By: Patty Hilger

Have you ever confused a W-2, W-3, or W-4? Or maybe you’re not sure about the difference between FMLA, FSA, and FLSA. For employers and employees, there are myriad HR terms to know and understand. This cheat sheet explains several common human resource acronyms.

  1. 1099: A form that reports income from self employment earnings, interest and dividends, government payments, and more. (TurboTax)
  2. 401(k): Retirement plans named for the section of the tax code that governs them. (WSJ)
  3. ACA: Affordable Care Act (see also PPACA)
  4. ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act
  5. AD&D: Accidental death and dismemberment
  6. ADEA: Age Discrimination in Employment Act
  7. COBRA: Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
  8. DOL: Department of Labor
  9. EAP: Employee Assistance Program
  10. EEOC: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  11. ERISA: Employee Retirement Income Security Act
  12. ESAC: Employer Services Assurance Corporation
  13. FLSA: Fair Labor Standard Act
  14. FMLA: Family Medical Leave Act
  15. FSA: Flexible Spending Account
  16. HDHP: High Deductible Health Plan
  17. HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
  18. HR: Human Resources
  19. HSA: Health Savings Account
  20. I-9: A form used for verifying the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. (USCIS)
  21. IRA: Individual Retirement Account
  22. IRS: Internal Revenue Service
  23. IRCA: Immigration Reform and Control Act
  24. OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Act
  25. PEO: Professional Employer Organization
  26. PPACA: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Affordable Care Act (ACA)
  27. SUTA: State Unemployment Tax Authority
  28. USERRA: Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
  29. W-2: A form that shows the amount of taxes withheld from your paycheck for the year and is used to file your federal and state taxes. (TurboTax)
  30. W-3: A transmittal which is forwarded to the Social Security Administration, showing total earnings, Medicare wages, Social Security wages, and withholding for all employees encompassing the entire year. (IRS)
  31. W-4: A form used by employers to withhold the proper amount of federal income tax from employees’ paychecks. (IRS)

Now, I know I didn’t include every acronym in this cheat sheet. Which ones did I miss? Leave a comment below with your suggestions.