Each year the Montana Department of Labor and Industry in partnership with other state agencies, local Chambers of Commerce, Job Service Employee Committees (JSEC), and Montana State University host Assistance for Business Clinics across the state.
These clinics are designed to assist new and established businesses by providing the tools and information they need to stay up to date on the latest changes in various laws. Attendees are provided with updated information including but not limited to:
- Apprenticeship & Training
- Department of Health and Human Services (Emergency Planning)
- Embezzlement
- Employer Services
- Federal Tax Incentives
- Federally Funded Contracts for Small Businesses
- Minimum Wage & Overtime Law Requirements
- Safety
- Small Business Administration
- Unemployment Insurance Requirements
- Workers’ Compensation
Attendees can also obtain Continuing Professional Education (CPE), Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and/or Human Resource Certification (HRCI) credits. To attend a clinic nearest you click on the schedule and contact the appropriate sponsor.
Download Registration Here
Presenters:
Department of Labor & Industry Labor Standards Bureau:
Provides education and guidance to the federal and state minimum wage and overtime, matters of jurisdiction, record keeping requirements, what determines hours worked, salaried employees, exempt vs. non-exempt employees and criterion upon which those exemptions apply.
The Bureau also provides clarification regarding the Wage Payment Act, defining how and when wages are due and appropriate withholdings or deductions from wages. Presentations also touch base on information relating to vacation pay, holiday benefits, fringe benefits, and other similar benefits offered through employment.
Department of Labor & Industry Unemployment Insurance Contributions Bureau:
Is responsible for UI employer registration, contribution rate assignments, tax and wage report collections, wage revisions and employer audits for approximately 37,000 employers throughout Montana.
Department of Labor & Industry Claims Processing Bureau:
Provides an overview of the Unemployment Insurance Benefit Program. Participants will learn the criteria of the program from an employer perspective. Employers play an intricate part in the integrity of the claims process by providing requested information to ensure payments are paid correctly and employer accounts are properly relieved or charged for benefits.Attendees learn the type of information needed by the Department to ensure benefits are paid or denied correctly.
The Bureau also touches on the types of UI claims, their rights and requirements as an employer when claims are filed, separations from employment (what steps to take when an individual quits or is discharged) and other issues that affect whether a claimant is eligible for benefits. Detecting and reducing fraud in the Unemployment Insurance Program are also covered during the presentation.
Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program:
Administered by the Department of Labor & Industry, the program offers federal tax credit information that’s available to private, for profit employers who hire individuals from specific targeted programs and designed to assist those individuals facing barriers move into gainful employment. The presentation will focus on those specific targeted groups:
- Qualified recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
- Qualified Veterans
- Qualified Disabled Veterans
- Qualified Unemployed Veterans
- Qualified Ex-Felons
- Qualified Designated Community Resident
- Qualified Vocational Rehabilitation Recipients
- Qualified Summer Youths Residing in an Empowerment Zone or Renewal Community
- Qualified SNAP Recipients (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
- Qualified Supplemental Security Income Recipients
- Qualified Long-Term Family Assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – TANF)
Department of Labor & Industry’s Workers’ Compensation Bureau:
Provides an overview of the role of worker’s compensation coverage in Montana for employers and workers. Attendees will learn about the various types of coverage available and the downside to employers of not having coverage.
The Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate and applicability in Montana is also explained. As time permits in the presentation, the life of a workers’ compensation claim will be addressed as well as the Stay at Work/Return to Work Program.
Department of Revenue:
Provides information on wage withholding taxes. The presentation will begin with a discussion of the registration process and the various filing requirements for employers. It will then outline the various types of compensation that are subject to withholding and how to correctly compute the withholding tax for Montana Purposes. Also included is an overview of electronic filing options for withholding taxes.
