In This Issue:

• Message From The Secretary
• Message From The Executive Director
• Helpful Reminders for Licensees
• eNewsroom
• On the Road to Better Business

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Message From The Secretary

Dear Friend:

On July 31, Governor Charlie Crist appointed me to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Governor Crist understands the importance of creating a business friendly environment that also regards the safety and protection of the consumer as a top priority. I am eager to continue to serve the people of Florida and our business community and professionals in my new capacity as Secretary. I will draw upon my experience in the Department as the former Deputy Secretary of Business Regulation and Interim Secretary to continue to advance our mission to license efficiently and regulate fairly.

We've made tremendous progress over the past year, and I'm dedicated to maintaining this momentum. We know that serving you is the first step to providing great service to the people of Florida. That's why we've focused on changes that improve customer service, streamline processes, open communications with licensees and the public, and lead to better business practices.

One of the most crucial adjustments to business practices at the Department was the implementation of the Document Imaging System. The project is in its final phases, and it ultimately provides for a more streamlined and centralized application process that results in faster licensing and better service for you. I thank Governor Charlie Crist and the Legislature for providing $2.5 million to complete this project in Fiscal Year 2008/2009, which helps take care of businesses and professionals throughout Florida.

Our quest to improve customer service is never over. In an effort to reach our licensees who are located throughout the state, I'm taking our business on the road in the "On the Road to Better Business" tour this summer and early fall. This tour will provide the opportunity for you to meet with me and my staff to ask questions and provide input and suggestions. I will hold office hours for customers to come and meet with me at a Department office in their communities. Please look forward to more information to come.

I continue to uphold our mission to "License Efficiently. Regulate Fairly." I understand and value that licensees have unique insight into how we do business and ways we can build upon existing practices, and I look forward to hearing your feedback.

Thank you for all that you do for the people and economy of our great state.

Sincerely,

Charles W. Drago
Secretary

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Message From The Executive Director
Richard “Rick” Morrison

Rule 61G7-10.0014, Florida Administrative Code, allows employee leasing companies or their client companies to maintain workers’ compensation policies on leased employees if they so choose.  The rule reads in part:

Applicants for licensure and licensees seeking renewal of their licenses will meet this reporting requirement if they submit evidence that their leased employees are covered by any one of the following methods or any combination thereof:

(a) Through a contractual relationship with an insurance carrier that is admitted in the State of Florida to provide workers’ compensation coverage to leased employees;

(b) Through a lawful plan of self-insurance which provides workers’ compensation coverage; or

(c) Through the clients of the employee leasing company via an insurance carrier that is admitted in the State of Florida to provide workers’ compensation coverage to leased employees or through a lawful plan of self-insurance which provides workers’ compensation to leased employees so long as such an arrangement is permitted by the Board approved employee leasing contract.

Because the Board does not have jurisdiction over employee leasing client companies and could not regulate or hold them responsible for all leased employees, the Board required employee leasing companies to maintain a master a workers’ compensation policy at all times.  The Board recently amended subsection (3) of the rule to requires that licensees submit quarterly statements on the new quarterly compliance reporting form (DBPR form #4522 located at http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/pro/emplo/documents/el-4522_enterable.pdf ).  With this amendment, licensees will no longer be required to maintain a master policy when the client companies maintain worker’s compensation coverage for their leased employees.  

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Helpful Reminders for Licensees

Critical Dates

QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORTS: Each employee leasing company shall submit, not later than 75 days after the end of each calendar quarter, a statement to the Board of Employee Leasing Companies affirming that it is in compliance with Section 468.525(3)(d), Florida Statutes, in that it is maintaining positive working capital and accounting net worth and has adequate reserves to pay, when due, all payroll taxes, workers’ compensation and health insurance premiums, and amounts due under any plan of self-insurance or partial self-insurance.

ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORTS: Each employee leasing company shall submit, not later than 120 days after their fiscal year end, a copy of their current fiscal year-end financial statements, prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, which shall include a statement of income and retained earnings, balance sheet, statement of changes in financial position (cash flows), and applicable footnotes.

The financial statements must reflect positive working capital and positive accounting net worth, as required in Section 468.525(3), Florida Statutes.

Financial statements which are not audited must be accompanied by a completed Form DBPR EL 4503, entitled Employee Leasing Company Attestation to Financial Statement, as required in Rule 61G7-5.003, Florida Administrative Code (FAC), and should meet the requirements of a reviewed financial statement as set forth in Rule 61G7-5.0032, FAC.  You may access the form online at

http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/pro/emplo/forms.html

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT ON GROSS FLORIDA PAYROLL: As required by Florida statute 468.526(3), the Department of Business and Professional Regulation shall assess each employee leasing company and each employee leasing company group an annual assessment fee based upon the preceding calendar year’s gross Florida payroll of the company or group.  The assessment shall be due on April 1 of each year and shall become delinquent after April 30.

An assessment form will be mailed to your address of record approximately 30 days prior to the assessment due date.

BIENNIUM LICENSE RENEWAL: Please be advised that licenses for Employee leasing companies and controlling persons must be renewed before March 1, of even years.  A renewal notice will be mailed to your address of record approximately 60 days prior to the renewal date.

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eNewsroom

Check out DBPR's eNewsroom, your source for important Department news and information. Here, you can watch public service announcements, read news releases, and subscribe to and flip through our publications.

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On the Road to Better Business

Here at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, we understand how valuable your feedback is to our business practices. No one can provide better insight into how well the Department functions than the end-user. In an effort to bridge the communications gap and bring a piece of the Department right to the customers we serve, we are beginning the “On the Road to Better Business” tour.

During “On the Road to Better Business,” Secretary Charles W. Drago will hit the road and work from district offices across the state providing opportunities for you to meet with him. You will be able to share your experiences with the Department and offer suggestions on how to enhance business. The Department’s mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly, and we recognize that providing great service to our customers means supporting Florida’s economy. 

Please visit our Web site frequently to see when Secretary Drago will be in an area near you. 

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