Will the Supreme Court hear another PPACA challenge?

Opponents of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are hoping the third time is the charm. Although the Supreme Court has twice upheld central features of President Obama’s signature health law in landmark decisions, conservative activists are still hopeful that another one of their legal challenges will get a day in front of the […]

Federal marketplace may have wrongly issued subsidies

The federal health insurance marketplace may have issued subsides to persons not eligible to receive them during the first open enrollment period, a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General has found. To verify the information of an applicant’s eligibility for a qualified health plan and potential […]

How branding is critical to the hiring process

Employer branding should make your company stand out from the competition. When you’re seeking high-quality talent for your company, you can’t rely only on the appeal of a specific role to get the results you need. Your business should also be a place where people truly want to work. An employer brand is a powerful […]

The long reach of the National Labor Relations Act

Non-union employers are often under the misimpression that they are not affected by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) — the federal statute governing union-related issues in the private sector. A recent court decision stands as yet another reminder that this is not the case, and that non-union employers can still run afoul of the […]

Are workplace benefits key to financial security?

A recent study by the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America reveals how Americans perceive and value their employee benefits. The report, the third annual Guardian Workplace Benefits Study, uncovers a significant disconnect between employers and employees when it comes to benefits offered in the workplace. According to the report, nearly two in three workers strongly […]

There’s a perfect storm brewing in the 401(k) space

Commentary: The 401(k) space is in the infancy of a complete overhaul. With employees fighting back and winning against high fees and a new fiduciary standard on the way, we’re on the cusp of some radical changes to the corporate retirement landscape. This movement started about five years ago. A July 2010 study by Transamerica found […]

Joint employment: Is your company at risk?

Commentary: Temporary agency workers, leased workers, and independent contractors provide organizations with flexibility, but they can also create unknown risks for employers. Companies using contract and other types of temporary workers may not consider these personnel to be employees, but the law might disagree. Organizations hiring agency workers, leased workers, or independent contractors could be […]

Education necessary as more employers move to offer HSAs

The number of employers offering health savings accounts is on the rise, but employees remain confused by them, highlighting a need for more consumer education from benefit professionals and advisers. Tax advantages and cost savings are two reasons employers are increasingly adding HSAs to their health benefit offerings, according to Steve Neeleman, founder and vice […]

10 ACA employer shared-responsibility reporting tips

Last December, I confidently announced to my consulting team that after four long years, preparation for the Affordable Care Act’s employer shared responsibility was officially over! All that was left was the small matter of ensuring that our clients subject to ACA shared responsibility were prepared to file the new IRS Forms 1094-C and 1095-C […]