Employment Resources

With the push to boost their bottom line, many companies cut employee hours. This move reduces wages and benefits while saving the company money. If your hours have been cut, the move from full-time to part-time could seriously impact your ability to make ends meet. You’ll be glad to hear about a new full-time employee definition as outlined in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The New Full-Time Employee Definition

Passed in 2010 and going into effect in 2015, the ACA states that employees who work 30 hours a week are considered full-time. Previously,  employees had to work 40 hours or more per week to be classified as full-time.

In addition to the new definition, the law includes health benefit requirements. Employers with more than 50 employees must provide health insurance benefits. Companies with 50 to 99 employees will face a fine starting in 2016 if they do not provide quality and affordable health insurance to full-time workers. Companies with over 100 full-time employees will be fined starting in 2015.

Companies Respond by Cutting Hours

In light of the new legislature, many companies announced their decision to reduce employee hours. The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) conducted a survey to determine the reason for this downsizing shift. The study found that employers were actually reducing hours before the law. They largely reduced hours based on economic reasons rather than because of the new full-time worker definition.

The New Definition Gives you an Advantage

Despite a shift toward reduced employee hours, the National Business Group on Health praises the new legislation and points out its benefits to employees like you. As a non-profit association, this group includes more than 400 large U.S. employers on its membership roll. According to President and CEO Brian Marcotte, the updated definition will ultimately boost employment and improve the economy. It will also benefit employers of all sizes, including small businesses in service, hospitality and retail industries.

Flexible hours are another advantage of the change reports Marcotte. Now, employers and employees can offer a flexible work schedule that benefits each party and boosts morale without sacrificing quality.

Whether your hours were recently cut or will be soon, discuss this new full-time employee definition with your human resource manager. You have the right to health benefits despite your decreased work hours.

If your New Year’s resolution includes losing weight, stress and busyness at work can quickly put a wrench in your well-meaning plans. You need a few healthy snacks that satisfy hunger without sabotaging your resolution.

1. Apples

Eat three crunchy and nutritious apples a day to lose weight. That’s because they’re loaded with fiber that helps you feel full. Whether you eat them whole or dip slices in peanut butter, you’ll want to carry at least one apple to work every day.

2. Nuts

Enjoy a handful of nuts during snack time, and you’ll eat less during meal time. Almonds, walnuts, pecans and peanuts are all high in fiber, protein, unsaturated fats and other important vitamins. Plus, they’re easy to store in your desk or briefcase.

3. Yogurt

Traditional or Greek yogurt stands out as a weight loss food. Pack your favorite flavor in a portable cooler to indulge in a calcium-rich snack at your desk.

4. Eggs

Hard boiled eggs taste delicious alone or with a little salt or cheese. Store these protein-packed snacks in your portable cooler to enjoy when you’re feeling hungry.

5. Tuna

Versatile tuna tastes delicious straight out of the can or bag, and it’s high in protein and omega-3. Stock tuna, a few crackers and a fork in your desk to enjoy the next time you feel hungry.

6. Hummus

Made from chickpeas, hummus contains protein and no saturated fats. Spread it on vegetables or whole grain crackers for a healthy and delicious snack.

7. Dark Chocolate

That’s right, dark chocolate features beneficial antioxidants and several nutrients like fiber, manganese, copper, iron and magnesium. A few squares satisfies your hunger and feels like a fun indulgence.

With these seven snacks, you eat your way to a healthier you. You also keep your New Year’s weight loss resolution. Talk to your doctor and health insurance company for more tips on how the right snacks help you stay healthy this year.

With the new year upon us, you might hear water cooler conversations about biometric screenings. There’s probably numerous misconceptions, so learn the truth before you decide whether or not to comply.

What is Biometric Screening?

A 15-minute health exam, a biometric screening assesses your risk for developing certain medical conditions or diseases. It’s often part of a wellness program offered by your insurance company or employer.

Typically, a medical professional in a private room at your job or in a physician’s office checks your weight, height, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure. Expect to have your blood drawn, which requires a short fast, and your finger pricked. Also, the doctor or nurse will listen to your heart, take your pulse and check your blood pressure.

What Happens Afterwards?

A few days after the screening, you’ll receive the results during a consultation with a doctor or nurse. You’ll also receive information about risks and, if applicable, a detailed treatment plan.

Who Receives the Results?

The only people who see the results of your confidential biometric screening are you, the medical team and the insurance company. Your employer can receive a copy or portion of the screening, but those results cannot specifically identify you.

Do you Have to Consent?

Your insurance company can charge you, even if you’re under a physician’s care, if you don’t consent to the screening. That’s because they incur lower costs and less risk if you’re healthy.

Can Your Employer Fire you if you Don’t Comply?

Federal law prohibits wrongful termination based on health information they wrongfully obtained. If this happens to you, seek legal counsel immediately.

Your biometric screening results reveal important information about your current health and future risks. This information helps you and your physician create a wellness plan that improves your health as you addresses any problems like diabetes, asthma or high blood pressure. While many insurance companies and employers request biometric screenings, you may choose compliance and any resulting consequences.

Flu season typically peaks between December and February, but it can last as long as May. Because the flu spreads quickly between people who work in close quarters, you really need to understand flu prevention tips as you protect yourself and your coworkers this flu season.

Get Vaccinated

The flu shot is one of the best preventative measures you can take since it combats the season’s main flu virus that is expected to affect the most people. Although the vaccine’s antibodies won’t begin protecting you for two weeks, get yours today, and encourage your coworkers to get their flu shots, too.

Stay Home if You’re Sick

Of course, your job is essential, but going to work when you’re sick only infects everyone else. Stay home, focus on getting better and remind your coworkers to stay home if they’re sick.

Disinfect Office Surfaces

Disinfectant spray and wipes will be your best friends this flu season. Use them to clean germs off your computer keyboard, printer key pad, phone, pens and pencils, doorknobs, drawer pulls and anything else you and your coworkers touch regularly.

Cover Your Nose and Mouth

Sneeze or cough into a disposable tissue to prevent your germs from spreading to others.

Wash Your Hands

As frequently as possible, wash your hands in hot, soapy water. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer or wipes also kill germs, but use them only when soap and water are unavailable.

Don’t Touch Your Face

Flu germs on your hands spread quickly when you touch your face, so protect yourself by keeping your hands away from your mouth, nose and eyes.

Go to Bed

Enough rest increases your immunity and ability to fight germs. Your chances of staying healthy increases when you grab a few a few extra minutes of sleep every night.

Eat and Drink a Healthy Diet

From loading up on fruits and veggies to drinking water, your body will stay strong when you fuel it with healthy foods.

Are you ready to stay healthy this flu season? Follow these tips and talk to your doctor about additional ways you and your coworkers can stay healthy this year.

Thomas Fenner Woods Agency 614-481-4300 Website

Why Your Office Needs to Schedule a Blood Drive

January is National Blood Donor Month, and your entire office can join the celebration when you schedule a blood drive. Not only will you help your local blood bank, but your good deed provides numerous benefits for your entire company.

Save Lives

Chances are high that you, one of your coworkers or someone you know will one day need a blood transfusion. One pint of blood saves three lives, so donate blood this

January and be a hero.

Combat Blood Shortages

While every local blood bank needs are different, most communities face blood bank shortages. Everyone’s donation combats shortage and meets a critical need.

Increase Awareness

Many people don’t give blood because they don’t realize there’s a need, don’t think about it or are too busy. Schedule a blood drive at your office to emphasize the importance of this small but powerful action.

Boost Morale

If you and your coworkers are feeling the winter doldrums, a blood drive offers a beneficial distraction. It’s the perfect opportunity to boost morale, and it increases employee satisfaction, productivity and performance, too.

Improve Community Relations

People in the community appreciate local businesses that care. A blood drive goes a long way toward improving community relations.

Tips That Make Your Blood Drive a Success

Now that you’ve decided to host a company blood drive, consider a few tips that make it a success.

• Contact your local Red Cross and set up a time and location for the blood drive.
• Advertise the blood drive on all your office bulletin boards.
• Invite customers, vendors and other people to schedule a donation appointment.
• Build excitement by holding a raffle for donors or awarding prizes like discounted services or free products.
• Encourage participants to drink plenty of water or fruit juice and to eat healthy, iron-rich foods during the 24 hours before their donation. These actions stabilize blood pressure and blood sugar levels while reducing dizziness.

Your office’s blood drive does more than give you something to do this January. It celebrates National Blood Donor month and provides numerous benefits that build office morale, improve community relations and save lives.

A company owns property and has decided to build a condominium on the site. It has completed all the paperwork and has all the permits needed to begin construction. It is ready to finish the contract with a general contractor (GC). The property owner insists on liability protection from the general contractor, an unrelated entity. The GC has a few ways to give the coverage and the project owner is researching them before the contract signing.

Additional Insured Protection – General Contractor’s Commercial Liability Insurance

The project owner, let’s call them CCC (Condo Construction Company) want more protection than offered through an additional insured endorsement. On their last project, they ran into a problem caused by inadequate protection using the additional insured form of coverage.

CCC failed to let know the GC on the job that there was an abandoned well on the site. When a worker fell into the concealed well he suffered a broken ankle. CCC was found negligent due to the failure to tell the GC about the well. The ruling found that the GC had no liability, even partly for the injury to their own employee.

CCC suffered another setback when it discovered that the hold harmless and indemnity clauses of the contract cannot be enforced in the state the project was in as state law prohibits indemnification of the negligence of another in a construct contract. Most states have similar language in their statutes.

Based on this terrible experience, CCC no longer had any level comfort as an additional named insured coupled with hold harmless and indemnity clauses.

Owners & Contractors Protective Liability Insurance (OCP)

To give CCC more protection, the GC offered to buy OCP insurance with CCC as the named insured. CCC is not sure and this time consult with their insurance advisor who is against relying on OCP form as adequate protection. The reason is that the broker believes there are too many restrictions on the coverage provided by OCP insurance. Following a lengthy face-to-face conference, CCC felt that a different form of insurance was in order.

Owner’s Interest Liability — Project Specific CGL Insurance (Owner’s Interest)

This type policy provides more protection than the OCP policy or the endorsements and contract language of CGL coverage, hold harmless, and indemnification clauses in the construction contract.

In addition to protection from incidents occurring during construction, protection with an Owner’s Interest policy can extend to incidents after the project ends. For instance, this policy protects CCC from liability for a collapsed balcony after the GC completes the project and leaves the site and after the policy expires. CCC decides to buy this insurance for itself.

When the GC learns about the benefits of the Owners Interest policy they want inclusion in the coverage. Often, the insurance carrier will include as a “named insured” the GC, and the GC also has coverage for the extended time period.

To be clear, while endorsements to the CGL or OCP and protective contract language do go a long way towards protecting the project owner, Owner’s Interest insurance closes gaps left by the old way of doing business. Remember, that the value of an insurance policy is directly related to the risks it covers. Project owners who do not take any responsibility or costs for self-protection may pay more by not covering all potential risks.

Project owners and General Contractors, talk to your insurance advisor before signing your next construction contract.

If you haven’t received your annual eye exam yet, make an appointment today. The results can improve your work performance in several ways.

Improve Vision

When you can’t see clearly, you suffer from headaches and eye strain. Seeing the computer screen or small print becomes nearly impossible. An eye exam catches refractive errors like farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism. If you have one of these errors, you’ll receive a prescription for corrective lenses. With improved vision, you actually see better at work and accomplish more while making less mistakes every day.

Assess Your Vision Health

Even if you have no vision complaints, your eyes could be unhealthy. An eye exam assesses your vision health and catches several conditions.

*Focusing problems mean you can’t see clearly when you look at something. You might dismiss this problem as tiredness, but it is a serious condition that affects your productivity.

*Strabismus is crossed or turned eyes. It creates depth perception problems and can lead to amblyopia.

*Amblyopia occurs when one eye is stronger and does all the work. This condition can cause permanent damage to the weaker eye, but an eye patch on the stronger eye ultimately protects your vision health.

*Binocular or eye teaming problems occur when your aligned eyes work independently instead of together. Headaches, trouble reading and eye strain are symptoms of this condition.

Detect Eye and Systemic Diseases

Various eye diseases affect your ability to see and could cause blindness and other long-term vision problems. At your annual eye exam, the optometrist or ophthalmologist will check every aspect of your eyes. He or she can detect cataracts and find glaucoma blood vessel leaks or observe macula swelling, two indicators of diabetes. High blood pressure and high cholesterol can also be detected during an eye exam.

While vision screenings are helpful, schedule an annual eye exam. It catches problems before your productivity suffers, headaches force you to call off work or diseases cause disability. Even if your employee benefits don’t include vision insurance, schedule an eye exam today. Your health and work performance depend on it.

Your office’s holiday party is coming up. Are you dreading it? Change your perspective when you look at it as the perfect networking opportunity. With eight tips, this annual event assists you in building relationships, meeting senior executives and thanking your office mates.

1. Dress for success. While you can ditch the suit and tie for the office party, flashy, tight or wrinkled clothing makes you appear sloppy and unprofessional.

2. Turn off your phone. You’re at an office party, and now’s the time to relax and enjoy the moment, not check email or surf the web.

3. Introduce yourself to the host. Thank him or her for the opportunity to connect, and be prepared to share something positive about your team’s current project.

4. Use welcoming body language. Smile, stand tall, hold your head up, shake hands firmly, uncross your arms and legs, look people in the eye and lean in slightly while talking to someone. These welcoming stances invite people to start a conversation with you.

5. Talk to the loner. The new employee or shy person in the corner could become your new best friend or a partner for future collaborations. So introduce yourself, ask a few open-ended questions and look for common ground.

6. Eat before the party. You’re also less likely to mingle and chat when you’re hungry. Plus, you can’t talk when your mouth is full.

7. Go easy on the alcohol. While it’s okay to enjoy a drink – you’re at a party, after all – be responsible. You don’t want to jeopardize your reputation or career because you partied too hard.

8. Stay awhile. Unless you have an emergency or previously scheduled event, don’t cut and run as quickly as possible. Mingle and chat with your coworkers and be sociable for at least an hour.

Instead of dreading the office holiday party this year, embrace it. After all, it’s the perfect time to network and build office rapport with your coworkers as you look forward to greater success in the new year.

As you’re prepping for the upcoming holiday season, consider adding your Health Savings Account to your to-do list. It only takes a few minutes to check your balance on your HSA statement. While those funds do rollover into the next year, consider using them this month for qualified medical expenses that assist you and your family members in staying physically and mentally healthy.

1. Vision aids and exams – Ensure you and your family members can see properly when you schedule visions exams this month. Now’s also a great time to buy extra contact lenses and cleaning solution or an extra pair of prescription eyeglasses or sunglasses.

2. Dental visits – Clean those pearly whites, begin orthodontic procedures, buy dentures or pay prepaid dental plan premium with your HSA funds.

3. Chiropractor adjustments – Schedule a chiropractic visit this month to fix an injury or solve a functional problem you may have, and you can use HSA funds to pay for it.

4. Physical therapy – While your health insurance may cover some physical therapy visits, HSA funds cover additional visits your doctor requests.

5. Prescription medications – Stock up on medications that lower blood pressure, ease pain or manage other medical conditions you or your family members may suffer from.

6. Over-the-counter medications – You can use HSA funds for a variety of OTC medication purchases, including first aid supplies, nutritional supplements and pregnancy tests. However, some OTCs may require a prescription. Talk to your HSA administrator for specific plan details before you head to the drug store.

7. Insurance premiums while unemployed – If you find yourself laid off or fired this month, use HSA funds to pay medical insurance and long term care insurance premiums.

8. Mental health care – Use HSA funds to pay for mental health evaluations and therapy related to a medical condition.

The money in your HSA is there to improve your physical and mental health. Instead of forgetting about it until next year, take advantage of your funds this month.

Most employers offer health insurance as part of their employee benefits package. However, don’t sign up for your employer’s insurance until you visit the Healthcare Insurance Marketplace at healthcare.gov. This one-stop-shop for health insurance could provide you with big rewards.

Save Money

With many employers cutting expenses, your insurance premiums may be going up. Shop at the Healthcare Insurance Marketplace to see if you qualify for more affordable insurance coverage that saves you money.

Cover Dependents

While your employer sponsored health insurance covers you, it might not offer affordable coverage for your dependents. Research health insurance options for your dependents when you visit the Healthcare Insurance Marketplace.

Comply With Federal Law

Current law requires everyone in the U.S. to have health insurance coverage with minimum coverage requirements. If your employer-sponsored insurance doesn’t comply, you could owe $325 per non-compliant adult, $162.50 per non-compliant child or two percent of your household’s annual income. Every Healthcare Insurance Marketplace policy complies with the law, which means you can confidently buy a penalty-free policy.

Get a Tax Credit

Your income could qualify you for a tax credit on Healthcare Insurance Marketplace family or individual coverage. Even if you don’t receive a tax credit for your monthly premiums, you could receive a subsidy for deductibles, copays and other out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Now that you know why you should check out the Healthcare Insurance Marketplace, gather your documents. You’ll need details about household income and the people who live with you. If you need assistance, apply by phone at 1-800-318-2596 or ask for in-person assistance. The marketplace is open from November 15, 2014 until February 15, 2015, but apply by December 15 to ensure your benefits start by January 1, 2015. While you could find out that your employer’s coverage is a better option for you, you have several very good reasons for investigating your options.

It’s time to pick your employee benefits for the new year. Is a flexible savings account, or FSA, one of your options? Before you pass on this optional benefit, learn more about it and decide if it’s a smart choice for you.

What is an FSA?

Your employee benefits package could include an optional cafeteria plan that allows you to pick and choose personalized benefits. An FSA is one of those choices. It allows you to save part of your income for specific expenses listed in the plan. While most of the qualifying expenses are medical related, an FSA can also cover dependent care for your children or aging parents.

What are the Primary Benefits of an FSA?

Because the money placed in an FSA isn’t taxed, you’ll appreciate tax benefits. Plus, you’ll have money set aside for expenses like deductibles, eye glasses and day care.

What are the Disadvantages of an FSA?

No matter how much money you save in your FSA, it’s a use it or lose it deal. That’s why you’ll have to carefully estimate how much money you’ll need through the year. Save too much, and you’ll be scrambling to use it all before 2016 rolls around.

Is an FSA Right for You?

An FSA is a good choice for you if you expect to accumulate medical expenses that your insurance won’t cover, like high deductibles or copays. You can use FSA funds to buy prescription and over-the-counter medications, pay for dental procedures and stock prescription sunglasses. These funds also pay for specific medical condition treatment and prevention like smoking cessation aids. Some plans also cover dependent care for your children or aging parents.

However, you can’t use FSA funds for cosmetic surgery, general health improvements or your health insurance premiums. It also won’t cover your child’s summer camp or your parents’ nursing home expenses.

Now that you know more about it, could you benefit from an FSA this year? Talk to your insurance agent for more information and specific details about the options your employer offers. Then, get ready to save for expenses and be prepared in 2015.