While other team members may be winding down for the year and preparing to enjoy the holidays, most HR professionals would tell you it's their busiest time of year. There are a significant number of HR tasks to complete in a short period of time to prepare for the upcoming year. It is important for an organization to ensure these end-of-year tasks are completed to set the stage for a successful 2023 and beyond. This list is designed to help you...

As prices continue to rise at the pumps, employees may be considering ditching their personal vehicles and switching to public transportation to get to work. Some employers looking to offer more fringe benefits as a means to attract talent have implemented Commuter Benefits. These accounts are subject to separate monthly limits under the IRS of $280 per account, for a total of $560 per month if the employee elected both accounts to the maximum...

It's no secret that costs are rising for employers to offer their employees health insurance. What can an employer do to stabilize costs and still give employees options? A defined contribution approach in the context of an employer premium strategy can help establish a fixed cost for offering health insurance. Choose Your Number When an employer adopts a defined contribution model, they decide how much money they will allocate towards employees...

Imagine you're in a meeting with your benefits consultant discussing the upcoming medical renewal. Your company offers more than one type of plan to employees so employees can choose what they want based on their needs. However, your consultant warns you about "adverse selection" and talks about how careful steps will need to be taken to avoid it, but what is adverse selection in the first place? Sick in Need is Sick Indeed Adverse selection...

Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? Imagine if instead of becoming a criminal mastermind, Carmen Sandiego instead chose more traditional work. Her love for traveling all over the country is still strong, so Carmen chooses to work all over the country. How does her travel impact her pay? This is where a prevailing wage might come into play. Prevailing wage usually refers to the rate of pay that contractors and vendors must offer their employees...

The "Hidden" Paycheck As an employer, it can be difficult to show an employee the full value of their benefits and compensation. Total Compensation Statements convey the total value of the company's benefit offerings and employee's compensation. They can be used to showcase to an employee their direct and indirect compensation. They highlight how much an employee earned in base salary or hourly wages and bonuses in a given time period (usually a...

Do employers have to allow employees to have religious holidays off? Protections Under Title VII If an employer has 15 or more employees, they must provide reasonable accommodation for employees who wish to observe religious holidays. Even employers with fewer than 15 employees may need to comply with state or local anti-discrimination laws, so it's a best practice not to deny an employee's request too hastily. Title VII of the Civil Rights...

What is the difference between pay compression and pay inversion? Pay Compression Pay compression occurs when a new hire is paid the same as current workers in the same position, or when the pay difference between employee levels shrinks so higher-level workers feel that their salary advantage over newer employees is no longer significant. An example would be if an employee who has worked at the company for one year receives a $1.00 an hour raise...

When is the best time for considering a broker change for your employee benefit plans?  Changing brokers, after all, or strategic benefit advisors as I prefer to describe myself, is a big decision.  Any decision to change should bring with it the hope of better results down the road and a deeper sense of partnership to the mission at hand.  Whether you are looking for new and fresh ideas, a more responsive service team, a more robust suite of...

The EEOC exists to protect employees against undue discrimination that come in many stripes.  A battle between the EEOC and what HIPAA allows and promotes as a “wellness plan” has been going on for several years.  On January 7, 2021 the EEOC released their Proposed Regulations to address the inconsistencies between the two regulatory agencies and hopefully put to bed the conflicts they have created for employers.  We are in the 60-day comment...