Employment expert weighs in with open enrollment approaching

Open enrollment season for Obamacare is about to begin, and there is much the nation needs to know in order to be prepared. There are many changes on the horizon, and most of them are not good.

Rob Wilson, employment expert and President of Employco USA says, “Premiums are set to rise by about 25 percent. On top of that, many Americans will only have one insurance company to pick from as many companies have been forced to shutter their doors. Lack of competition means that insurance companies have a stranglehold over their consumers.”

Wilson says that there are ways to avoid incurring high costs during open enrollment season. He advises employers to consider the following:

1. Work with an HR-solutions company such as Employco USA to aggregate employees and broker a new small group plan. Doing so will simplify your paperwork and also lower costs.
2. Trim offerings. Wilson says, “It’s hard to give up things like dental plans but ultimately, the most important thing is to make sure that your company stays afloat and your workers stay employed.”
3. If you have under 50 employees, Wilson suggests that you raise salaries and allow employees to purchase their own healthcare plan. “This is not only a cost-saving measure, but it is forward-thinking. We don’t know what healthcare plans in this country are going to look like in the coming future, but well-paid employees will be able to pay for their medical needs regardless of what occurs.”

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

Employment trends expert reveals mobile app that simplifies business management

The business world is in a state of flux right now. From an uncertain economy to laws that regulate overtime and minimum wage, employers are faced with new challenges every day.

Employment trends expert and President of Employco USA, Rob Wilson, says, “With our current political climate, it is impossible to say what the future will hold for this country. Employers don’t know whether Obamacare is here to stay or whether a new healthcare plan is on the horizon. As a result, it can be difficult to figure out upcoming costs and ensure employees’ needs are covered.”

Wilson says that these constantly changing requirements helped inspire him to create the Employco app for iPhone, Android and Google Play for desktop. “We realized that our clients had a need for a mobile app which would bring training tips and H.R. resources to their fingertips. Whether you need information on an I-9 form or want to learn the legal logistics of drug testing, our app can help simplify the legal ins and outs of running a company. Our clients are so busy that our goal is to make their jobs as easy as possible.”

Wilson adds, “And, with our exclusive mobile training app, clients can take training quizzes, watch videos on safety training, and brush up on their H.R. skills. It’s really a one stop shop for all your company’s needs. With over 40 training videos on everything from safety to sexual harassment, it’s a must-have app.”

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

Have you heard the term “brelfie”? It’s a twist on the word selfie’ and it’s a new trend in which everyone from celebrities to non-famous folks take pictures of themselves while they are breastfeeding. (I guess that would make the painting of Nursing Madonna the original brelfie!)

Famous paintings aside, opinions are divided on whether or not it is appropriate to ‘flaunt’ your breastfeeding. Some find it beautiful, while others say it is over-sharing and indicative of our Facebook/Instagram culture. Whatever your take, it makes one thing clear: Breastfeeding is becoming ever more popular and normalized in our culture, and with good reason. The World Health Organization advises that women breastfeed for up to two years, while the American Academy of Pediatrics advises that babies be breastfed exclusively for 6 months.

However, the CDC reports that only 52% of infants are still being breastfed at 6 months and the percentage that are exclusively breastfed at six months is a mere 22.3%. Among working women, a 10-year-old report says only 10% were nursing their babies by the 6-month mark. Instead, they turn to formula, which many argue simply cannot provide the same level of nutrition that breastmilk can. (Additionally, breastfeeding is healthy for mom, too: It can help decrease the risk of postpartum depression, as well as burn calories for women trying to lose the ‘baby weight.’)

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By Brittany Wilkey – Employco Human Resources

With the average age of retirement slowly increasing – whether due to financial needs, personal reasons, or simply because the average lifespan is also increasing – it isn’t uncommon to see organizations employing four to five generations at the same time.  Managing and recruiting such an extensive range of age groups can be difficult, but understanding a little bit about the wants and needs of each group can help both employers and employees maintain a cohesive workplace.

The first step is to understand what defines each generation, and how those generations are formed.  Generations are grouped not only because of their age and birth year, but also based on the social and cultural events occurring during their lifetime that ends up shaping their values, concepts, and beliefs.

For instance, a person in their 50’s who has been working for several decades is unlikely to have the same perspective as someone in their early 20’s who is just entering the workforce.  Along those same lines, an individual who lived through the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, or the digital boom, will be influenced by those major cultural events, and those same cultural events will impact how they approach their jobs, co-workers, and the workplace in general.

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Did you know that the average time an organization provides to employees for bereavement leave is 4-7 days, though the actual grieving process can take two years or more? Grief impacts not only the employee, but also the rest of the organization, as productivity and workplace relationships can also suffer when an employee is dealing with loss.

Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to help an employee cope with the grieving process:

• As part of Employco’s group insurance, UnitedHealthcare offers participants access to their Employee Assistance Program, which can help employees receive free counseling.
• We can provide group training sessions for employees and/or your management team on how to respond when an employee is coping with loss.

Employco can also help you by going over the different options for making bereavement leave or general policy adjustments at your organization.

It has been a little over one year since Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner, announced a change to her name and appearance on the cover of Vanity Fair.

With only around 0.3% – 3.0% of the U.S. adult population identified as transgender, employers may mistakenly believe that it’s not an issue worth their time. However, since the transgender population and legal compliance issues are growing, proactive employers are preparing for a transgender workforce.

Legislative Guidance:

• Transgender employee discrimination is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and under several state laws.
• OSHA and the Department of Labor released a “Guide to Restroom Access for Transgender Workers” that requires companies to allow their employees to use the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity.

Recommendations:

• Modify your employee handbook, policies and training to include transgender in the list of protected classes
• Engage transgender employees in an “interactive process” to discuss their preference on the use of bathrooms, name, email address, pronouns and company announcement, if any

To listen to Employco’s recent podcast on transgender equality in the workplace, please click here. Contact us for help with your employee handbook, policies or employee training.