20 JUNE, 2017 Stay Interviews – A Powerful Retention Strategy Conducting exit interviews is a common practice for many managers and most human resource departments. Through this practice, we gain insight into why employees decide to leave our employment. Unfortunately, this reactive insight is typically too late to ameliorate current turnover. So, how do we […]

13 JUNE, 2017 DOL Withdraws Guidance on Independent Contractors and Joint Employment The United States Department of Labor (DOL) recently withdrew guidance for classifying independent contractors and for determining joint employment, two key labor laws important to the hospitality industry. While not legally binding, this guidance withdrawal simplifies how to determine classifications, reduces the presumption of […]

11 MAY, 2017 Hospitality HR Communications Across Generations For the first time ever, hotels are experienci­ng five generation­s in the workforce, each with a different preference when it comes to communicat­ion. This, along with other realities of the hospitalit­y industry (including low wages, high turnover and a large immigrant workforce)­, makes communicat­ing with your employees about […]

11 APRIL, 2017 Influencing Wellness on a Shoestring Wellness Programs Wellness programs can be complicated and a target for regulatory agencies as employers’ good intentions can conflict with privacy and discrimination laws. So, as a hospitality employer, what are your options?  Can you influence wellness in your workplace?  Can you do so without a large […]

5 APRIL, 2017 House Passes Stop-Loss Definition Bill by Huge Margin Just 16 members opposed passage Members of the House today voted 400-16 for the  Self-Insurance Protection Act bill. The bill,  H.R. 1304, would block federal efforts to regulate small stop-loss plans as health insurance by excluding the plans from the federal definition of “health insurance coverage.” All […]

29 MARCH, 2017 As ACA Remains Law, Focus Turns Back to Regulatory Relief Employer groups likely to seek targeted legislative and regulatory fixes Now that House leaders have withdrawn the GOP’s American Health Care Act from formal consideration—at least for the time being—the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will stay in effect and attention is turning […]

18 NOVEMBER, 2016 IRS Extends 1095-C and 1095-B Filing Today, the IRS announced (see  Notice 2016-70) an extension to the distribution (but not filing) deadline for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting requirements set forth in Sections 6055 and 6056 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”).  Under Code Section 6055, health coverage providers are required […]

28 OCTOBER, 2016 2017 Premium Changes and Insurer Participation in the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplaces Health insurance premiums on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces (also called exchanges) are expected to increase faster in 2017 than in previous years due to a combination of factors, including substantial losses experienced by many insurers in this market […]

5 OCTOBER, 2016 Final 2016 Forms and Instructions for IRS Reporting Requirements: 5 Key Take-Aways On October 3, 2016, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released final 2016 Forms 1094-C and 1095-C and their accompanying instructions. These forms and instructions will be used for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Applicable Large Employer reporting (for compliance with the […]

14 SEPTEMBER, 2016 Average Cost of Employer Health Coverage Tops $18,000 For Family in 2016 Pace of cost increase slowed by accelerating shift into high-deductible plans, new survey shows the average cost of health coverage offered by employers pushed above $18,000 for a family plan this year, though the growth was slowed by the accelerating […]

4 MARCH, 2016 Assessing ACA Marketplace Enrollment As of the end of the third open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 12.7 million people had signed up for coverage in the health insurance marketplaces, up from 11.7 million last year and 8.0 million in 2014. Actual enrollment will end up somewhat lower than this because […]

07 DECEMBER, 2018 The Cost of Employer Insurance Is a Growing Burden for Middle-Income Families Recent national surveys show health care costs are a top concern in U.S. households.1 While the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces receive a lot of media and political attention, the truth is that far more Americans get their coverage through employers. In […]