Creating an Employee Benefits package that satisfies everyone’s wants, needs and budget can be challenging. There’s a lot that goes into it and no office is the same. But to meet the needs of today’s diverse, multigenerational workforce, companies need to offer benefit solutions that bring real value to their lives. Presenting a wide-range of options that addresses employees’ needs during all stages of life is becoming critical. And with more people working from home this year, we’ve seen a bigger shift in what’s being offered. In fact, we interviewed Barbara Ciudad, the Regional Sales Director for Greater San Diego Area Total Administrative Services Corporation
COBRA Guide for Employers and Employees
If you’ve recently left jobs or lost health coverage, you may have had someone mention COBRA. (No, we’re not talking about the snake). COBRA – also known as the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act – requires group health plans to offer continuation coverage to covered employees, former employees, spouses, former spouses, and dependent children when group health coverage would otherwise be lost due to certain events. COBRA insurance allows you to keep your employer-sponsored plan temporarily, but it comes with a hefty price tag. Who is eligible for COBRA? COBRA is available for people who quit their job or are: Laid off Fired and it
Fully-Insured vs. Self-Funded Group Health Plans
Any good employer knows the importance of having a competitive benefits package to offer their employees. As health insurance costs continue to rise, many businesses are rethinking their health insurance plans. There are two primary types of plans to consider— fully-insured plans and self-funded plans, and understanding how both of these health plans work can help your company immensely. So, what’s the difference between a fully-insured and self-insured health plan? Let’s take a look! Fully-Insured Health Plan A fully-insured health plan is the more traditional way to structure an employer-sponsored health plan. As the employer you often feel less of the effects of rising medical
How to Manage Leave of Absence Abuse
Many employers feel like leave of absence (LOA) abuse is difficult to stop because there are so many laws that protect employee rights. Typically, when employees request leave for family, medical, bereavement or other reasons, their requests are legitimate. However, on occasion some employees may try to take advantage of leave benefits. Fortunately for employers, there are several tools available to combat LOA abuse. Here are some strategies to help you prevent leave abuse. Require that employees complete a written leave request form for all absences. Although an employer cannot deny an employee leave of absence, by requiring them to complete a written leave request
5 Voluntary Benefits to Add to Your Benefits Package
Do you want to retain employees and recruit better talent at little to no cost to your business? How? By offering voluntary benefits. Voluntary benefits are like “a la carte” insurance products that can be added to a benefit plan such as life, vision, dental, disability or travel accident insurance. Employees want more customization with their benefit plans so voluntary benefits allow them to add on specific services tailored to their wants and needs. One of the best things about voluntary benefits is that they are cost-effective. They are typically paid for by the employee and cost less when offered in a group or employer
How to Plan for a Successful Open Enrollment
It’s that time of year again— time for HR to prep for a successful open enrollment! Starting to plan for your company’s open enrollment now, can result in a smoother process. As employee satisfaction becomes an increasingly large factor to attract talent and maintain retention, employers are looking for more ways to exceed their benefit expectations. As you start planning, it is important to consider how you can make the open enrollment period more successful. Let’s dive in! Reflect The first step to success is looking back on last year’s efforts and evaluate what worked and what didn’t work for you and your employees. Each
5 Ways to Improve Your Employee Benefits Management
Employee benefits is a wide-ranging topic that can boost engagement, productivity and your business’ bottom line, so it is very important to carefully consider your employee benefits management. This can be a challenging task for many businesses with each employee having a unique situation, questions they want answered and doctors they want to see. As part of our services, we help manage all aspects of the employee benefit onboarding and enrollment for you— making your job a little less stressful. In today’s job market, employers are tasked with structuring employee benefit programs that keep the business competitive and employees motivated. Here are 5 ways to
Benefits for Employers Offering Small Group Plans
Small business owners mistakenly believe they either cannot afford to offer benefits to their employees or that they only need to offer the minimum health benefits to them. Today, employees are looking for a more! They want a diverse benefits package that fits their needs. And while going without these types of benefits may save your business money upfront, it can hinder your success in the long run. There are also numerous advantages for employers who offer employee benefits. For example, by providing a well-rounded benefits package, you have a better opportunity to attract and retain quality employees who are committed to the future of
Ways to Improve Remote Worker Communications
A key to success in any business is great communication between an employer and its employees. Whether you are hosting a meeting, emailing back and forth, putting together a proposal or on the phone with a client, communication is at the forefront of everything. There is a big shift in employers offering their employees the option to work remotely or from home— it is the way of the future for a modern-day workplace. While this is a huge benefit for employees, it can often lead to new challenges for managers trying to engage and motivate their team. Even with the presence of advanced communication technology
Understanding the Different Types of Health Plans – PPO, HMO, HDHP, EPO
It’s good to have choices when it comes to health insurance that way you can find one that best suits you as an individual or you and your family. While there are a variety of health plan options to choose from, the most common plan types are an HMO, PPO, HDHP and EPO. Generally speaking, the difference in most health plans includes the size of the plan network, the ability to see specialists, the plan costs and the coverage for out-of-network services. Let’s take a closer look at each plan type to see how they’re alike, how they differ, and how you can choose the