Benefits by Design Insurance Services Employee benefits Archives

The Most Unusual Benefits

November 18, 2024

So, your company wants to differentiate itself from the pack. That’s smart, but how do you craft a benefits package that establishes your business as a destination place of employment?

It all comes down to showing that you are supportive of your employees. You can’t put a price tag on that, and it will appeal to those in search of somewhere to work.

Ultimately, a one-size-fits-all approach to benefits is no longer sustainable. It may have worked in years prior, but nowadays it’s important to recognize that you are hiring people from all types of backgrounds, from a wide array of cultures and from a range of age groups.

As a result, your benefits package should be as adaptable and diverse as your staff members.

What benefits are at the forefront of employees’ minds?

From pharmacy benefits to personal time for nonwork-related responsibilities, many employees are eager for accessible and affordable benefits that make them feel like you see them as people.

Before the pandemic, perks such as free lunches, fitness centers and Ping-Pong tables were appealing in their own way. However, today’s distributed workforce demands benefits that actually improve their lives on a grander scale. It’s become normal to expect more innovation when it comes to the benefits that are offered, and this change in the tides will influence how much people believe your company cares about its employees.

Your company can do something about the frustration that many workers experience as a result of sub-par benefits. In turn, you will draw more attention from candidates in search of a company that understands how to support its workforce.

Benefit ideas that your employees will actually appreciate

Here are a handful of ways you can effectively express your appreciation for your employees in the modern workplace:

Financial planning and advice

Financial planning goes beyond just offering a 401(k). It can also help employees manage debt, budget for everyday expenses and save for larger purchases. This type of program can have a significantly beneficial impact on your employees, especially because financial stress is known to affect people immensely.

Financial stressors not only negatively impact work performance but also hurt the physical health, mental well-being and interpersonal relationships of your employees. When you offer finance-related advice and educational opportunities on topics such as home buying and identity theft protection, you can empower your employees to make informed decisions.

Additionally, student debt is a growing concern for many. However, with a financial planning program, you can assist your employees by helping them manage their own debt or preventing them from falling into more debt while trying to get out of their current situation.

Professional development budgets

A professional development budget, such as an education stipend, is another way to show that you are committed to your employees’ growth. This type of stipend has the power to pay for an array of educational opportunities, such as online courses, in-house training, mentorship programs or attending industry events. You can also support employees who want to obtain English as a Second Language certification, earn their high school diploma or pursue an advanced degree.

Mental health perks

Mental health perks are a great way to support your workforce. Examples include offering extra vacation days, extending the weekend to three days and providing time off for birthdays and half-days throughout the summer.

Consider adding therapy sessions, mindfulness apps and meditation classes to the mix. You can also extend your employee assistance program to include counseling for anxiety, grief, trauma or substance abuse, among other difficulties that your employees may face.

Healthy meal deliveries and fitness app subscriptions

An amazing way to encourage your employees to maintain peak physical health is by equipping them with subscriptions for healthy meal delivery services, coupons for local fitness classes, or reimbursements for physical activity and wellness programs.

Providing personal training at gyms or supporting family-planning options, such as fertility treatments and adoption assistance, are other ways to show that you care about the holistic well-being of those who work for you.

Solid opportunities for families

As a way of supporting those employees who are also parents, why not offer a childcare allowance? Flexible work arrangements and on-site childcare options can also make a big difference for parents who work for your company.

Access to help for remote and hybrid employees

For remote and hybrid employees, lack of socialization is a common issue. Creating interactive spaces, such as Slack channels, virtual game nights or annual trips for team bonding purposes, can help bridge that gap. Telehealth and on-demand apps for stress management are also valuable resources.

Voluntary benefits

Voluntary benefits, such as pet insurance, long-term care insurance and discounts, can give your employees the flexibility they need to choose what matters most to them while opting out of benefits that may not apply to their lives.

Addressing gaps that have existed in previous benefits packages, such as fertility support, student debt assistance and paternity leave, can make your company’s benefits appear more well-rounded. Attention to these opportunities for improvement can also serve as a way of showcasing your support for your employees as people, not just workers.

From self-improvement and career mobilization to tuition reimbursement and certifications, there are many ways to demonstrate that you believe in advancing and developing the careers of your employees. Just remember: The more you can contribute to your employees’ sense of fulfillment, the better.

Pam Morton
Benefits by Design Insurance Services
415-524-8959 Larkspur, CA office
760-696-3573 Carlsbad, CA office
PamM@benefitsbydesignca.com
www.benefitsbydesignca.com
© 2024 Industry Newsletters

What Is A PEP — And Is It Right For You?

November 18, 2024

A pooled employer plan is a defined contribution plan, like a 401(k), that multiple employers can participate in. A PEP outsources many fiduciary responsibilities along with plan management and administrative functions to a third-party pooled plan provider.

PEPs were introduced via the SECURE Act of 2019. Changes to PEP participation were added in the Secure 2.0 Act of 2022. These changes allowed smaller firms to compete for talent with larger companies and their comprehensive benefits packages.

When you participate in a PEP, you have three main responsibilities:

To determine a plan design that’s appropriate for your workforce and company.
To work with a payroll system or provider to transfer retirement plan contributions and data.
To monitor the PPP to make sure it’s meeting its own responsibilities.

The previous incarnation of the pooled plan provider was multiple employer plans. MEPs allowed participation if your company shared an industry or geography with other plan participants. PPPs are different. It sets its own eligibility requirements. Your business doesn’t have to operate in the same industry or geographical area.

Choosing a PPP with proficient plan administration and investment management that acts in the best interests of your employees is the trick. Look for a PPP that:

Manages plan documentation, government filings and ongoing compliance.
Bundles communication and coordination with the recordkeeper, custodian, investment adviser, trustee and auditor.
Works with your payroll service provider to streamline and monitor employee payroll deductions.

How do you choose among PPPs?

The first step is to issue a request for proposals seeking information about the capabilities of each PPP, along with detailed information on cost and fee structures. Be sure to ask for information about plan design flexibility.

You might also consider looking for independent third-party evaluation firms to help navigate the selection process. These third-party evaluators can compare different PPPs and the specifics of each PEP across a range of criteria.

Next, be sure to understand the following:

Cost and cost assessment with an apples-to-apples comparison.
Different approaches to fees — asset-based fees, fixed fees or per-participant fees.
Total annual plan costs — compare service provider and fund manager fees side by side.
Investment management capabilities of the PPP — is it managed internally or outsourced?

Further, the PEP plans offered by the PPP should provide plan participants with an investment menu that allows them to build well-diversified portfolios at any stage of their career, from early-career employees just starting their savings journey to near retirees drawing down savings for income and everyone in between.

What are the negatives?

With a single-employer retirement plan, you have more flexibility to customize the plan design to meet the needs and retirement goals of your employees. You won’t be dependent on the actions or decisions of others and can access information and resolve problems directly. You have the freedom to choose a different service provider, move your plan or negotiate pricing if you’re unsatisfied with the cost or quality of service.

While a PEP provides several advantages over a single-employer plan — one-stop shopping, ease of implementation, reduced fiduciary exposure and administrative costs, access to expertise that you probably don’t have in-house — the drawbacks include limited or no ability to choose recordkeepers within the plan, limitations on investment choices and inflexibility in plan design.

Tax credits

To offset PEP start-up costs, for the first three years of participation you may be eligible for a tax credit of $5,000 annually with an additional $500 available if you set up automatic enrollment. Another credit of up to $1,000 per employee for your contributions may apply if you had up to 50 employees in the preceding taxable year. The credit phases out from 51 to 100 employees.

However, rules can change quickly with little notice, so check with a qualified financial expert for the current details and suitability guidance.

Pam Morton
Benefits by Design Insurance Services
415-524-8959 Larkspur, CA office
760-696-3573 Carlsbad, CA office
PamM@benefitsbydesignca.com
www.benefitsbydesignca.com
© 2024 Industry Newsletters

The Best and Most Unusual Employee Benefits

November 18, 2024

Today, top-tier talent can negotiate for — and get — some pretty cool perks from their jobs, according to Employee Benefits Advisor. Here are the 20 most unusual:

Unlimited vacation days.
Surfing permitted during the workday.
Bimonthly massages.
VIP treatment at sporting events.
A personal assistant.
Pet insurance.
Free mechanical bull rides at the bar across the street.
Free season passes to a local ski resort.
All the snacks you can carry.
Discounts on homeowners and auto insurance.
Free lunch daily.
Fridge stocked with snacks.
Apple laptop and workstation.
Free beer on Fridays.
Housing provided.
Two hours of free housecleaning services a month.
Bring your dog to work.
“We promise not to poke you with a sharp stick.”
Free gym membership.
Unlimited usage of the company Ping-Pong table.

Gone are the days when job seekers were happy just to be hired. Today, companies want to set themselves apart from the crowd by offering a smorgasbord of employment benefits and letting workers choose their own selections.

Don’t judge

And not all benefits are frivolous. There’s a company that’s offering parents help with autistic children. Suppose your company is located in a rather remote place and so are your employees. Having a way to get help for their autistic children in such a setting is worth a great deal to these parents.

In this vein, just having access to a doctor in the office is a benefit, as are on-site medical centers or telemedicine services that let employees consult long-distance with doctors and nurses. Also becoming popular are on-site fitness centers.

How about a geriatric care manager? Or a free consultation with a geriatric care manager, plus help with coordinating services, support for respite care and flexible time off? Employers like Johnson & Johnson and Duke University are providing such benefits.

And for a wrap-up of other off-the-beaten-track perks, how about:

Green rewards (for solar panels, for example).
On-site kindergarten.
Dog walking.
Car incentives or alternative transportation options.
Concierge and laundry service.

Think about what your employees might like, and consider adding some additional benefits to your list to attract new employees and retain the ones you have.

Pam Morton
Benefits by Design Insurance Services
415-524-8959 Larkspur, CA office
760-696-3573 Carlsbad, CA office
PamM@benefitsbydesignca.com
www.benefitsbydesignca.com
© 2024 Industry Newsletters

3 Employee Benefits Worth Thinking About

November 18, 2024

Tuition Reimbursement

Many companies help reimburse employees for classes they take. (These are classes employees take on their own time, distinct from company-provided job training, typically done during business hours.) Employees get the benefits of increasing their knowledge, and the company gets a better-trained and educated workforce.

Companies often add limitations to the benefit. For example, there is typically a dollar limit to the amount an employee can submit each year. Also, management will likely want to approve the course of study, to make sure it is relevant to the job the employee has or is likely to be promoted into. It’s appropriate for a bookkeeper, for example, to take classes in accounting, but not in English literature. Many companies also set goals, requiring a minimum grade for full reimbursement.

Some companies are nervous about offering this benefit, fearing that they’ll pay to educate employees who will quickly depart for fresher fields, thanks to their new degrees. But a well-run company will provide additional challenges — and promotions — to better-educated staff, so few will need to leave to find better opportunities.

Extra Holiday Time

Companies may be able to grant this benefit at little cost to themselves. With travel and family plans, everyone gets a little busy at the end of December. Although some businesses, like retail stores, are extra busy, others find themselves in a lull. For example, a publisher that specializes in scholarly books shuts down from Christmas to New Year’s Day, while keeping everyone on full salary. The company’s authors and potential customers are academics, who have left their campuses, so there was little work getting done. It built up enormous goodwill at little cost to the business itself.

And this benefit doesn’t have to be limited to December. A business that is busy in the winter but faces summer doldrums can close the week of July 4.

Gym Membership

This is like the tuition reimbursement plan in that it helps the company and the employees: If you work out, you’ll probably be healthier and take fewer sick days. Some may come early for a basketball game, do a lunchtime aerobics class or run laps after work. An opinion piece in the New York Times says that when employees exercise more often and eat better, morale improves, productivity increases and health care costs go down.

Companies can pay a flat monthly reimbursement fee or sometimes even strike a deal with a local gym or health club for employee discounts. Larger companies, of course, may even provide a gym on-site for employees.

Not every benefit is workable for every company, but companies that do go above and beyond in what they offer may see improvement in morale. They may also find they have a recruiting edge when hiring new staff — many people are motivated by benefits other than money.

Pam Morton
Benefits by Design Insurance Services
415-524-8959 Larkspur, CA office
760-696-3573 Carlsbad, CA office
PamM@benefitsbydesignca.com
www.benefitsbydesignca.com
© 2024 Industry Newsletters

How to Address the 7-Year Itch

November 18, 2024

What would you do on the first Monday of your sabbatical? Be clear about what you expect to achieve. You might want to include a secondary goal, such as starting to write a book or blog or learning a language. Not only will you make personal discoveries, but you will also establish a project to continue working on when you return to your regular life.

Adjusting balance is key to better physical and spiritual health. Your time off can provide you the chance to reduce stress and reassess your life, as well as for realizing aspirations. So how should you set an ideal date and time frame for your adventure?

First, forget traditional notions. Your sabbatical can last a week, a month or a year, as long as you structure it around a beginning, middle and end, plus deadlines. You could even occasionally go into your office to attend to a matter. You might leave a short window of time in case you truly need to delay your plans, but once you set the plan in motion, you must protect it.

If your business or company experiences extra active seasons, you may want to consider scheduling the sabbatical to coincide with a less busy interval. For instance, accountants recognize that client work tends to wind down after April 15. Or, as an entrepreneur running your own business, you will expect typical cycles. Alternatively, your dates might coincide with projects, such as the ideal travel season in locations you want to visit. Moreover, if your plan includes a partner or spouse, you may need to coordinate with them.

Making the case for your me-time

When the moment comes to negotiate with your CEO, manager or business partner, you need a strategy to convince them why and when you are leaving. You might ask for paid leave (although there are advantages to unpaid time too, including less pressure) or you may be looking for confirmation that your job will still be there for you on your return.

Build a case for why leaving may help you become a better employee, whether through increasing your productivity and engagement or addressing your possible burnout and diminishing returns. Although it may be difficult to create a tangible metric, the bottom line usually comes back to the retention of your talent. From the employer’s side, the most compelling argument is competition within an industry, such as technology or consulting, especially if others are awarding free-time benefits.

Some companies offering sabbaticals include:

PayPal (four weeks every five years).
Deloitte (three to six months at reduced pay).
BetterUp (one month after five years).
Citi (up to 12 weeks of leave, with a portion of base pay and benefits).
Intel (eight weeks after seven years; four weeks after four years).
McDonald’s (eight weeks every 10 years).
Morningstar (six weeks every four years).

Planning your exit strategy

Reentry mode must be managed, too. Maintain any professional licenses and keep in touch with your company. Particularly toward the end of your break, communicate your timeline, reach out to industry contacts, and update your resume and your digital presence. Come back onto the scene gradually. It’s not like turning on a light switch. You might benefit from taking a few final days to reflect on how your experience has changed your life.

Unless your employer is willing to subsidize your time off, you must make careful financial plans, both to cover any loss of income and to pay for extra expenses such as travel. Health care will be a priority; confirm whether you need to purchase your own insurance for the duration of your leave. If you are a parent, you might also require child care or, if you are leaving town, caretaker services for your home’s upkeep.

Add up all those charges and take them to your financial planner to run the numbers in order to calculate both short- and long-term impacts.

Pam Morton
Benefits by Design Insurance Services
415-524-8959 Larkspur, CA office
760-696-3573 Carlsbad, CA office
PamM@benefitsbydesignca.com
www.benefitsbydesignca.com
© 2024 Industry Newsletters

ESOPs: Are They Right for You?

October 4, 2024

If you’re thinking about offering ESOPs to your employees, you might find them appealing because of the way they can help reward those employees who helped you build your business. After all, an ESOP is an aspect of an employee’s retirement plan, and like other tax-advantaged retirement accounts, your employees won’t owe taxes on any money in their ESOP account until money is withdrawn, making it an enticing benefit in the eyes of employees as well.

Why are ESOPs an attractive benefit?

An ESOP can serve as a mighty powerful motivator for employees. Every employee who participates in this benefits-focused plan will own a stake in the corporate ownership of the company. This can be particularly significant if your company is successful.

How do ESOPs work?

With this type of benefits plan, you’ll start by establishing a trust that allows for stocks in your company. Each year, you’ll make tax-deductible contributions that will serve as shares in your company. The trust account that you created will allocate your company shares to the accounts of employees who are participating in the ESOP.

The advantages of an ESOP

If a company is owned by multiple people, an ESOP can only purchase shares from owners who want to sell theirs. This differs from outside buyers who typically want to obtain full ownership of a company.

With an ESOP, owners can sell their shares of the company to ESOPs at their own pace. This makes it possible to gradually withdraw from the company, whether that means stepping into a more limited role or exiting the company entirely, which is a level of flexibility that is hard to achieve with other business sale methods.

That said, even after you sell your shares to an ESOP, you can still stay involved with the company. For instance, you can remain on the company’s board of directors or take on a role that provides guidance to the company.

If your business is a C corporation and you choose to sell your shares of the company to an ESOP, you can defer capital gains taxes indefinitely. According to Internal Revenue Code Section 1042, all you need to do is reinvest the proceeds in the form of stocks and bonds for U.S.-based companies.

On the other hand, since an S corporation does not typically pay corporate income taxes, you — as the S corporation owner — can sell any amount of your company shares to an ESOP and elect to sell even more later if you wish.

If you decide that you only want to sell a portion of your stake in the company, an ESOP provides the opportunity to purchase any percentage of your company’s shares while upholding the option to buy even more over time. This is particularly ideal if private investors are not interested in purchasing stakes in the company.

The disadvantages of an ESOP

One of the limitations of an ESOP is that you can only establish them for C corporations or S corporations, not businesses that are classified as partnerships. Furthermore, private companies with ESOPs must buy back shares from employees who depart from the business, and this can be costly if many employees leave at once or multiple employees retire simultaneously.

ESOPs can be expensive to set up, though they are often less costly than alternative options. Just note that legal fees for the establishment and maintenance of ESOPs typically start at a base level of $125,000.

For companies that employ fewer than a few hundred people, the annual costs associated with ESOP administration and valuation range from $20,000 to $35,000. That said, a simple ESOP that only receives shares or funds to purchase other shares is relatively less expensive.

Furthermore, the tax benefits of an ESOP tend to outweigh the maintenance costs over time. Also, an ESOP cannot pay more than the fair market value for shares. This value is determined by an independent valuation expert, especially when your stock is not publicly traded, so an ESOP might not match a higher offer from a motivated buyer.

You cannot use ESOPs as a means of rewarding specific employees while denying participation to others. Instead, all eligible employees must be included in ESOPs. Also, note that ESOPs require ongoing cash contributions, and your company might need to contribute more to the ESOP than you would to other retirement plans.

If you have an ESOP loan in place, your company will subsequently have limited flexibility in terms of managing cash flow and the timing of payments. Additionally, private companies are responsible for repurchasing shares from former employees once they are vested and have left the company.

For very small companies that employ no more than 20 people, the costs of an ESOP may outweigh the benefits. Therefore, ESOPs are most suitable for companies with sufficient profits as this will give the company the means to afford setup expenses and maintenance costs while still operating successfully and making all necessary ESOP contributions.

As you can see, ESOPs are a way to establish a transition plan. They create a market for your company’s stock, and, in this way, you can then sell your business gradually instead of having to exit suddenly.

Pam Morton
Benefits by Design Insurance Services
415-524-8959 Larkspur, CA office
760-696-3573 Carlsbad, CA office
PamM@benefitsbydesignca.com
www.benefitsbydesignca.com
© 2024 Industry Newsletters

Days Off: What Should Companies Do?

October 4, 2024

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than one-third of private businesses extend between 10 and 14 days of paid vacation to employees after said employees have reached their one-year mark of employment. Then, after 10 years of employment, the average number of paid time-off (PTO) days typically increases to between 15 and 19 days per employee.

What is the highest number of vacation days?

In most instances, the maximum vacation days that employers offer is approximately 20. Though some businesses permit employees to take more than 20 days of vacation every year, most companies offer 20 days of vacation as appreciation for 20 years of employment.

What about personal days?

Just like vacation days, the number of personal days that employees can take may differ from one business to the next. That said, in most cases, businesses offer employees either one or two days per year.

How about PTO?

PTO refers to vacation days, holidays, sick days, maternity leave and jury duty, all of which refer to days that are paid. In essence, PTO broadly covers any paid absence from work, whether that is vacation, illness or personal days. When you view it in that way, most employees receive around 12 days of paid leave, which is about two weeks on average.

For your business in particular, you might adjust your vacation and PTO policies according to the specifics of your industry. Similarly, you might need to implement your policies based on regulations in your state of operation.

Just make sure your PTO policy is attractive. That way, you can appeal to high-quality, talented and suitable prospects. Studies have shown that paid leave assists companies in recruiting, hiring and retaining employees.

Are unlimited PTO and vacation days an option?

There are businesses out there that offer unlimited PTO. In fact, the modern workforce often receives a general PTO bank, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic. With this type of dynamic, employees are able to take advantage of time off as needed no matter the reason, which results in favorably flexible work lives for those on the receiving end of unlimited PTO.

What should be the bare minimum?

Consider a 10-day leave option as a crucial part of your benefits package. This can distinguish it from the rest.

From there, think about extending 10 days of annual paid vacation per employee. On top of that, you can offer the possibility of adjusting this 10-day proposal based on the presence of — or lack of — tenure or based on a certain number of hours worked. In most cases, this will equate to two full weeks for the average employee in addition to eight days of sick leave.

For added flexibility, an alternative approach could be providing 20 days of PTO per year in addition to official holidays. A company’s appeal often hinges on its ability to offer a PTO policy that is not restrictive, so keep this in mind.

Note that approximately 55% of PTO remains untapped, meaning the opportunity to take advantage of PTO is not that advantageous to employees after all. Interestingly, more men tend to utilize allocated days than do women, who tend to lean toward the utilization of sick time more than anything.

Holidays are designated for reserved days throughout the year, whether on a national or state level. In most instances, holidays refer more so to dates that are universally observed as nonworking days. In contrast, vacation days afford employees the option to deviate from their usual work schedule and take time off when it would otherwise not be offered to them as such.

Regarding unpaid leave, its status at the end of the year — as well as the carryover of vacation days into the subsequent year — are important considerations to make. While some states implement a use-it-or-lose-it policy, others require employers to compensate full-time staff for any vacation days that employees accrue but do not use.

That said, it’s important to note that both unused PTO and vacation time might be details an employee can request payout for upon departing from the company. This is certainly contingent upon state regulations, but laws aside, unused sick time is typically exempt from compensation when employees quit their jobs.

All these possibilities explain why business owners must clearly define and relay the company’s vacation policy.

So, what kind of time-off plan works best for your company and your employees? After considering what type of dynamic will best suit the nature of your business, you can compare your ideas to what other businesses in your field offer.

Pam Morton
Benefits by Design Insurance Services
415-524-8959 Larkspur, CA office
760-696-3573 Carlsbad, CA office
PamM@benefitsbydesignca.com
www.benefitsbydesignca.com
© 2024 Industry Newsletters

Company Scholarship Programs: Right for You?

October 4, 2024

Should you offer scholarships as an employee benefit? These can take many forms. Academic grants, often merit-based, might cover tuition, books and fees, allowing recipients to complete their degrees without financial distractions. Diversity scholarships focus on enhancing inclusivity for nontraditional students within the firm or community. Grants for older students provide resources for those with added financial obligations such as supporting their children.

Does your company offer such a program, or could it? Consider some far-reaching benefits and what steps to take to initiate a sponsorship.

Giving forward, giving back

In a time when companies compete for good publicity, scholarships are a way to stand out from the crowd. With student debt at record highs, scholarships can boost your corporate brand image, extending from the student community out to their wider friends and families. Marketers know that one of the hardest demographics to reach is the one comprising people ages 18-24. Scholarships can provide for four years of college for deserving students and can give your company a lot of good attention.

You can show current employees you are committed to their advancement by giving them a way to learn up-to-date skills. This provides evidence that you want them to reach their full potential. At the same time, it is a conduit to attract talent, as you build your reputation among potential candidates.

Sponsors are no shrinking violets. It is no surprise that most major companies offer scholarships under their own brand names. The fundamental reason being public recognition — that is why they put their names on them.

Aside from marketing, other benefits come with the turf. Sponsors can elevate their corporate social responsibility image as an element of social consciousness. On an immediate level, building scholarship links can raise search engine optimization by increasing the links back to a firm’s website from respected universities that may list external scholarships on their own prestigious sites. And there are additional sources of useful market research, e.g., many applications include a research survey that can provide key information.

Scholarship recipients win, too, not just by allayed concerns over repaying loans after graduation, but equally important, achieving a sought-after scholarship can enhance their confidence and self-esteem throughout their careers as well.

Tuition reimbursement

It is worth distinguishing between scholarships and tuition reimbursement. While scholarships may cover the cost of an entire degree, reimbursement only provides for a percentage.

In theory, scholarships are set up to grant funds on a case-by-case basis without conditions of repayment. (They may, however, entail conditions for disbursement, such as academic achievement or the duration of an employee’s tenure at their sponsor’s firm.) Tuition reimbursement, by contrast, normally requires certain criteria be met. An employee might foot their own educational expenses but be eligible for repayment as long as they keep up with coursework and fulfill their work commitments at the office.

Companies also value reimbursement for helping keep workers’ skills fresh, or even prepare them to move toward management jobs. Corporate sponsors such as Fiat Chrysler and JetBlue have had noteworthy success. Starbucks offers a plan that underwrites tuition for a four-year degree at Arizona State University Online.

Creating a corporate scholarship

Here are some questions to consider before starting a scholarship at your own company:

What will be your values and objectives? Are you focused on academic merit, financial need, diverse representation or development in a specialized field?
What will be the eligibility criteria?
How much money is being considered, and how often should it be distributed?
Will it be funded by money held in escrow or withdrawn from an existing budget?
Will you need a committee to oversee the application review process, select recipients and manage the program, including administrative and logistical support, record-keeping, disbursements, marketing and communications?
Should you leverage existing corporate channels and explore partnerships with other educational and community organizations?

If it all sounds daunting, consider outsourcing the project through a community or stand-alone foundation, or tapping a nonprofit administrator.

Pam Morton
Benefits by Design Insurance Services
415-524-8959 Larkspur, CA office
760-696-3573 Carlsbad, CA office
PamM@benefitsbydesignca.com
www.benefitsbydesignca.com
© 2024 Industry Newsletters

Improve Communications in Your Company

October 4, 2024

Effective internal communication has gotten more important since the pandemic and remote work decentralized teams. Better internal communication engages employees, keeps teams aligned, prevents duplicate work and keeps time from being wasted in searching for information.

How can you supercharge communication no matter where everyone is working?

Demonstrate empathy. Managers need to show that they know employees have lives outside work. When employees know they are being heard, they feel valued, which can lead to more satisfied workers, lower turnover and less absenteeism.

Connect as people, not just workers. Ask your employees how their weekend was and how the kids are enjoying soccer. Small talk can be valuable in strengthening relationships when workers are remote and don’t have serendipitous meetings at the office. Face-to-face communication, even over a screen, often feels more empathetic than an email.

Keep your virtual door open. One approach to communication is to make it clear that employees can check in with you whenever they need to. Another is to block off a certain amount of time on your calendar for office hours every week, letting your team members know you’ll be available then. Either way, make sure everyone understands that even if they can’t wander into your office to talk, you’re available to listen to their concerns.

Empower employees to share feedback. Do your employees feel heard? Try establishing new channels for communication. Send an employee engagement survey at regular intervals. Follow up with “stay interviews” to learn why employees have remained at your company, what’s working well for them and what they’d like to improve. You can post open-ended questions for employees to respond to. Offer multiple outlets for anonymous feedback as a way for employees to provide constructive criticism so your firm can continue to learn and grow.

Respect cultural differences. Your workplace is likely home to a variety of cultures and viewpoints. To create an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves, be culturally sensitive and make sure your company policies reflect that sensitivity. Be transparent about efforts to improve inclusivity and give all employees opportunities to share thoughts on initiatives. This can be harder than it sounds, as even well-meaning managers can end up looking patronizing, so consider getting outside help.

Give feedback that’s clear and precise or don’t give it at all. Be as straightforward as you can. If you offer constructive criticism to an employee, provide examples and accompany the feedback with an action item.

Strategize an onboarding process for new employees. Put together a uniform employee training program that every new person completes. Make internal knowledge accessible via documentation and training videos. Make sure your employee directory is up to date and Q&A forums are packed with information. This allows new team members to find people and answers, while keeping effective communication flowing.

Use the right communication tools. Office chat tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams create communication channels and allow entire company chats. A chat tool saves time and increases productivity as employees connect with one another and receive real-time responses.

Workplace communication can have a big effect on revenue, productivity and employee satisfaction. You can spark conversations, educate employees and boost morale. Let employees know what your company is sharing with the public on social media. Help your workers learn how the company does things.

Pam Morton
Benefits by Design Insurance Services
415-524-8959 Larkspur, CA office
760-696-3573 Carlsbad, CA office
PamM@benefitsbydesignca.com
www.benefitsbydesignca.com
© 2024 Industry Newsletters

COBRA: What’s Your Responsibility?

July 31, 2024

COBRA applies to employers of 20 or more workers that offer health benefits. (Determining whether you have 20 or more employees is complicated; you may be able to group the working hours of multiple part-time employees to equal one full-time employee.) Additionally, you must have offered health insurance for more than 50% of your business days in the previous year.

If you fall into these categories, you must give employees the option of continuing employer-sponsored health coverage if they undergo any of the following:

Termination of employment, voluntary or involuntary (unless termination was the result of gross misconduct)
Reduction in hours (including from full time to part time)
Transition to a job with a different employer
Divorce or marital separation (the spouse may still be entitled to benefits through your employee)
Death
Qualification for Medicare
Change in status of covered dependents (that is, when they reach an age when they are no longer covered by a parent’s health plan)

To be covered by COBRA, the employee must have been part of your employer-sponsored health plan on the day before their qualifying event; they cannot have declined coverage, been ineligible for coverage or been covered by Medicare. Generally, the employee must give notice of the qualifying event to their employer within 30 days; they then have 45 days to send in their first monthly premium payment. If an employee declines COBRA coverage, or if the coverage is canceled in the future, it cannot be reinstated.

Employers’ responsibilities

Under COBRA, the employer has certain responsibilities to inform employees of their rights under COBRA.

First, the employer must inform employees and their spouses of their rights to COBRA within 14 days of the beginning of their employment. The employer must also notify the qualifying individual of their rights to COBRA within 14 days of the event that qualifies them for the coverage.

Employers must also notify the health insurance company if an employee elects COBRA coverage; the notification must occur within 30 or 60 days, depending on the type of qualifying event.

Employers must also make the following documents available to employees:

A summary plan outlining COBRA rights provided under your group health plan. This information should include the available benefits under the health insurance plan, the rights of participants and beneficiaries under the plan, and a description of how the health plan works.
A COBRA general notice. This must be given to each employee and their spouse within the first 90 days of coverage. It should include the contact information of the plan administrator (or whomever the employee can speak to for more information), a general description of COBRA coverage, and a description of what qualified beneficiaries must do to notify the plan of qualifying events.

Be sure to keep a record of these notifications as evidence that the policy was followed. You may want to use HR software to track and archive compliance records or outsource the process to a PEO service provider. If you do not have a professional plan administrator, the Department of Labor provides a general notice template that employers may use to notify employees of their COBRA rights.

Coverage and costs

Depending on the employee’s qualifying event and circumstances, COBRA coverage will last at least 18 months, but it can continue for as long as three years (for reasons such as a disability that was incurred while the employee was already on COBRA).

COBRA requires that the employer offer the same health insurance coverage as other employees are entitled to. This benefit may include:

Inpatient or outpatient hospital treatments
Physician or ancillary care
Surgery or other types of major medical benefits
Prescription drugs
Dental and vision coverage

COBRA does not cover life insurance or disability benefits.

COBRA tends to be more expensive to the recipient because they are responsible for paying 100% of the health insurance premium. (Most employers cover a portion or all of health insurance.) COBRA recipients are additionally responsible for a 2% administrative charge, which offsets the cost of the employer’s administering the program. If an employee elects extended COBRA after becoming disabled while on COBRA, employers may be allowed to charge 150% of the health insurance premium.

COBRA-qualified individuals have 30 days after health insurance payments are due to send payment to their employer (or past employer). This means that the employer will generally be paying for coverage ahead of the recipient’s payment.

Individual states may also have COBRA-like laws, and some employers are subject to a state continuance-coverage law even if they’re exempt from federal law. Be sure to check with your state labor agency or your attorney to learn more.

Failing to comply with COBRA rules can lead to fines per covered employee along with the cost of any medical expenses incurred during the time the employee should have been covered.
COBRA is complicated to administer, but it gives peace of mind to employees and their families, especially if they have preexisting medical conditions or ongoing treatment needs.
You can count on Pamela Morton at Benefits by Design Insurance Services to use the 30+ years of experience she has both on the corporate side of health insurance and 7 years of experience as a Health Insurance Agency Owner and broker. Benefits by Design is paid by the insurance companies and does not charge their clients fees.

Pam Morton
Benefits by Design Insurance Services
415-524-8959 Larkspur, CA office
760-696-3573 Carlsbad, CA office
PamM@benefitsbydesignca.com
www.benefitsbydesignca.com
© 2024 Industry Newsletters

Category: Employee benefits