Monthly Newsletter March 2019

Dear Valued Clients and Associates,

March is all about the luck of the Irish, but you don’t have to be Irish to be lucky with PF Compass.

What makes our clients so lucky?

Dedicated in-house client service rep
In-house claims adjudication for you and your employees – for your employees to have someone to call when they have claims or benefit coverage questions so you don’t have to walk the tight rope of HIPAA compliance
Free COBRA and HRA administration
Free Bene Administration technology (integration available with some payroll platforms such as Paylocity and ADP)
Carrier Agnostic – We work with all Carriers to find the benefits package right for your organization
3 Hours HR Consultation Free for new clients and HR tools to maintain compliance
Benefit Education Meetings at your location during Open Enrollment – we will educate your employees on how to best utilize their benefits to control costs
Affordable Care Act guidance
HR & Compliance documents, tools and resources
Monthly Healthcare, HR and Compliance Newsletter

Not feeling so lucky? Now’s the time to change your luck – Give me a call or contact me now to schedule a time to discuss your organizational goals and how we will work hard to ensure you and your employees are satisfied. No obligation!

Here is your March 2019 Newsletter with a combination of HR and Health related news. I hope you enjoy!

Happy St Patrick’s day!

Leave Laws And Affected Employers Are Expanding In New Jersey

By: Maggie Johnson, PF Compass in-house HR Consultant

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy continues to place his mark on state employment law, making life somewhat easier for working families. It wasn’t long ago that New Jersey employers had to become familiar and comply with the New Jersey Earned Sick and Safe Days Act. Here comes the next phase!

To read more about changing legislation, visit our BLOG here

DOL Increases Civil Penalty Amounts for 2019

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently increased the civil penalty amounts that may be imposed on employers under the following federal laws.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)

These increased amounts apply to civil penalties that are assessed after Jan. 23, 2019. Employers should become familiar with the new penalty amounts and review their pay practices, benefit plan administration, and safety protocols to ensure compliance with federal requirements.

Medicare Trims Payments To 800 Hospitals, Citing Patient Safety Incidents

By: Jordan Rau

The penalties are part of a program set up by the Affordable Care Act to prompt hospitals to pay more attention to safety issues that can lead to injuries, such as falls or hospital-acquired infections. Read more here

Retaliation Claims Are Up. Are You Prepared?

Recent news has reflected that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has been successful in retaliation claims against employers. In 2019 so far, the EEOC has won over $775,000 for employees in retaliation and sexual harassment lawsuits.

What Does This Mean for You

Per federal law, an employer may not fire, demote, harass, or otherwise retaliate against an individual for filing a charge of discrimination, participating in a discrimination proceeding, or otherwise opposing discrimination.

Despite this, retaliation claims are historically the most common workplace discrimination claims. Employers should take the following steps to protect themselves from retaliation and other discrimination claims:

Create a clear anti-retaliation policy that includes specific examples of what management can and cannot do when disciplining or terminating employees.
Provide training to management and employees on anti-retaliation and other discrimination policies.
Implement a user-friendly internal complaint procedure for employees.

Pharma Execs Dig In For A Fight Against Outraged Senators

Senators got their first opportunity Tuesday to prod drugmakers about the wallet-emptying prices they charge for prescription drugs. Read more here

Workplace Wellness is About More Than Just Physical Health

Cultivating a culture of wellness at organizations is a common trend for employers across the country. In fact, according to the Employer Health Benefits 2018 Annual Survey, 82 percent of large firms and 53 percent of small firms offer some sort of wellness program. Historically, many of these programs focus on physical well-being, with employers creating programs intended to encourage smoking cessation and exercising. Unfortunately, health-conscious employers and employees alike often overlook one important component to wellness: financial health.

The Hard Truth

A recent Bankrate survey revealed that 65 percent of Americans save little or nothing at all from each paycheck. This, compounded with the fact that over 40 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for when they retire, is alarming.

How You Can Help

When employees are stressed about money and saving for their long-term goals, the chronic stress can be detrimental to their overall health and workplace engagement. Investing in employee financial wellness can be beneficial to both you and your employees. Consider implementing a financial wellness program that focuses on planning for the future and budgeting. You may want to bring in a financial expert or consultant for your employees as well.

Staying active in middle age may be an effective way to reduce risk of developing dementia decades later…

according to a new study that tracked outcomes in a group of people for more than 40 years.

While we still don’t have concrete answers as to why dementia develops and how to prevent it, research is converging on ways to decrease its likelihood. At the top of the list – activity, both physical and mental. The latest study underscores that finding by showing how a range of activities correlated with decreased risk of three types of dementia.Read More

Managing the Excuse-Makers

Some employees always seem to have an excuse for failing to meet expectations. Luckily, there are strategies managers can use to turn repeat excuse-makers into productive team members. Learn about these strategies in the video below.

I am constantly looking for ways to improve this newsletter, comments and suggestions are welcome. Thank you!

Brandi Bowers | Benefits Consultant
PF Compass Employer Guidance & Benefit Solutions

461 Somerset St. North Plainfield NJ 07060
Tel (732) 258-1032