Monthly news & updates
March 1, 2021
How to Make Good Use of Your Employee Handbook

Employee handbooks are a nifty communication and reference tool for the workplace, but only if they’re used and not collecting dust on some physical (or digital) shelf. A handbook is only as good as what it does. At the minimum, it should do the following:

Introduce employees to the fundamentals of your organization’s culture—the beliefs and values that members of the organization are expected to share. This introduction explains what you do and why you do it. It may also give employees a look into the history of your organization, how you got to where you are, and where you intend to go. Last but not least, it gives employees an idea of how they can contribute to the culture. 

Communicate to employees what general behaviors and procedures are expected of them. These include general safety responsibilities, confidentiality expectations, timekeeping processes, reporting procedures, dress codes, and any other ways of doing things at your organization. 

Educate employees about what they can expect from the organization’s leadership. Executives, managers, and HR departments have obligations to their employees—both those they’ve established themselves and those required by law. A good handbook tells employees what those obligations are and how they will be met. If your employees are entitled to leaves or accommodations, for example, your handbook should explain these. 

Support consistent enforcement of company policies. Employers expose themselves to risk when they interpret, apply, or enforce policies inconsistently. Transparency about policies and how they are enforced helps keep everyone accountable and the enforcement of rules consistent across the company.  

Showcase the benefits the organization offers. Does your organization offer vacations, 401(k), health insurance, paid parental leave, or other employee benefits? If so, your handbook should outline these programs and their eligibility requirements.

Let employees know where to turn for help. Employees should feel safe turning to HR or a manager to report workplace violations, get workplace-related assistance, and get answers to any other questions they may have. The alternative is for them to turn to an outside third party, like the EEOC, the DOL, or an attorney, which could trigger a costly and time-consuming investigation. When a handbook provides multiple ways for an employee to lodge a complaint (ensuring they won’t have to report the problem to the person creating the problem), they are more likely to keep their complaints in-house.

If you need assistance updating your existing handbook or are ready to create a new one, our ThinkHR tool is easy to use and will create an up-to-date, compliant document you can easily share with your staff. The best part is, as laws change and impact your demographic, ThinkHR will notify you and prompt the updates within your document!
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What you need to know about the Covid-19 Vaccine and your Health Insurance carrier

The road to the COVID-19 vaccine has been long and challenging for many carriers and their members.

Many carriers offer a resource center to update members on vaccine availability, criteria and other helpful information pertaining to the vaccine.

Here are direct links to easily access your carrier's vaccine resource center:
To find more information about when an individual can receive a COVID-19 vaccination, please go to the following websites:
1094/1095-C Filing Deadlines Are Almost Here

Time is running out to file with the IRS (employers with 50+ to employees)

If you have over 50 FTE (full time equivalent) employees in 2020, you will need to get the 1094/1095-C filings completed before the March 2nd, 2021 deadline. We can help! We have vendors that can assist you file your 1094/1095-C forms. Their team of compliance experts can help them complete and submit forms in on time and avoid costly IRS penalties. Contact ACA Compliance for a quote.
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Employers saw medical claims fall in 2020, but Telehealth remains a larger part
MedCity News

Mirroring data from hospitals that showed fewer patients coming in for appointments and to emergency rooms last year, many employers saw their medical costs fall slightly in 2020. An analysis of claims data from 1.8 million employees conducted by the Health Transformation Alliance, a cooperative of 58 self-insured companies, found that medical costs were down 4% between January and October of 2020. On the other hand, pharmacy costs rose 4.5%, an increase attributed to more patients refilling their prescriptions over a 90-day period...
OSHA's New COVID-19 Guidance 

OSHA’s new guidance is advisory in nature and creates no new legal obligations. However, one of President Biden’s first acts after being sworn in was to sign an Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety that directs OSHA to increase enforcement of existing agency standards and investigate whether a new standard for COVID-19 mitigation is needed. Given that, employers may want to consider the new guidelines a strong recommendation. 

In a nutshell, OSHA recommends that employers and employees implement a COVID-19 prevention program that includes the following elements:

  • Masks and social distancing
  • A hazard assessment
  • Measures to limit the spread of the virus
  • Ways to identify (and send home) sick employees and policies for employee absences that don’t punish workers for staying home when sick
  • Communication of coronavirus policies and procedures in both English and the primary language of non-English speaking workers
  • Protections from retaliation for workers who raise coronavirus-related concerns

If you’re interested, you can learn more about the program here. 

Group Health Insurance Requirements for 2021
While we all await a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the individual mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it’s important to remember that the ACA remains in force – and it continues to affect employers in California and nationwide.

Here are the ACA requirements that may affect your business in 2021...
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