Monthly Archives: November 2016

California businesses take notice: New state laws will soon affect minimum wage, leave, wage equality, reasonable accommodation and motor carrier requirements. Affected businesses need to stay ahead of the changes or face the consequences. Labor Law Changes Minimum Wage Legislation passed in 2013 raised California’s minimum wage would be increased to $10 per hour, effective January 1, 2016.Continue Reading

They’ve been called cocky, tech-obsessed, entitled and impatient, although the same traits have also been described as confidence, tech-savviness and openness to change. These are the qualities of youth — regardless of generation — yet we’re told Millennials are a different breed. Just how different is a matter of perspective. And to motivate them theContinue Reading

Businesses have many options when it comes to choosing a company retirement plan. Many opt for employer-sponsored defined contributions plans like a 401(k) or profit sharing scheme, any of which can bring big benefits to employees and business owners alike. Ensuring a good return, however, involves more than stashing money and waiting for it toContinue Reading

Social media use is so ingrained in our behavior that employers need policies to manage employees’ online behavior—both on the clock and off. Although businesses that prohibit social media risk more than irking affected tweeters, allowing employees unfettered access can lead to reduced efficiency and heightened risk of liability exposure. In crafting a social mediaContinue Reading

Health care is expensive for businesses. Those who go through insurance companies must deal with rising premiums and growing uncertainty. And the ones that self-fund health benefits are only so insulated from increasing costs. In the search to buttress the bottom line, corporate wellness programs are doing a good job of improving worker health soContinue Reading

Companies with defined contribution or insurance benefit plans have many compliance issues, including the need to report the details of their benefits programs to government agencies. To satisfy the requirements of the IRS and Department of Labor (DOL), businesses must complete and submit Form 5500 during each plan year. Form 5500 FAQ Companies with definedContinue Reading

In accordance with the ACA, businesses converging on (or near to) the 50 employee mark may have difficulty determining if they are subject to new annual ACA reporting beginning in 2016. Use this infographic to see if your business qualifies as an ‘Applicable Large Employer’ and determine the steps to take for accurate ACA reporting. Click here to download asContinue Reading

One part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that has business owners shifting toward offering more voluntary benefits is the Cadillac Tax. Due to go into effect in 2018, this 40 percent levy on “high cost” health care plans was created to offset the costs of the ACA. Exposure to the tax is based onContinue Reading

Thanks to changes in workplace law and economic pressures raising health care costs, employers are now leveraging the workplace to improve employee health more than ever before. Today’s workplace wellness programs offer more than just fruit in the vending machines; they take direct aim at employee’s blood pressure, cholesterol, body-mass index and smoking habits. 10Continue Reading

Insurance costs are increasing and employers are feeling the sting. To save costs, many businesses are increasingly doing the exact thing insurance is designed to avoid: self-funding their own benefits programs. One painful reform having a large impact on workplace benefits is the Cadillac Tax, which is designed to help fund the Affordable Care ActContinue Reading

Managing employee turnover isn’t the most glamorous part of running a company. Preparing to open up a vacancy can be just as taxing as filling one. Having a strategy to conduct exit interviews can ensure a smooth and amicable transition for both company and employee. And it might just glean the kind of honest feedback thatContinue Reading

Crafting an effective job description is vital for hiring the right people and managing them once hired. “Effective” isn’t the same as “complex”; a written summary of a person’s job should strive to outline the essential functions, set performance goals, and provide a definition of success upon which both employer and employee can agree. WhatContinue Reading