Group health insurance policies are seen to be growing in popularity across the country, and this may be because there are some serious advantages to these policies rather than individual ones. Not only are they often cheaper than individual coverage in many states, but small company’s find them easier to manage. For example, there will be a monthly combined bill, uniform and regulated coverage for each employee along with many tax benefits. This ease of coverage is encouraging more and more small businesses to find out if they qualify for group health insurance:
Group health insurance coverage for employees, is offered by companies to those staff members who are eligible, and close family members may also be included. This is naturally seen as a benefit of working for a company, and many employees will consider the health insurance package on offer, before they accept a position within a company.
If you’re an employer searching for hot new talent for your company, you’ll likely already know that many candidates will be looking for an employer that offers them benefits such as health insurance. While you may not have to provide it by law (if you have fewer than 50 employees), offering health insurance to employees is a great way to boost both engagement and morale, and encourage them to be loyal to your company.
The Affordable Care Act, or ACA, continues to be scaled back as we progress into 2019, raising many questions about changes to the law. Read on to find out what you need to know as an employer, to comply with the ACA in 2019:
It’s absolutely possible to keep health insurance costs to a minimum for you, as the owner of a business, and your employees, while still ensuring that everyone gets the coverage they deserve. Here are 6 money saving health insurance tips for small businesses:
The U.S. is suffering from a stress epidemic quite unlike any other, with recent studies showing that more than ¾’s of the population suffer on a regular basis from stress related to work. Resulting in both mental and physical illness - or at the very least, exacerbating existing mental and physical health conditions – work-related stress can not only cause immense suffering for the individual, but for employers and entire companies, also. Stressed out employees typically aren’t as productive in their roles, and often struggle to work well as part of a team. For employers, this is of course bad news, and with mental health and stress related conditions taking up to as much as 8% of spending nationally on healthcare, it’s a financial headache, as well.
As the owner of a small business, should you be offering your employees life insurance? Here we look in a little more detail at life insurance and what types are available:
The ongoing health crisis has put employers the world over, under immense strain, and added to the existing challenges of managing the health care costs of employees. However, for employers who keep their business heads on while shopping for health care benefits, take advantage of digital health technologies and partner with hospitals and physicians, may be able to weather the storm better than others.
The Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement or QSEHRA, is a new and increasingly popular health insurance option created back in December of 2016. In much the same way as HRA’s, the QSEHRA enables business with fewer than 50 employees to offer their workers a monthly allowance of tax-free money. The employees then opt and pay for health care – which can include personal insurance policies – and the employer reimburses them up to their allowance amount. In this way, businesses can better control their budget, while still giving their workers a meaningful benefit.
If you’re new to the world of business, or have recently begun taking on employees, you may have some questions surrounding workers compensation insurance, here are a few of them along with their answers:
Workers compensation insurance is required by U.S. state law for most employers, and this is solely to protect both employers and employees, should they happen to injure themselves in the workplace or fall sick while at work. But what is exactly is covered by this insurance?
The magnitude of the current health crisis is beyond anything we have seen previously in our lifetime, and the impact it’s having upon so many of us, is truly unprecedented. While many struggle simply to meet their daily survival needs, others are looking to the future and wondering where it will take them, and what the long-term effects of such a pandemic will have upon them and their loved ones.
If you’re the owner of a small business, you’ll know that for the most part, the key to success lies in having a good workforce. However, it could be said that you only get out what you put in, and if your employees don’t feel valued and appreciated, then your business just may not become successful.
If you’re the owner of a business, anyone working for you should be covered by workers compensation insurance, whether they’re only part-time, employed on a seasonal basis, or even a family member, and it’s important to remember that whenever your business is open, you must have insurance in place.
If you’re the new owner of a business, or of a business that has grown to take on a workforce of employees, you may want to know more about workers compensation insurance.
It’s usually a given that businesses will do their utmost to make sure that their employees have a safe environment in which to work in, but that cannot always prevent accidents from happening. Should something untoward happen to an employee while in the workplace as a direct result of health and safety negligence, then it’s vital that as an employer, you have a sound worker’s compensation policy, since this will help to protect you, your business and your workforce.
Expediting the transformation of employer-sponsored health care benefits, the COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst for several changes to group health coverage, some of which are discussed in more detail below:
Expediting the transformation of employer-sponsored health care benefits, the COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst for several changes to group health coverage, some of which are discussed in more detail below:
As with offering your employees health insurance coverage, offering retirement benefits is a great way to boost your compensation package, and both attract and retain a valued workforce. In some instances, small business owners can even take advantage of retirement plans for themselves.
While healthcare for most individuals isn’t usually straightforward, health benefits for employees are notoriously complex, often leaving the recipient unable to understand the level of care they’re entitled to, what the coverage includes and where to find the appropriate provider, let alone able to navigate the insurance claims process.
While healthcare for most individuals isn’t usually straightforward, health benefits for employees are notoriously complex, often leaving the recipient unable to understand the level of care they’re entitled to, what the coverage includes and where to find the appropriate provider, let alone able to navigate the insurance claims process.
Attracting and retaining employees is tough for many American businesses, and it’s not getting any easier, especially if you’re seeking to find the very best talent for your vacant roles. Benefits packages have always been a great way of incentivizing employees, and health insurance coverage is just one of many benefits that candidates look for when applying for jobs and deciding whether to remain with an employer, or move on and search for a better benefits package elsewhere.
A well-run HR department can be of inherent value to any business, large or small, and once you begin to appreciate this fact and invest in HR, you’ll find that your employees become more empowered and more productive. Great health insurance is more than a gift to employees, it’s a reason for them to stay loyal to the company, to work harder and to feel more valued as a worker; in turn, as an employer, you get to reap all the rewards of an invigorated workforce.
When it comes to purchasing group health insurance for your small business, the rules are very different to individual or family coverage, and you may not even know if your business qualifies for it. Outlined below are a few basic questions, that when answered, should help to point you in the right direction if you’re buying group health insurance for your employees:
A form of insurance that pays workers should they injure themselves at work or become disabled as a result of their job, workers compensation plans offer coverage of medical fees related to those injuries, and when an employee accepts the insurance coverage, they waive their right to sue their employer.
Controlling rising healthcare costs and improving the overall standard of care that your employees receive, is only possible if you understand and manage the whole health experience. Having one carrier provide you with benefits for medical, behavioural, stop-loss and pharmacy, can give you a much more integrated view and help you to manage a successful health care program.
Background screening for employees is usually divided into 3 parts: public record searches, verifications and drug screening, and with the ongoing health crisis, each part is affected differently:
Did you know that if your business doesn’t carry valid workers compensation insurance, then you could be liable to face criminal prosecution and costly fines, and it could even result in litigation? If your business is small and only has one employee, for example, you must still carry workers compensation insurance for them, even if they are on a temporary contract. However, many employers and business owners are either not aware that state law requires them to carry insurance, or they have found it too costly to purchase in tough economic times.
With so many aspects of business changing due to the ongoing health crisis, employees and their employers are facing a multitude of financial hardships that will undoubtedly have a significant impact upon such benefits as qualified retirement plans.
Having workers compensation coverage is required by law in the majority of states throughout the US, but aside from that, having it helps to get injured employees back to work as quickly, and safely as possible; a win-win for both parties. This is why the development of an effective workers compensation program is vital for any company, no matter its size. To achieve this though, it’s important to be aware of the latest trends in this form of insurance, and with the global pandemic hitting many countries hard, after-effects of this are anticipated to have an impact on the insurance industry as a whole, well into 2021.
Many company owners have begun using a ‘digital first’ approach to business, leading to significant changes in workers compensation trends. As we continue into 2019 in fact, the entire insurance industry will see major shifts, and keeping up with these trends will be essential for all involved.
There are few aspects of HR workflows that haven’t been impacted by the ongoing health pandemic, COVID-19, and pre-employment background checks are no exception. Courts and other facilities for accessing public records have been closed, and laboratories for drug-testing have been too, or at the very least, been very hard to get access to.
Often shortened to ‘workers comp,’ the system of workers compensation that providesmedical care and protection of income to those employees who fall ill or injure themselves as a result of their job, is one that greatly benefits both employer and employee.
Choosing how often to pay your employees isn’t as simple as picking a schedule randomly; the payroll schedule you opt for can actually have a significant impact on your business and its cash flow, and careful consideration should be made before deciding.
Employees are facing a lot of stress these days, and financial worries are often at the forefront of their minds. The cost of living is growing exponentially, and more and more American workers are struggling to manage their debts and support their families with less money, and more expense. As a result, planning for the future has taken something of a backseat, and saving for retirement couldn’t be further from most employees minds, no matter their age.
Employees need to be paid, no matter how busy you are as the owner of a company, and no matter how many employees you may have. And as no business can function without them, ensuring that employees are paid accurately for the work they’ve carried out for you, and in a timely manner, is absolutely imperative.
Keeping a workforce happy and productive often takes a lot of effort on the part of companies and their HR teams, but it’s rare that it isn’t worth that effort.
Investing in background checks for potential employees can often be worthwhile, but without really knowing what you’re looking for and understanding what type of action you’re permitted to take based upon the findings, they’re not always as helpful as they might seem.
Nowadays, businesses have been forced to evolve in order to become less decentralized and a lot more flexible, especially in light of the way in which the entire world is more connected now than ever before.
Payroll is vital for the smooth running of any business, and is about so much more than calculating employee salaries – although that alone can be a daunting task depending on the size of your company. As such, many businesses seek help to make sure they get payroll right, and remain within the confines of the various tax and employee laws.
Nowadays, businesses have been forced to evolve in order to become less decentralized and a lot more flexible, especially in light of the way in which the entire world is more connected now than ever before.
As a tumultuous and challenging 2020 is now firmly behind us, it’s time to look forward to the year ahead and the 4 biggest new trends in HR that are set to change the way we work over the coming months:
If you’re just starting out as a business owner, and haven’t yet got to grips with the ins and outs of workers compensation, here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions:
Human resources compliance best practices are a set of actions that an organization should take to ensure its compliance with federal, state and local laws. The term "best practices" refers to a standard that has been proven effective in improving performance or efficiency. It can apply to any organization that must comply with the same laws or regulations.
When compared to bigger companies, small businesses face a whole host of unique challenges, many of which they may not have the funds or resources to handle effectively in the same manner as a large business might.
If you’re a small business owner with employees, hiring an outsourced payroll service is always going to be beneficial, regardless of how many people you actually employ. Not only does outsourcing relieve you of the burden of running payroll, but it also alleviates the stress of maintaining compliance, and filing state, federal and local taxes on time, and accurately.
The scope of human resources has altered greatly in recent years, expanding and evolving alongside changes to functionality in organizations, team management and employee expectations related to work. Now, more than ¾ way through 2020, several trends have been appearing in HR that look set to transform the workforce and the workplace for the future:
With technology and workplace practices advancing at an increased pace every year (if not every month), the need for professionals to keep apace of developments and new techniques to be able to perform their roles effectively, is growing. The most effective way to ensure that this happens and employees are able to increase their knowledge and skillset, is with regular, ongoing training.
Payroll can be incredibly complex, even if you only employ a small number of people, and without professional intervention and assistance, mistakes can easily occur, and problems can quickly build up.
Employee retirement plans are still proving a popular incentive for many employees. For employers, there are a number of advantages to be had from offering a 401(k) employer match as part of an employee retirement plan, and three of the most important are listed below: