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Ensure That Your California Business Is Compliant

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Proposed HR Compliance Laws

California law makers are currently reviewing several proposed laws that effect employers of all sizes (and not necessarily in a good way.)  The following laws are likely to become effective within the next 12 months.

  • Paid Sick Leave Expansion (AB 2841) – This bill would expand the current paid sick leave law on the books per county to 10 days (80 hours) of paid sick leave.
  • Employment Protection for Medical Marijuana Users (AB 2069) – This bill would amend the Fair Employment and Housing Act to make it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to take adverse action against an applicant or employee. All because of a positive drug test for marijuana (by a medical marijuana cold holder) or because of one’s status as a medical marijuana card holder.

[An employer may still discipline an employee for being under the influence while working or being on the employer’s property. Key change relates to the area of employee accommodations. Exceptions would be made from employers who would lose a license or monetary benefit under federal law.]

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Get Informed on Rising Health Care Costs

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 Association Based Health Insurance – A Cure For Small Group?

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers that do not meet the 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employee threshold to be Applicable Large Employers (ALEs), are not required to offer health coverage. Nor do they face penalties. Not surprisingly, as a result, smaller businesses often do not offer coverage.

New regulations proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) want to change that dynamic. And in a thriving economy, where unemployment means retention is key, health insurance is a key driver in employee acquisition and retention.

Up to 11 million Americans working for small businesses or who are sole proprietors and their families lack employer-sponsored insurance. The DOL hopes new rules on HOW healthcare plans are purchased will close the gap of uninsured Americans; without eliminating options available in the healthcare marketplace.

New Rules

The proposed regulations will allow small business health plans—known as Association Health Plans (AHP)—to expand under The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). This may allow the self-employed and other small businesses to band together to form their own associations for the purposes of providing healthcare coverage.

AHPs would be required to accept all applicants and could not deny individuals with pre-existing conditions or charge more for people who are sick. However, they could reduce prescription drug coverage and increase coverage in other categories to compensate for the reduction, the effect of which would be to increase costs for chronic care patients.

The employer members of these plans would need to be in the same trade, industry, line of business, profession, or to have their principal place of business in the same state, or, if in multiple states, in the same metropolitan area.

Under the current regulations, an AHP is considered a single plan only if the association has a purpose or function unrelated to offering healthcare benefits and the employer members have a common economic interest. So, few options exist and all have to comply with the ACA’s “essential benefit rules”.

The end result of these new rules, or so the thinking goes, is that this will make premiums more affordable. The trade-off is that these health insurance plans would be less extensive then what is usually required by health insurance plans offered by the current marketplace. Lots of review and legislation await the proposed offering of new association plans. However, they offer a glimmer of home to the problem of rising health insurance costs.

HR Technology: What’s All The Hype?

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Technological Innovations

Working with HR technology has never been more exciting. HR is evolving, as is the technology that supports it. It is empowering to provide businesses with technology that can help manage the people side of their organization. Technological innovations have created the opportunity for HR departments to generate a far greater impact than ever before. HR technology trends in 2018 are creating unparalleled automation for achieving stronger cohesion and communication. In addition, they will undoubtedly attract millennial workers, while also maintaining familiarity with the older generation.

HR automation technology eliminates paperwork, manages compliance, onboards new hires, tracks PTO, benefits enrollment and communication Applicant tracking, document signing, performance management, terminations, ACA compliance, documentation management, and list goes on!

Every Company Can Benefit from a Solid HR Technology Platform

In todays business world, it’s critical for even the smallest companies to be compliant and create effenciencies so they may thrive in a competitive market. Prior to the internet, HR recruiters had to rely on print publications to post jobs and find qualified candidates. Technology has revolutionized and globalized the way in which we find these qualified candidates.

Electronic imaging has made it feasible for companies to retrieve and store files in electronic format. HR technology makes it easy to simply print any necessary forms that an employee may need from a central digital library.

Increased performance management is yet another byproduct of technological improvement. With the use of metrics, companies can ensure that employees are meeting performance standards; based on these metrics, employers can either implement additional training, or transition the employee out of their position.

With all of these developments, business leaders would be wise to understand these technology trends that will shape the year ahead, and far beyond. As a result, companies are vastly improving their strategic recruiting, performance management, employee development, social networking, and internal employee communications – all vital business issues.

This is a very compelling time to be in business, especially with all of the technological options available to business owners – and they will continue to get more and more innovative!

Success and Preparation Go Hand In Hand

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What is the greatest exposure for most business owners? Failing to plan.

Lots of business owners wake up at 2:00 am, worried and fearful, unable to go back to sleep, because they are consumed with the challenges facing their business and their families: What happens if I get sick? What happens if I can’t meet overhead? If my largest client goes out of business?  If something, happens to my partner, wife, child or a parent? How will I retire? Who will succeed my business? If my lead-sales person leaves? Do I have a backup plan? The list goes on and on, right??

It takes a lifetime to build a business and it takes a moment for it to fall apart. According to Success Harbor and the U.S. Census Bureau, 400,000 new businesses are started every year in the USA, but 470,000 are dying and around half of all businesses no longer exist after five years. Only one-third make it past their tenth anniversary

All it takes is an unexpected death, an unforeseen illness, or a key personnel departure. Business owners must understand the possibilities, prepare for the risks, and plan for their continuity and succession. Protecting the business means protecting the families that depend on your business. The financial stability is interconnected. We understand this because we live it ourselves.

Are You Prepared?

We don’t have to look far to see the challenges that business owners face. Entrepreneurs face these dilemmas each day and we see family members get sick, become dependents, consume assets and increase the pressure. Success and preparation go hand in hand, and things move quickly in the world these days.

As insurance brokers and advisors, we regularly council with professionals – asking the challenging questions, and provoking dialogues into uncomfortable spaces between wants, needs and priorities. We are the catalyst for business succession, key man retention, insurance planning, and retirement focus. We prompt referrals to our network of professionals and engage your advisors to help you identify and achieve your goals.

Something keeping you up at night, staring at the ceiling? Likely, it’s in our zone of comfort. Comment below or call and let’s have a conversation about the things and people you care most about.

How To Evaluate The Right Benefits Broker: 6 Important Questions To Ask Yourself

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Choosing the right broker can be a daunting task. While all benefits brokers have access to the same carriers and rates, there are value-added services that a skilled benefits broker will also provide; usually at little, or no additional cost. It’s important to take the time to find the right benefits broker for your company’s needs.

To get the most out of your broker partnership, ask yourself these 6 important questions:

1.)  Are you up-to-date on the latest health care reform regulations, receive guidance and the latest developments?

Compliance concerns continue to increase for businesses. Between ERISA and payroll taxes, maintaining compliance is becoming more difficult and frustrating for companies. Here, a benefits broker can become the compliance officer for its clients.

2.)  Do you have support during your open enrollment that includes educational materials, meetings, and other communications?

There is a lot that can go wrong during open enrollment periods and things can get hectic, especially in the coming years as health care reform and political turmoil spiral. Benefit brokers are there to help guide you through the process to make as seamless as possible.

3.)  Who do you call when you’re faced with a complex question from a former employee about COBRA coverage?

 Sure, you can try calling the U.S. Labor Department or the Internal Revenue Service office, but the most effective way to handle their questions, would be to consider calling upon insurance brokers. These skilled and certified professionals will eliminate the painful task of navigating COBRA coverage for existing and former employees.

4.)  Do you know how other companies of your size and demographics are providing benefits to their employees so that you can remain competitive?

In many cases, employers must offer health care in order to remain competitive with other businesses for the most talented employees and avoid fines imposed by health care reform. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires employers with 50 or more full-time employees to offer adequate health coverage or be subject to assessment if their employees receive premium tax credits to purchase their own insurance.

5.)  Are you aware of voluntary and workplace benefits that you can offer without adding significant cost on your end?

Be strategic about cost saving voluntary benefits. Voluntary benefits have long been a relatively simple and inexpensive way to expand the benefits a company can offer employees. With out-of-pocket medical costs growing into the tens of thousands of dollars, voluntary benefits can extend this type of financial protection to health care.

6.)  How do you educate employees about how to make the most out of their benefits and do you have an online platform to access?

Education, especially when it comes to ones’ health is especially important. By explaining and guiding your employees on the different benefit plans offered, it can help them appreciate having access to coverage in the first place. But to really help employees feel comfortable with their benefit plans, we strongly suggest providing ongoing and consistent education throughout the year.

The above is only a sliver of the value-added services your benefits broker should offer. If your current broker isn’t providing all the above, feel free to reach out to us. We’re a full-service brokerage firm offering insurance, technology, and compliance solutions for all facets of your business

Ask us how you can spend less time on the broadening workload of benefits enrollment, payroll, & compliance and more time on growing your business. Contact us today, or learn more about CorpStrat HR and CorpStrat Payroll.

California Employer Health Benefits: Workers Pay The Price

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Heidi Whitmore and Jon Gabel, NORC at the University of Chicago June 2016

A majority of Californians rely on their employers for health insurance, but many with workplace-sponsored coverage are faced with reduced benefits and increased costs.

The percentage of employers offering coverage has continued to decline in California, while coverage rates have remained stable. Only 57% of firms reported providing health insurance to employees in 2015, down from 69% in 2000. Twenty-seven percent of California firms reported that they reduced benefits or increased cost sharing, and 41% of firms reported that they were very or somewhat likely to increase employees’ premium contribution in the next year. This trend will have major implications for household budgets.

California Employer Health Benefits: Workers Pay the Price presents data compiled from the 2015 California Employer Health Benefits Survey. Other key findings include:
• The percentage of firms with many low-wage workers (those earning $23,000 or less) offering health coverage to employees more than doubled between 2014 and 2015, from 18% to 42%.
• Health insurance premiums for family coverage grew by 4.5%, a slower growth rate than in recent years. Family coverage premiums have seen a cumulative 216% increase since 2002, compared to a 37% increase in overall prices.
• The average monthly health insurance premium, including the employer contribution, was $573 for single coverage and $1,554 for family coverage in California, and was significantly higher than the national average.
• 4 in 10 workers in small firms faced an annual deductible of at least $1,000 for single coverage, compared to 1 in 10 workers in larger firms.

June 2016 Employer Benefits Study