Human Capital Management Blog

In his recent legal update to the Capital Region Human Resources Association, nationally acclaimed labor attorney, John Bagyi, shared a number of regulatory topics impacting employers across NY State. He saved the best for last: New York Paid Family Leave. Regarding the dynamic nature of the regulation, which goes into effect on January 1, 2018, Bagyi remarks, “There is a lot of inconsistent information still coming out…it’s going to be a bumpy road. This is one of those policies I would write in pencil.”

On September 28, 2017, the IRS released the new forms 1095-C and 1094-C to be used for mandatory 2017 reporting.  The 1095-C and 1094-C are used by Applicable Large Employer groups under the Affordable Care Act to fulfill IRS Code Section 6055 and 6056 reporting requirements. In laymans terms, they communicate: To whom did you offer health benefits? Was it affordable? Did it provide minimum value? Unless you're a new ALE in 2017, this should be old-hat by now. Here's what you need to know for 2017.

The new ACA affordability rate released by the IRS took a slight twist for 2018—it went down this year. For employers, this means that depending on the affordability safe harbor you are using, you may be contributing more toward employees than in previous years. Of course, in most cases we’re looking at a change in contribution of a few dollars per month. For example, an employer using the W2 safe harbor, when considering a $30,000 salaried employee, will have to pay an additional $3.25/month or $39 annually, should he or she be toeing the affordability line to stay compliant.

Whether the goal is lowering medical claims, reducing absenteeism, or increasing employee morale, participation will always drive a successful wellness program.

Chronic health conditions in the workforce have increased 25% in the last decade. With 86% of the nation’s health care costs going to treatment of chronic conditions (diabetes, cancer, COPD), that’s an expensive figure for employers. Increased chronic health conditions may have a more immediate cost impact to self-insured employers, but everyone is subject to the increased absenteeism, employee fatigue, and productivity loss associated with poor health. Improving workforce health is only accomplished through smarter decisions at the employee level. Here are 3 ways employers can combat chronic conditions by helping employees to make smarter personal health choices.

Applying yesterday’s health plan strategy to today’s market can produce some rotten emotions around renewal season. If you find yourself or your staff murmuring one or more of the following, you might be ripe for considering a new health plan strategy.

Dropping a quick update to clarify some recent confusion regarding the state of Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employer and Individual Mandate penalties.

Founder-enthusiasm can fuel a business, but sooner or later you need greater incentives than high-fives and no-shave Fridays to attract the talent you need to grow. But with the rising costs of healthcare, it’s getting harder to offer attractive benefits, especially when you’re just emerging from a startup phase. While employer-sponsored health insurance still ranks in the top 3 most important employee benefits, more employers are looking to affordable ways of enhancing their benefits packages. Here are 10 low cost benefits to consider when looking to gain an edge in the competition for top talent.