Posted by Brandi Bowers on October 30, 2018 in Human Resources
Acronyms! By Maggie Johnson Medical plan terminology such as HMO, EPO, PPO, etc. can be confusing if you’re unfamiliar with health insurance abbreviations. Understanding the meaning of these and other health insurance terminology can be helpful, especially when you are deciding which health benefits are best for your company. Below is a simple explanation for several health insurance terms, beginning with medical plan acronyms: HDHP/CDHP (High Deductible Health Plan/Consumer Directed Health Plan): This plan type typically has significantly lower premiums than other plan types, but also requires much higher deductibles with a minimum deductible of $1,350 for single coverage and $2,700 for family coverage for both 2018 and 2019. A health savings account (HSA) can be used in conjunction with an HDHP/CDHP to pay for any qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses, including deductibles. (Also see HSA below.) HMO (Health Maintenance Organization): An HMO is a network of healthcare...
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Posted by Brandi Bowers on September 21, 2018 in Human Resources
Many employees working in small businesses handle multiple responsibilities. When such employees are not at work, the lack of their productivity impacts their employer’s business. Absenteeism due to illness can be a big problem for the small employer, even if the employee is not paid while absent. However, in the state of New Jersey and in New York City, mandated paid sick leave requires most employers to pay their eligible employees (those who have been employed for at least 120 days and work more than 80 hours in the calendar year) up to 40 hours of pay annually while absent from work due to illness, among other reasons. While we expect a certain amount of absenteeism in the winter months due to employees catching colds, what’s worse is an employee who is absent due to the ‘flu, and who could have avoided suffering from that bout of ‘flu, simply...
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Posted by Brandi Bowers on August 27, 2018 in Human Resources
The majority of small businesses develop an employee handbook when they have about ten employees. However, several employment laws apply long before ten employees are hired. The prudent decision, as espoused by HR experts, is to have an employee handbook as soon as possible, for instance, when the first employee is hired. So why create an employee handbook? An employee handbook is an important document that advises employees of the company’s polices, and gives updates as those policies are amended. It will normally spell out the reason for the policies, who they apply to and consequences if they are not followed. An employee handbook is often a valuable tool in training new employees on company expectations. Not having an employee handbook might pose legal risks to a company and cause employee problems. The basic components of an employee handbook usually include statements regarding compliance with federal, state and local...
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