New ACA nondiscrimination rules: But these aren’t the rules you’re looking for

by Christian Schappel

The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) just issued proposed nondiscrimination rules that would be applied under the health reform law. 
After reading a press release titled something to the effect of “New ACA nondiscrimination rules issued,” we were reminded of the scene from Star Wars: A New Hope in which Obi-Wan Kenobi plays a Jedi mind trick on a stormtrooper and says, “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.”
Why, of all things, did that pop into our head? Because, in fact, these aren’t the nondiscrimination rules we’re looking for.

Still waiting …

As you’ll likely recall, when the ACA was passed, the feds said it would subject group health plans to nondiscrimination rules similar to those that currently apply to self-insured group health plans. The rules would prevent health plans from discriminating against highly compensated employees by offering them benefits not open to their lesser-paid counterparts.

The problem is, the feds said the rules wouldn’t apply until official guidance had been released about them. So feds kept employers waiting and searching for the guidance. It was then expected to finally be released in 2014, but it was delayed due to some lingering questions IRS officials had.

Click here for entire article. 

5 biggest reasons employees quit jobs quickly

by Christian Schappel

As you know all too well, it’s hard to hold onto new employees. Thus, onboarding programs were born. The problem is, there are several reasons onboarding may not be working. 

In fact, recent research by BambooHR, a software company, found that 31% of people have quit a job within the first six months.

This does not speak well of employers’ onboarding efforts.

To find out exactly what’s going wrong in the onboarding process, BambooHR surveyed 1,005 U.S. employees over the age of 24 to find out what has made them quit jobs in the past and what could be done to improve employers’ onboarding programs.

Why they’ve quit quickly

Here are the top five reasons U.S. workers gave for leaving new jobs shortly after being hired:

1. Changed mind on work type (in other words, they were still deciding on their career path and it turns out they didn’t like the one they’d chosen)

Click here for entire article

Tip Tuesday! 5 ways to create a thriving work culture without breaking the bank

by Amanda Abrom

Employers don’t need a showy benefits package to create a great work environment, and attract and retain top talent.
Here are five ways that HR pros can help managers to create a successful work culture that attracts and motivates employees without breaking the bank:

1. Define the mission

Clearly define company values and connect employees’ work to a purpose. Employees are happier when they work toward a goal and know they’re making an impact.

2. Encourage openness

Be honest about what’s really going on in the company – the good and bad. Openness will create trust, foster accountability and build a team environment. And if you’re truthful about failures, employees might even bring forward solutions.

3. Help employees grow

Click here for entire article.

Why, how and when you must grant ADA leave

by Julian Lopez

A new compliance nightmare is driving employers batty: administering leave as an accommodation under the ADA. It’s not hard to slip up and put yourself right in the crosshairs of your employees’ attorneys. 

One of the more common mistakes: refusing to let employees take additional leave as an accommodation, believing FMLA and/or a company’s own leave policies provide all the time off required under law — only to find out the hard way that the EEOC or courts disagree.

The reality: If an employee has an ADA-covered disability and requests leave, you’ve got to consider it as an accommodation under the ADA — regardless of whether the employee’s exhausted FMLA leave or exceeded the limits in your leave policy

Employment law attorney Penny C. Wofford from the firm Ogletree Deakins is here to help. In a presentation at SHRM’s 2015 annual conference, she said employers must consider two things when workers request ADA leave:

Click here for entire article.

Helping your managers understand their strengths: An offbeat quiz

by Tim Gould

Every manager can use a quick self-audit now and then.  

Take a look at this quiz, commissioned by SwitchmyBusiness.com, a U.K.-based utility consulting firm. It’s a kind of quirky test designed to help managers determine what their management style is, where their strengths lie and little things to remember when the going gets a little tough.


Be forewarned: Those Brits spell some words funny.

Click here for entire article.

3 keys to successful recognition programs

by Tim Gould

Employee recognition programs have kind of become old hat these days. So how can you pump new life into this morale-building effort?


The most common characteristics of high-ROI recognition programs — regardless of their monetary value — are their spontaneity and perceived value by employees themselves.

In reality, the cost of some of most effective spot awards and bonuses often amount to less than 1% of base pay — and the awards don’t even have to be given in cash.

Less sense of entitlement

Part of the problem with traditional end-of-year or quarterly bonuses (apart from the fact that they cost employers an average of 10% of base pay) is that employees expect to receive them for reaching certain goals.

Click here for entire article.

Tip Tuesday! Bill would bring back popular Obamacare workaround: Stand-alone HRAs

by Jared Bilski

Remember that $36K penalty the IRS felt the need to remind everybody it would impose on employers that tried to give employees untaxed funds to purchase healthcare coverage? Well, there’s now hope that some employers won’t have to worry about this after all. 

That’s because legislators re-introduced the Small Business Healthcare Relief Act in both the House (H.R. 2911) and the Senate (S. 1697).

The timing of the legislation is significant because the penalty phase for stand-alone HRA usage kicked in on July 1, 2015.

If passed, the bill would provide an exception to Obamacare regs and allow some small businesses to use pre-tax dollars to help employees purchase healthcare benefits on the exchanges, as well as other out-of-pocket medical expenses. This is a tactic some employers were planning to take in lieu of providing their employees with health insurance under Obamacare’s employer mandate.

Click here for entire article.