Wellness Questionnaires, Health Promotion Programs and Wellness Programs
Few businesss benchmark their flu programs, a study from the Disability Management Company Coalition finds. But those that do often discover room for improvement.
Nearly 80 percent of businesss provide staff access to flu shots, either onsite or at a local clinic. And 72 percent cover some or all of the cost (typically compensating between $10 [...]
The fastest-growing use of EAPs since 2002 has been tied to employees’ financial worries.
Over the last five years, there’s been a stated 69 percent jump in employee employee assistance program use related to personal financial concerns. The trend isn’t all that surprising.
Statistics show that, for the first time since the Great Depression, the average American [...]
The problem of presenteeism â.” workforce showing up at work but taking a “mental vacation day” â.” isn’t going away any time soon.
A recent survey found the average worker has three unused vacation days at the end of the year. But 33% admit that they sometimes take “unofficial” vacation days of a half-day or more.
Not [...]
It’s tough to get workers to participate in benefit programs that they don’t even know exist.
Seventy-one% of personnel lack basic knowledge of standard benefit programs, as reported by a new study by the American Payroll Association (APA).
Low participation rates
The ASA study focused on personnel knowledge of their company’s pre-tax benefits. While nearly three quarters of [...]
Compliance with health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA) non-discrimination rules is a large challenge for wellness programs. The old rules were unclear about which incentives passed muster.
That’s all changed, with the rules established earlier this year by the DOL and U.S. Treasury Department. The rules themselves haven’t changed, but they’ve been clarified. Here’s what [...]
Ever set out to organize and dispose of old staff member files and paperwork in the office? the job is tougher than it seems.
Best practice - Develop a records retention policy as your first step. A host of federal and state laws specify how long you must retain pay- and benefits-related documents.
Compliance is essential when [...]
Many corporations try to reward employees during the holidays. But be careful -
There’s a common misbelief that the IRS considers gift cards worth $20 or less de minimus benefits and, therefore, they’re tax free. Regrettably, that’s not true. With few exceptions, the IRS considers almost anything with cash value a taxable form of compensation.
Practically speaking, [...]
In recent years, it’s become increasingly common for corporations with as few as 200 workers to explore self-insurance. But beware of hidden traps.
If your organization is weighing self-insurance â.” or has already taken it â.” here are three pitfalls that can develop unexpected costs.
1. Unfavorable worker mix
It’s impossible to completely eliminate the risk of unexpected, [...]
Evidence-based medicine has become a large buzzword in health care over the last few years. But certain non-traditional treatments, like chiropractic care, may also prove effective in certain cases.
The key - Using these treatments in addition to â.” not instead of â.” conventional medicine may prove more cost-efficient in the long term.
What the latest research [...]
When an staff member ignores directions from a physician, who’s responsible if the staff member causes a serious accident on the job?
In some cases, it’s your firm that ends up on the hook â.” both for workers’ comp and for other people ’s injuries caused by misuse of a prescription drug.
Situations such as these raise [...]