Looking backward can actually help you plan forward and make the most of your health care dollars for the coming year.
Recently, the President signed a bill repealing the Affordable Care Act’s Individual Mandate (the tax penalty imposed on individuals who are not enrolled in health insurance). While some are praising this action, there are others who are concerned with its aftermath. So how does this affect you and why should you pay attention to this … Continued
Are you an employer that offers or provides group health coverage to your workers? Does your health plan cover outpatient prescription drugs — either as a medical claim or through a card system? If so, be sure to distribute your plan’s Medicare Part D notice before October 15. Purpose Medicare began offering “Part D” plans … Continued
Question: How do we handle overtime pay calculations for hourly employees when they receive nondiscretionary bonuses? Answer: A nondiscretionary bonus is a bonus based on an employee meeting criteria such as production, sales, quality, efficiency, or other performance standards. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that overtime pay be calculated based on an hourly employee’s … Continued
It’s typical to have mixed feelings about the annual benefits open enrollment period. Dread for the additional administrative workload and potential benefits cost increases… Anticipation of newer, more attractive, and easier to administer plans… It makes for a fall season that causes many HR professionals and benefits brokers to drown their misery in pumpkin spice lattes. … Continued
On August 31, 2018, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Departments of Labor and Treasury to make it easier for employers to offer retirement and savings programs. The majority of workers are employed at small businesses where they are less likely to have access to 401(k) plans and other retirement plans than workers … Continued
IRS Permits Student Loan Repayment Benefit as Part of Employer’s 401(K) On August 17, 2018, the federal Internal Revenue Service released a private ruling letter (Number 201833012) concluding that an employer may amend its 401(k) plan to provide student loan repayments (SLR) nonelective contributions under the program without violating the “contingent benefit” prohibitions of 26 … Continued
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) heard several cases with employment implications during their 2018 session, including the following four cases we covered in detail. (Click the case names to read the full articles.) Encino Motorcars, LLC v. Navarro: Encino shifted the burden of proof in Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime exemption … Continued
NLRB Provides Insight on How it Will Address Employer Policies On July 13, 2018, the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) released three advice memos providing guidance to employers about how the NLRB will evaluate handbook policies and work rules under the new Boeing standard established in December 2017. These … Continued
We are halfway through our summer break and by now you have heard 1,000 times, “I’m bored!” from your kids! How do you survive the summer and keep your sanity? Follow these tips to make this summer break memorable and tackle the challenge of keeping your kids engaged. Keep A Routine Kids thrive with schedules. … Continued