Control Report that is delivered in your payroll packet for accuracy; remembering to verify all names, address, social security numbers, and YTD pay info is correct for all your employees. If you come across any inaccuracies, please notify your payroll specialist immediately, so corrections can be made. 

 

Thursday, December 30th is the last day to process 4th quarter 2010 payrolls and ensure timely tax deposits. Payrolls processed after this date may incur penalties and or interest for late tax deposits which will be the client's responsibility.  However, payroll adjustments for 2010 can be processed up until Friday, January 7th, without any additional amendment fees being assessed. From Monday, January 10th thru Monday January 31st, out of sequence payrolls can be processed with fees under $200.00, which will be the client's responsibility.  Any payroll amendments that are processed starting Tuesday, February 1st and beyond will incur amendment fees of $250.00 and up, depending on the adjustments necessary. Please remember, being proactive and reviewing your data now can save you time, money, and frustration in the long run. 

 

If you have any additional questions about these dates and what they mean for you, please don't hesitate to contact your payroll specialist for clarification.

Quotation Marks2010 is the best year ever for San Francisco dining  

 -Michael Bauer( SF Gate)                        quotation marks 2