Tag: healthcare

How to Build Winning Wellness Plans

Seven in ten employers say developing a workplace culture where employees are responsible for their health is a top priority. Building a great wellness program is the key to reducing healthcare costs, says Mari Ryan, CEO and founder of AdvancingWellness in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Outsourcing—Attractive Solution, But …

From payroll issues to retirement plans, employers must navigate complex legal technicalities to stay compliant with ever-changing laws. For many small- to mid-sized businesses, this can be a heavy burden to bear.   More and more companies are opting to outsource tasks, roles, and even whole departments. This can have many advantages, such as: Saving […]

Forward-Looking HR Metrics Let You Act Before Problems Arise

HR activities, such as training, staffing, orientation, discipline, and benefits, are difficult to directly connect to operational performance metrics, such as sales, profitability, costs, delivery, quality, and service. And they tend to be reactive, not proactive. Consultant Rick Buchman shows you how to connect the dots.

New DSM-5 Definitions: Some May Affect the Workplace

Recently, the American Psychiatric Association published its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5). DSM-5 includes several diagnostic categories not present in past editions. In practice, this may mean that more employees may now qualify for protection under the ADA than ever before, and that means you must be at the ready […]

Are You Required to Provide Health Insurance Under the ACA?

As most employers know, many of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions have already started to go into effect. Others, like penalties for employers, have been delayed. But in general, do you know whether you’re required to provide health insurance to employees? The answer may surprise you.

Chronic Conditions—Frustrating, Annoying? Yes, But You Must Accommodate

One of the most challenging tasks in HR is dealing with lifelong illnesses or chronic conditions under the FMLA and ADA. But you have no choice, says Attorney Patricia Eyres. What Is a Chronic Condition? What is a “Chronic Condition” for purposes of leaves, accommodations, and performance management? Eyres says that it is a disease […]

‘Jobocalypse’ Will Make Most (Human) Workers Obsolete

Robots and androids will replace the majority of human jobs in the next few decades, according to the new book, Jobocalypse: The End of Human Jobs and How Robots Will Replace Them, by British author and futurologist Ben Way.  Where will that leave “human” resources? Even jobs that were considered “safe” from outsourcing may be […]

Can an Early Settlement Avert Collective Actions? (Maybe)

In Genesis Healthcare Corp. v. Symczyk, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that, at least in this case, action by the employer to offer a settlement “mooted” the collection action, says Brinkerhoff. (A case is “moot” when the issue has been resolved, and the case is no longer “live.”) Brinkerhoff, who is an associate in the […]

Healthcare Benefits—What’s Really Happening in 2014?

Please participate in our brief survey and see how what you are doing stacks up against what other successful companies are doing. We’ll get answers to these questions and more: How do 2014 plans compare to 2013? How are businesses dealing with the ACA? What types of health insurance plans are being offered in 2014? […]