News

BY BRUCE JACOBS Add “Obamacare” to the phrase “unintended consequences” and a lot of people sprint straight to the storm cellar. But the unintended consequences (none of which are direct) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on the workers’ compensation system may present employers, workers and carriers with perhaps more silver lining than cloud. […]

BY DAN COOK Are meetings leaving you feeling drained, frustrated and concerned about how much of your life has been spent in pointless banter with colleagues who’d rather be anywhere than in a meeting? Guess what — you’re in the majority. According to a Robert Half Management Resources survey of more than 400 employees who attend meetings, […]

BY KATHRYN MAYER Though it’s the talk — and concern — of companies nationwide (and has been for years, now), most employers still haven’t gotten around to measuring the cost impact of Obamacare. That’s the significant finding from a new survey of more than 1,000 employers from broker Willis. Only 37 percent of respondents said they’ve […]

BY MICHAEL B. MAROIS May 29 (Bloomberg) — California’s minimum wage would increase to $13 a hour, the highest in the nation, under a bill approved by the state Senate and sent to the Assembly. The legislation by Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat, would phase in the increase to $11 next year, $12 in 2016 […]

BY GIL LOWERRE AND BONNIE BRAZZELL Sometimes, payroll deduction for voluntary products isn’t an option. Whether for technical reasons, employee demographics, or employer preference, payroll deduction might not be available. But when it is, it’s usually the preferred methodology. But only considering what is easiest for us and the HR department is risky. It’s just as […]

By TOM MURPHY, AP Business Writer Associated Press Customers who bought health insurance on the overhaul’s public exchanges can expect a flurry of reports about big price hikes and some decreases for 2015 as insurers finalize their rates over the next few weeks. But they shouldn’t give much weight to any of this. The actual change in […]

BY DAN COOK You can offer employees a lavish buffet lunch onsite every day, bring in a masseuse on Fridays and hold the company picnic at Disney World. But at the end of the day, if you have the wrong people in the wrong jobs, you will still not have a happy workforce. That is […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Small businesses seeking to buy health insurance under President Barack Obama’s health care law will have to wait a couple of months before they can complete the process online, administration officials said Thursday in the latest delay of the high-stakes rollout. New online health insurance markets created by the law for individuals […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — You might be pleased with the low monthly premium for one of the new health insurance plans under President Barack Obama’s overhaul, but the added expense of copayments and deductibles could burn a hole in your wallet. An independent analysis released Wednesday, on the heels of an administration report emphasizing affordable premiums, […]

Many employers are reconsidering whether they will send the Exchange Notice because there are no penalties in connection with a failure or refusal to provide the notice. In a brief Frequently Asked Question document (link provided below) issued on September 11, the Department of Labor formally clarified that an employer covered by the Fair Labor […]