News/Blog

Captives are a bit of a rarity in the employee benefits insurance field. They are heavily utilized in the Property and Liability Insurance industry to spread risk among several parties.   However, in certain cases, captives make sense for employee benefit plans. Traditionally, they are used by very, very large employers and mostly for ancillary…

HR Brief – August 2016 This month’s HR Brief clarifies some of the differences between the FMLA, ADA and short-term disability, highlights the importance of enforcing employer policies as written and alerts employers about Exchange subsidy notices.   Employee Leave:  Clarifying STD, FMLA and ADA In addition to the federal requirements under the Family and…

OVERVIEW SUMMER WELLNESS: Tips for Weathering the Sun and the Heat In This Issue: Making Sense of Sunscreen Go Outside and Play Recipe: Chicken Stir-fry  

Recent Court Rulings Raise Questions about FMLA The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) clearly states that when an employer knows that a worker taking leave qualifies for FMLA, it must designate the worker’s absence as FMLA leave. Despite this requirement, some employers let employees choose whether to designate their leave as FMLA leave. Two…

5 Important HR Issues to Monitor for 2016  Employers have new challenges to contend with in 2016, resulting from Supreme Court decisions, federal and state legislation, and actions by federal regulatory agencies. There is a real cost for employers who fail to comply with new laws. For example, the most recent Performance Accountability Report for…

Live Well Work Well: Health and wellness tips for your work and life— brought to you by the insurance professionals at Axion Risk Management Strategies February 2016   FDA Aims to Ban Minors from Tanning Beds Due to concerns about the rising number of skin cancer cases, in December 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)…

Live Well Work Well: Health and wellness tips for your work and life— brought to you by the insurance professionals at Axion Risk Management Strategies January 2016   In Defense of Coffee Coffee has an unfortunate reputation for causing many health problems—from stunting your growth to claims that it causes heart disease and cancer. But, recent research…

EEOC Proposes Rule on GINA’s Impact on Wellness Programs On Oct. 30, 2015, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a proposed rule to amend the regulations implementing Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) as they relate to employer wellness programs that are part of group health plans. GINA protects individuals…