Covid-19 Vaccine Time now Included in ARPA Paid Sick Leave
April 26, 2021

The President announced recently that time taken to get a Covid-19 shot as well as any time needed due to illness from receiving that vaccine can be paid under the American Rescue Plan Act Paid (ARPA) Sick Leave. That means that the employer will be reimbursed in federal tax credits for wages paid for that reason, similar to how they would be if an employee was paid for sick leave under the current regulations of ARPA.

Be sure to ask your payroll provider how to report these wages to make sure you get the tax credit. The following information was put out by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Keep Employees Safe by Offering Paid Leave

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, immediate tax credits are available through most of 2021 to businesses that offer their employees paid sick and family leave. You could see these credits in your bottom line as soon as your next quarterly filing.

These credits make it easy to keep your employees safe and healthy. And, they are good for more than just your business: Offering paid sick and family leave helps fight the virus by helping employees get vaccinated and encouraging sick employees to stay home.

Get paid back for paid leave

If you:
•   Are a business with under 500 employees;
•   Offer paid sick or family leave to your employees through September 30, 2021; and
•   Have employees who take paid leave due to COVID including for illness, quarantine, getting tested or vaccinated, or caregiving.

Your business may be eligible for tax credits of more than $17,000 per employee who takes sick or family leave from April 1 through September 30, 2021.

For the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2021, businesses may take tax credits for wages up to 80 hours of paid sick leave in an amount equal to either:

  (1)   the employee’s regular wage, capped at $511/day, up to a total of $5,110 if the employee was sick or quarantining, awaiting the results of a COVID test, obtaining, or recovering from a vaccine; or

  (2) two-thirds of the employee’s regular wage, capped at $200/day, up to a total of $2,000, if the employee was taking time to care for someone quarantining or to provide care due to COVID-19 school or childcare provider closures.

Paid Leave Credit

Paid Leave for 2021

Employers may receive tax credits for up to twelve weeks of paid family leave provided to employees who are unable to work for any of the reasons listed. Those credits are equal to two-thirds of an employee’s regular wages, capped at $200/day up to a total of $12,000.

Businesses that pay employees for qualifying leave can take the tax credit against their share of certain payroll taxes. If the amount of the credit exceeds a business’s portion of its payroll taxes, then the excess is refunded – paid – directly back to the business. Businesses can file quarterly for this credit through September 30, 2021.

Past paid leave credits

Your business may also be eligible for additional credits for those who took sick leave earlier in the public health crisis.

Beginning April 1, 2020, any businesses with fewer than 500 employees were entitled to a tax credit equal to 100% of emergency paid leave they provided for qualifying reasons related to COVID-19.

Please note that this is a simplified description of the paid leave credit rules. Business owners should consult with their tax advisors regarding the specifics of their situation.  Find out more about the Biden-Harris Administration’s recovery programs
here.

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September 2, 2025
Many businesses rely on multiple vendors to manage critical functions such as HR, payroll/HCM, benefits, commercial insurance, and retirement plans. While outsourcing can provide specialized expertise in each area, using separate providers often creates hidden costs that can quietly undermine efficiency, accuracy, and employee satisfaction. Here’s why integration matters, and how a consolidated approach can save time, reduce risk, and improve the employee experience. 1. Increased Administrative Burden When each service is managed by a separate vendor, administrative work multiplies. Employees and HR teams may spend extra hours logging into different systems to process payroll, submit benefits updates, or manage compliance tasks. Reconciling employee information across multiple portals and coordinating communications between vendors creates unnecessary complexity, which can distract your team from strategic priorities. 2. Higher Risk of Errors and Compliance Issues Fragmentation can increase the likelihood of costly mistakes. Payroll errors, mismanaged retirement contributions, and insurance coverage gaps often occur when systems do not communicate effectively. A single misalignment can have a ripple effect: Incorrect payroll deductions Late or missing retirement contributions Gaps in insurance coverage or compliance violations With multiple vendors, the risk of these errors and their consequences rises. 3. Limited Visibility and Reporting When each service lives in its own system, it’s hard to get a complete picture of your workforce. Without centralized reporting, many businesses struggle to: Analyze labor costs or benefits spending accurately Identify compliance gaps or coverage issues Track trends in employee engagement and retention Limited visibility makes it difficult to make informed decisions and optimize operations. 4. Compounded Costs Paying multiple vendors for separate services often results in more than just the sum of their fees. Each system typically comes with its own implementation, training, and subscription costs, which can quickly add up. In addition, internal administrative hours spent managing vendor relationships, reconciling conflicting data, or troubleshooting errors create a hidden expense that is often overlooked. Businesses may also face unexpected costs when trying to integrate or transfer data between disconnected platforms, or when compliance issues arise due to misaligned processes. Over time, these scattered costs compound, reducing overall efficiency and limiting resources that could be better spent on strategic growth initiatives. 5. Frustrated Employees The impact of fragmentation extends to employees. They may face confusion about where to access benefits or payroll information, experience delays in issue resolution, or encounter inconsistent communications. This frustration can lead to disengagement, lower productivity, and higher turnover. Businesses that integrate these functions provide a smoother, more cohesive experience for employees, resulting in higher satisfaction, better engagement, and a stronger workplace culture. Why Integration Matters Integrating HR, payroll/HCM, benefits, commercial insurance, and retirement services with a single partner simplifies operations, reduces errors, improves reporting, and enhances the employee experience. Businesses that consolidate services gain: Streamlined administrative processes and reduced duplication of effort Improved accuracy and compliance through connected systems Enhanced visibility into workforce metrics and financials Cost efficiencies by eliminating overlapping fees and redundant systems A more consistent, positive experience for employees By managing these services in a unified platform, your business can focus on growth instead of juggling multiple systems and vendors. Take the Next Step If your business is managing multiple vendors for HR, payroll, benefits, insurance, and retirement, it’s time to consider a more integrated approach. Streamlining these services with a single, high-touch partner like Simco can save time, reduce risk, and create a better experience for both your team and your employees.
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August 4, 2025
Navigating health insurance options can feel overwhelming, especially with all the terms and guidelines around coverage and affordability. At Simco, we want to help you and your employees make sense of it all, from understanding what qualifies as credible coverage to how affordable coverage is determined, and what the income limits mean for Marketplace tax credits in 2025. What Is Credible Coverage? Credible coverage refers to health insurance plans that meet or exceed the minimum standards set by government regulations. This is important because if you have credible coverage, you generally don’t qualify for premium tax credits through the health insurance Marketplace. Examples of credible coverage include: Employer-sponsored group health plans Medicare and Medicaid Certain veterans’ health plans Individual health insurance plans that meet minimum essential coverage standards Most employer-sponsored health plans, whether from small businesses or large corporations, are considered credible coverage. This means if you or your employees have health insurance through your job, it likely meets these standards, protecting you from paying unnecessary penalties and possibly disqualifying you from claiming Marketplace subsidies. Why does credible coverage matter? Because if you already have credible coverage, you generally won’t qualify for premium tax credits on Marketplace plans. The government uses this benchmark to ensure people aren’t “double-dipping” by receiving subsidies when they already have adequate insurance. What Does Affordable Coverage Mean? Affordable coverage refers to the cost threshold for employer-provided health insurance that determines if it’s affordable relative to your household income. The IRS sets this threshold annually, and for 2025, the maximum employee-only premium cost to be considered affordable is 9.02% of your household income . Here’s how it works: If the monthly premium you pay for employee-only coverage is less than 9.02% of your household income, your coverage is deemed affordable. If it costs more, you or your employees may be eligible for Marketplace subsidies or tax credits if you choose to enroll there instead. This affordability standard helps employees understand if they have access to reasonably priced insurance through their employer or if Marketplace options might be a better fit financially. Income Guidelines for 2025 Marketplace Tax Credits To qualify for premium tax credits that help lower the cost of Marketplace health insurance, your household income must fall within certain federal poverty level (FPL) ranges. For 2025, individuals and families with household incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level may be eligible for these credits. The exact dollar amounts vary depending on your household size and location, but generally, the lower your income within this range, the greater your potential tax credit. These credits are designed to make health insurance more accessible and affordable for people who do not have credible or affordable coverage through an employer. Why This Matters as the 2025 Annual Enrollment Period Approaches With the 2025 Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) approaching soon (October 15 to December 7), it’s the perfect time to review your Medicare coverage and evaluate your options. Many people discover that their current plans may no longer be the best fit, or that marketplace options and tax credits could help bridge coverage gaps. Simco is here to guide you and/or your employees through the complexities of health insurance during AEP and beyond. We’ll assess your situation, explain your options, and guide you through enrollment with confidence. Have questions? Contact us today! We’ve got you covered. 

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