Rob, Scott, and Jason jump back in time and review an employee handbook from 1961, discussing the differences between today’s standards and regulations.
Contact us with any questions you may have, we’re here to help: hr@employco.com
Month: March 2017
The Age Penalty in the GOP Health Bill: Will Seniors be Stuck with a Bigger Bill?
Group employment insurance expert weighs in
Many Americans are upset that older people are going to face a ‘age penalty’ under President Trump’s healthcare plan, but not everyone sees the situation as problematic. In fact, some experts think that it won’t be the unfair cost that Americans fear it will be.
Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and group employment insurance expert says, “For many years, insurers have been able to charge older people higher premiums, as it is understood that they will generally have higher health costs and require more doctor’s visits. This reality has been folded into insurance costs for older people for a significant period of time, so President Trump’s so-called age penalty won’t be changing things too much. The only difference is that Obamacare only allowed insurers to charge older folks three times as much as they what they would charge other people for the same coverage, whereas President Trump’s plan allows for them to charge up to five times as much.”
Still, Wilson doesn’t believe that this means that millennials will be getting a free ride, as he explains that President Trump’s “continuous health insurance coverage incentive” will hit younger people the hardest.
“Younger people are disproportionately likely to suffer a lapse in insurance coverage,” says Wilson. “And President Trump is asking that people who drop in and out of the insurance market be faced with penalties for doing so. This continuous coverage incentive applies to anyone who opts to go without insurance for longer than 63 days and then desires to resume coverage. The idea is that young people can’t cherry-pick when they want insurance, leaving older folks stuck with a hefty bill.”
For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.
The Truth About Health Insurance Penalty Within the American Health Care Act
Group health insurance expert weighs in
The American Health Care Act is President Trump’s answer to President Obama’s hotly-debated Affordable Care Act. While many political experts are excited about the new plan, others wonder if the proposed penalty is similar in nature to the dreaded Obamacare penalties, which many complained laid an undue financial hardship on those least able to foot the bill.
Rob Wilson, group health insurance expert and President of Employco USA, says, “President Trump’s plan is exciting for employers for many reasons, including the removal of the taxes, the mandate penalties and the subsidies that were a cornerstone of Obamacare. As for the new proposed penalty, it only applies to anyone who opts to go without insurance for longer than 63 days and then desires to resume coverage.”
The purpose of this penalty, Wilson explains, is to keep people from dropping in out and of the market. However, it also allows for healthy individuals to opt not to buy a healthcare plan if they so desire.
“Part of the problem with Obamacare was that it forced people to buy coverage even when they did not need it or use it,” says Wilson. “Under President Trump’s plan, people can opt to buy insurance only when they actually need it. Even if a person were to take a penalty for not buying insurance and retaining it, it would still amount to less under The American Health Care Act than Affordable Care Act, so Americans still save big.”
For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.
Tips to Combat Poor Productivity and Absenteeism During March Madness
Recent statistics reveal that March Madness has become more popular than ever before, thanks in large part to the worldwide betting that takes place. Over 60 million people are expected to fill out brackets this year, with an estimated $10 million being put on the table. However, there is another cost which people may not expect: a downturn in employee productivity.
“March Madness can be a drain on a company’s time and resources,” says Rob Wilson, employment trends Expert and President of Employco USA. “With millions of Americans filling out brackets and managing their bets, you can bet that employee productivity takes a hit during this time of year.”
In fact, research shows that lost wages caused by employee distraction and poor productivity during March Madness could amount to losses of up to $1.9 billion!
Wilson says, “Between filling out brackets, researching picks, watching the games, and then calling in sick or skipping work due to game days or hangovers, you are looking at a sharp downturn in employee performance. Luckily there are some ways you can manage this common nationwide issue.”
Wilson offers these tips:
Offer computers for personal use. “Make sure that you are keeping a close eye on your employees’ Internet usage,” says Wilson. “Any time employees have free, unfettered access to the Web, you are going to be looking at a decrease in employee productivity. Here’s an alternative: Offer your employees one to two computers for personal use during their breaks. Make sure the computers are in a public area and have a sign-in sheet to ensure that everyone will get a fair chance to use the computers and that people do not use them for extended periods of time. That way, if anyone needs to check their personal e-mail or use the Internet on their lunch break, they don’t need to use their official work computers.”