My Workforce Analyzer: An Overview and Resource Guide

Over the last year, our team has been working diligently to develop our expertise on ACA requirements and Sage’s tool to help users stay compliant, My Workforce Analyzer. We compiled some of what we’ve learned, along with other resources available, to help you get started.

How to get the module

There are two options for getting the module from your Sage Business Partner:

• If you are on Gold Level Business Care, you get the module at no charge.
• If you are on Silver Level Business Care, you can either upgrade to Gold Level or purchase the module.
• E-filing fees may apply.

What’s included in the latest update

Here are some of the updates provided with the Q3 2015 update to My Workforce Analyzer (The Q4 update will provide federal legislative and additional options for creating and submitting federal forms.):

• Excluded Employees – When setting up My Workforce Analyzer, you can now exclude the employee types of your choice from the Affordable Care Act assessment and forms.
• New Import and Details for 1095-C Forms – Forms Wizard enhanced to generate the 1095-C Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage forms.
• Printing and Exporting Dashboard and Analysis Reports – Reports generated in the dashboard are now printable and can be exported.

How to install MWA 

Installation is relatively simple. The main program is set up with the core Abra Suite or HRMS program, and any update after June 30, 2015, automatically includes MWA ability for versions Suite 9.2X and HRMS 10.5 (2015).

Once you have purchased the module, you enter the new installation code from Sage in the Sage HR product and re-register the product from within the Help menu to activate the MWA module. Then, follow the prompts to restart your program.

What employers should know
Before implementation, you must gather some information specific for the Affordable Care Act in preparation for setting up the application. Here’s what you should have ready:

• Corporate Tax Rate
• Employees who are on subsidies
• Employees who are variable hour
• Understanding of which payroll earning codes track hours
• Understanding of HRMS benefit setup and costs associated
• Understanding of benefit codes, which plan(s) meet the minimum requirement coverage, and if your coverage is self-insured
• Understanding of employee type codes designating part-time, full-time, and seasonal
• Understanding of the employer’s regulatory periods (Measurement, Admin, and Variable hours)

How to implement MWA

Now, launch MWA from your Sage HR program, and you’re ready to get started:

• Enter your employer and benefit information
• Enter your company’s regulatory periods
• Enter your employee types, earnings, and how hours are tracked
• Fill in employee ACA settings
• Import Payroll History (for HR-only configurations); import prior years’ payroll records

At any time as you navigate MWA implementation screens, you can click on Help in MWA for assistance.

Immediately after finishing implementation, you are ready to use MWA to analyze your data using easy-to-read dashboards, or to generate the required forms. It’s that easy.

Using the dashboards

The dashboards, which require online access, provide a number of important resources including:

• Monitoring–After launching your online dashboards and analysis, use the workforce monitoring dashboards to track important details for the ACA.
• Pay or Play Calculator–Use the Pay or play calculator to decide whether to pay penalties or offer your full-time employees affordable healthcare coverage.
• Employee Information–Reviewing your employees’ healthcare benefit coverage, affordability analysis, subsidies, and variable hour employee status is easy with these reports and summaries available from your online dashboards and analysis.

How to generate forms

The Generate Forms panel can be used create forms, import employees’ covered individuals, and review already generated forms:

• Define the form set you want to generate by calendar year and employer
• Define whether your employees were offered healthcare and the type of healthcare coverage you offered
• Define information for employees who are newly hired, rehired, and variable hour
• Import using the dependents and beneficiaries from your Sage HR program, or import covered individuals using a file 

What we’ve learned in the field

Learning from experience is a good thing. Learning from the experience of others may save you time. Clients and consultants shared these tips from their MWA implementation experiences:

• MWA is only compatible with Abra Suite version 9.2X or higher or Sage HRMS 10.5(2015) or higher.
• Covered individuals only populate 1095-C section III if employer is self-insured.
• Dependents need to have SSN and DOB populated to correctly populate 1095-C.
• MWA will operate with HR\PR, PR only, and HR only Sage installs.
• Payroll only installs will not have access to the product dashboards.
• Internet access is needed for the Dashboards to operate.
• Import templates are available in the Sage MWA HELP menu.
• MWA does not support the 1094-C Part 4; however, the created PDF can be edited where Aatrix will read it.
• MWA does not provide information for the W-2 DD field.
• MWA does not yet communicate with any Sage product but Abra Suite and HRMS.
• Forms will not be available to Sage ESS.

Where to get more training

Would you like to access more information about installation, implementation, and use of MWA? You have a variety of options. Sage U provides three training videos for MWA found under the product “Sage HRMS.” They are OnDemand Anytime videos available at no cost:

• Using My Workforce Analyzer: Forms – A 9-minute class on how to input necessary information and generate forms 1094-C and 1095-C.
• Using My Workforce Analyzer: A Quick Start Guide – An 8-minute class that will walk you through the guide, view set-up steps, and begin to enter information needed to get started.
• Using My Workforce Analyzer: Analysis – A 12-minute class that will teach you how to view MWA employee information on dashboards and use the “Pay or Play” dashboards to assist in your decision making. 

Sage has also produced a comprehensive help center that provides a knowledge base on using MWA. The IRS has information about ACA for employers on their website, and the Heatlhcare.gov website provides and information page for individuals, families, and small businesses. You can also view our MWA product webpage to get access to the implementation guide and recorded webinar that includes a demonstration of the application.