Employee Benefits – Right Or Privilege</h1> <article> <h1>Employee Benefits – Right Or Privilege</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:13 GMT</p> <p>Over the years, one of the most important factors candidates cited in searching for employment was benefits. Surprisingly this was second to salary. Considering the high cost of healthcare and prescriptions, benefits have played a vital role in the way people look for jobs. Unfortunately, in recent years, we have seen a decline in the benefits being offered. Companies are finding it difficult to keep pace with the rising costs of insurance and other employee benefits, forcing them to either reduce or eliminate their offering. </p> <p>Many believe that employees are entitled to benefits, feeling it is the company’s responsibility to offer some level of support. Others believe that employee benefits are a privilege not a right. For this group, they believe that any offering is better than nothing at all. Adding further fuel to this hotbed issue – the number one reason that people file for bankruptcy is medical bills. So, what is the truth about employee benefits – is it a right or a privilege? </p> <p>Let’s begin by addressing the many inaccuracies and misconceptions relating to employee benefits. Myth: For Only large companies are required by law to provide benefits. Truth: The truth is that while some benefits are mandated, the majority are not. Standard benefits such as healthcare, holiday pay, and vacation are routinely offered by companies of all sizes as part of a benefits package. While most companies do offer some or many of these benefits, from a legal standpoint, these “benefits” are not actually governed by the law. </p> <p>In a competitive marketplace, employee benefits can be the deciding factor for many candidates. Organizations offer these benefits in order to attract and retain high quality employees. Business owners know that providing perks to employees is a worthwhile investment to attract a higher caliber of employee. Therefore, while the company has to spend significant money to provide this type of coverage, they do so as an investment to growing business, and attracting and retaining a talented workforce not because they are required to do so. Today’s world is highly competitive. Individuals who have graduated with a BA or even MBA usually only work for top companies. This means that for small to medium size organizations to compete they have to find creative ways to make the opportunities more appealing. <br />Another misconception is that people are entitled to time off for vacation. Again, this is something offered, not mandated by law, as most people believe. Now, when it comes to receiving vacation time, if it is provided by the employer, it must be treated in the same way as wages, being earned daily, which is law. The other factors protecting the employee from accrued vacation is that once it is earned, the company cannot renege by taking it back and if the employee leaves the company, regardless of termination or voluntary leave, he or she must be paid earned income. <br />The examples listed below will provide you with an idea of what is the employee’s right versus privilege: </p> <p>• Any company with a minimum of one employee is required to provide unemployment insurance, which is covered 100%, meaning the employee pays nothing. </p> <p>• Workmen’s Compensation – This too must be provided for any company with one employee to include disability income, medical benefits, and time off, paid for by the company at 100%. </p> <p>• Pregnancy Disability Leave – For companies with a minimum of five employees, reasonable accommodation must be provided, typically between four and eight weeks. </p> <p>• Vacation – This benefit is not required under current law although any vacation must be accrued and paid out to the employee upon separation from the company.</p> <p>• Sick Pay – Again, by law, this is not required. However, under the Federal Medical Leave Act (FMLA), employees under certain circumstances would be provided time off (up to 12 work weeks within a 12 month period) without pay while the current job is protected. FMLA would cover issues pertaining to death in the family, medical leave, adoption and serious health issues of immediate family members. </p> <p>• Holiday Pay – This too is at the discretion of the company and not mandated. </p> <p>• Pension and Retirement – While this would not be mandatory, any coverage provided would need to follow strict ERISA regulations and tax laws. </p> <p>• Healthcare Insurance – Finally, health insurance is not required by law. However, when coverage is offered, it would fall under the direction of COBRA, Cal-COBRA, and HIPPA regulations. </p> <p>As you can see, most employee benefits are in fact a privilege and not a right. While job seekers and employees might deem it unfair or even immoral, it is what the law currently states. Having an understanding of the law, enables you to tailor and market your employee benefits package appropriately highlighting the perks that your company can offer.</p> <p>About The Author </p> <p>Richard A. Hall is founder and President/CEO of LexTech, Inc., a legal information consulting company. Mr. Hall has a unique breadth of experience which has enabled him to meld technology and sophisticated statistical analysis to produce a technology driven analytical model of the practice of law. As a busy civil trial attorney, he was responsible for the design and implementation of a LAN based litigation database and fully automated document production system for a mid-sized civil defense firm. He developed a task based billing model built on extensive statistical analysis of hundreds of litigated civil matters. In 1994, Mr. Hall invented linguistic modeling software which automatically reads, applies budget codes, budget codes and analyzes legal bill content. He also served as California Director and lecturer for a nationwide bar review. Mr. Hall continues to practice law and perform pro bono services for several Northern California judicial districts. </p> <p><a href="http://www.lextech.us/">http://www.lextech.us/</a> </p> <p><a href="http://www.articlecity.com/articles/legal/article_928.shtml">http://www.articlecity.com/articles/legal/article_928.shtml</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Employee Benefits</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:13 GMT</p> <p> Does employee benefit administration have you more confused than ever? If so, it's no wonder. Even a simple employee benefit plan can create mounds of paperwork and management problems for businesses. To make matters worse, it has become increasingly difficult for businesses to compete in today's labor market without offering an employee benefit program of some kind. Most employees today expect full employee benefits and many believe they should receive benefits equivalent to a federal employee benefit program. Even employees that work for minimum wage commonly expect to receive employee benefits similar to the Wal Mart employee benefit program. </p> <p> </p> <p>Whether you like it or not, employee benefits have become a must have for most employers. Not only does offering employee benefits help you to keep up with the competition, but it can also be a good way to attract and retain quality employees as well as promote teamwork and morale in your organization. </p> <p>If you are considering offering an employee benefit plan to your employees in order to remain competitive and retain quality employees, it's important to understand the key components of a plan and employee benefit management. </p> <p> </p> <p>So, what is the minimum employee benefits you should offer? Take a look at the basics below. </p> <p> </p> <p>Health benefits are considered to be the core of any employee benefit plan by most employees. Today most employers offer a choice between either an HMO or a PPO and cover approximately 80% of the premium for their employees as well as the dependents of their employees. You may also consider offering dental and vision coverage. </p> <p> </p> <p>The other key component of an employee benefits program is a savings program. By and far, the most popular plan of this type is the 401(k) savings plan. Keep in mind that you can offer a 401(k) to your employees without actually contributing any funds yourself. If you do choose to generously make contributions to your employee's savings plan, you might consider setting a cap out amount. For example, you might agree to contribute no more than $1000 a year per employee. That is quite standard among most small businesses that offer this type of plan. </p> <p>While health and savings benefits comprise the core of most employee benefit plans, it's important to recognize that you can be flexible when designing an employee benefit program. Many employers today are offering employee benefits in a most creative way to satisfy the emerging unique interests of their employees. For example, many businesses are now offering onsite child care, pet insurance, domestic partner benefits and meal reimbursements for employees that typically put in overtime. </p> <p> </p> <p>Matt Bacak became "#1 Best Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine’s e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets <a href="http://promotingtips.com">http://promotingtips.com</a> </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_4290.shtml">http://www.articlecity.com/articles/business_and_finance/article_4290.shtml</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Alternative Work Arrangements</h1> <p>Curt Brekke — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:32:17 GMT</p> <p> </p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:15pt;color:#8e0502;font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;"> </span></b></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">Each generation brings a different view to the workplace. Whether it is a senior manager on the verge of retirement or a fresh graduate just entering the workforce, businesses today are expanding from a traditional 9:00 am - 5:00 pm workday. Responding to employees' needs such as time off to handle medical issues, care for family members, or pursue higher education, may necessitate a flexible work arrangement outside of using vacation time, sick time, or taking a leave of absence.</span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">How then does an employer respond to the increase in requests from employees who desire alternative work arrangements? Flexible schedules can pose challenges in communication, may not be available to all the employees within the organization, can increase overtime expense and make it difficult to track employee productivity and attendance. However, for employees who need to balance their personal and professional lives, and for employers who need to control costs due to employee turnover, flexible scheduling may be necessary.</span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">Overall, a shift in perception about providing flex time is occurring. Historically, companies focused only on the factors that directly affected the company "bottom line." Older generations shared that focus and sacrificed their personal lives to achieve that overall goal. Employers are now acknowledging that flexible scheduling may be necessary to accommodate the retiring generations on their way out, as well as the newer generations stepping up the ladder.</span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">A Benefit, Not an Expectation</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">While the benefits may appear clear to the employee, the employer must justify this arrangement as a benefit for the company. One tangible benefit for a company involves employee retention. Giving employees the opportunity to balance work and personal lives can serve both parties; the employee feels valued and the employer reduces the risk of losing an important member of the team. </span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">A less tangible benefit can be measured by a decrease in overhead costs. Employees working flexible schedules can share equipment such as computers, phones and desk space. For industries that accommodate customers in multiple time zones, calls can be responded to for more hours, thus increasing the opportunity to sell and service clients.</span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">Job Sharing</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">Job sharing is a unique work solution for employees and employers. Job sharing is being used as a solution for countless situations; traditional part-time employees are being paired together to complete the same job with rotating shifts, executives are paired to divide and conquer clients, and more. Job sharing can be introduced as a solution where the company demands full-time hours but wants to accommodate a flexible work schedule.</span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">There are three types of a job share accommodations:</span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;text-indent:-0.25in;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">1.<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">Sharing responsibility</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">There is no separation of duties. Both parties are interchangeable. This method requires a high degree of cohesiveness between the job share partners and demands excellent communication.</span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;text-indent:-0.25in;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">2.<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">Dividing responsibility</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">When work can easily be split into different roles and/or the job share partners do not know each other well, dividing the job is a good option. This method works well when there are multiple clients, tasks or projects that can be split up.</span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;text-indent:-0.25in;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore;">3.<span style="font:7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">Unrelated responsibilities</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">Working with the specific skills of each partner, this job share is more similar to having two part-time employees working in the same department. </span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"> </span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">Telecommuting</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">Telecommuting is a rapidly evolving option for employers that are looking to reduce overhead costs. Recent improvements in communications technology allow almost anybody to have secure and controlled access to company systems. Many of the solutions put the employee virtually at a "desk" complete with e-mail, phone and voicemail access- all from a remote computer.</span></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;"> </span></b></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">Solutions</span></b></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;line-height:normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;color:black;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;">Flexible work arrangements are changing the landscape of businesses. Employers are seeing the benefits of increased productivity, decreased costs, improved morale and reductions in turnover as a result of instituting flextime. More employees are asking for this type of arrangement in order to better balance their work and home lives. The bottom line is that flex time is here to stay, and as the global village continues to shrink, offering flexibility to employees will soon become a necessity for businesses to survive.</span><span style="font-size:18pt;font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;"></span></p> <p> </p><div style="clear:both;"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Checking References To Insure Quality People</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:14 GMT</p> <p>When you must take on employees for your business, you will have to go through the hiring process. After preliminary interviews, you should be able to narrow the field to three or four top candidates. And that is the time to do a little detective work to insure you have the right (and honest) employees coming in.</p> <p>It's estimated that up to one-third of job applicants lie about their experience and educational achievements on their resumes or job applications. No matter how sterling the person seems in the interview process, a few phone calls upfront to check out their claims could save you a lot of hassle - and even legal battles - later on. Today, courts are increasingly holding employers liable for crimes employees commit on the job, such as drunk driving, when it is determined that the employer could have been expected to know about prior convictions for similar offenses.</p> <p>Unfortunately, getting that information has become harder and harder to do. Fearful of reprisals from former employees, many firms have adopted policies that forbid releasing detailed information. Generally, the investigating party is referred to a personnel department, which supplies dates of employment, title and salary - nothing more.</p> <p>There are ways to dig deeper, however. Try to avoid the human resources department if at all possible. Instead, try calling the person's former supervisor directly. While the supervisor may be required to send you to personnel, sometimes you'll get lucky and get the person on a day he or she feels like talking. Sometimes, too, a supervisor can tip you off without saying anything that will get him or her in trouble. Consider the supervisor who, when contacted by one potential employer, said, "I only give good references." When the employer asked, "What can you tell me about X?" the supervisor repeated, "I only give good references." Without saying anything, he said it all. </p> <p>Depending on the position, you may also want to do education checks. You can call any college or university's admissions department to verify degrees and dates of attendance. Some universities will require a written request or a signed waiver from the applicant before releasing any kind of information to you. </p> <p>If the person is going to be driving a company vehicle, you may want to do a motor vehicle check with the motor vehicle department. In fact, you may want to do this even if he or she will not be driving for you. Vehicle checks can uncover patterns of negligence or drug and alcohol problems that he or she might have.</p> <p>If your company deals with property management, such as maintenance or cleaning, you may want to consider a criminal background check as well. Unfortunately, national criminal records and even state records are not coordinated. The only way to obtain criminal records is to go to individual courthouses in each county. Although you can't run all over the state to check into a person's record, it's generally sufficient to investigate records in three counties birthplace, current residence and residence preceding the current residence.</p> <p>For certain positions, such as those that will give an employee access to your company's cash (a cashier or accounting clerk, for instance), a credit check may be a good idea as well. You can find credit reporting bureaus in any Yellow Pages. They will be able to provide you with a limited credit and payment history. While you should not rely on this as the sole reason not to hire someone (credit reports are notorious for containing errors), a credit report can contribute to a total picture of irresponsible behavior. And if the person will have access to large sums of money at your company, hiring someone who is in serious debt is probably not a very good idea. Be aware, however, that if a credit check plays any role in your decision not to hire someone, you must inform them that they were turned down in part because of their credit report. </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.articlecircle.com/business/human-resources/hiring-employees-checking-references-to-insure-quality-people.html">http://www.articlecircle.com/business/human-resources/hiring-employees-checking-references-to-insure-quality-people.html</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Why You Should Consider a Flexible Spending Account</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:13 GMT</p> <p>A flexible spending account (FSA) is a tax-advantaged employee benefit program that may be applied toward qualifying out-of-pocket health care and dependent care expenses. The deductions are pre-taxed and can be withdrawn by the employee anytime within the benefit period, or the plan year. </p> <p><strong>Types of Flexible Spending Accounts</strong> </p> <p>There are three types of flexible spending accounts an employee may elect. They are the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA), the Limited Expense Health Care Flexible Spending Account (LEX HCFSA) and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA). </p> <p>A Health Care Flexible Spending Account can be applied toward health care costs normally paid by your insurance or a Federal Employees Health Benefits plan. This excludes insurance premiums of any form. A Limited Expense Health Care Flexible Spending Account, on the other hand, allows only those enrolled in a Federal Employees Health Benefits program or a Health Savings Account High Deductible Health Plan to save their Health Savings Account funds and pay for qualifying dental and vision expenses with their LEX HCFSA savings.</p> <p>The third type of flexible spending account, the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, differs from the Health Care Flexible Spending Account and the Limited Expense Health Care Flexible Spending Account in that its savings can be used toward other family members. Dependent care coverage includes children under the age of 13, as well as spouses, in-laws, parents and other family members of any age who cannot care for themselves due to mental or physical handicaps. Like the Health Care Flexible Spending Account and the Limited Expense Health Care Flexible Spending Account, a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account is voluntary, effective for one benefit period and requires re-enrollment at the beginning of each plan year. </p> <p><strong>Benefits of Creating an FSA</strong></p> <p>Creating a flexible spending account can end up helping you save money, as long as you plan well. As authorized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a flexible spending account is not subject to payroll taxes. Employees who elect a flexible spending account can lower their taxable income and thus, reduce their income taxes and their social security taxes. </p> <p>It is recommended that thorough research is conducted prior to the creation of a flexible spending account. For instance, an employee wishing to elect a flexible spending account to save up for laser eye surgery should visit at least one specialist who can evaluate his or her specific condition and present a valid estimate. The estimate can help the employee map out his or her flexible spending account and determine the appropriate deduction amount. One thing to remember when creating a flexible spending account is that the money does not roll over. Therefore, you will not want to save more than you can spend. Any amount not spent by the end of the plan year will be forfeited. </p> <p>Overall, all three types of flexible spending accounts are extremely beneficial if the elector knows exactly where his or her savings will go. No one should ever create an account blindly. The only way to ensure that all benefits of a flexible spending account will be received is to perform careful research, then plan accordingly.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Make E-mail Communication More Effective By Using Etiquette</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:13 GMT</p> <p>E-mail account holders send and receive a plethora of messages each day, but often important messages are misinterpreted or overlooked altogether.</p> <p>Misleading title and subject lines, glaring grammatical errors or sending miniature novels can all result in poor reader response, which is why following a few simple E-mail etiquette tips is imperative.</p> <p><br /> Write To-The-Point Titles Subject Lines: Don’t beat around the bush, if the message is regarding a lunch meeting on Tuesday, then title it Tuesday Lunch Meeting, etc. Also, fewer than 10 words should be used.</p> <p> Be Clear and Concise: Save your audience time by getting to your point quickly. If length is needed to explain certain subjects, then use bullet points to make the material easily digestible. Also, don’t flag an E-mail as “urgent” unless it requires an immediate action from the recipient. </p> <p>Use Sentence Case: Writing in all capital letters is rude, and writing in all lower case letters is lazy. To avoid looking unprofessional use sentence case and when emphasis is needed use bold or italic formatting.</p> <p>Use A Signature: Make it easy for recipients to respond to you by providing them with several means of contact. For example, include phone numbers, fax, E-mail, etc.</p> <p>Check Grammar and Spelling: Check spelling and grammar, and when in doubt of a computer program, pick up a dictionary. Also, reading a message out loud helps determine whether or not it reads smoothly.</p> <p>Be Wary of Group E-mails: Only send a group E-mail when everyone on the list needs to be copied. Also, when replying to a group E-mail, make sure you use the ‘reply all’ feature only if the reply contributes something to the conversation at hand.</p> <p>Employees E-mail, Not Private: People have been fired for using company E-mail inappropriately. Furthermore, any E-mail sent from a company account is considered property and can be used in a court of law.</p> <p>Using proper E-mail etiquette is important because an E-mail is a direct reflection of its author. Be extra wary regarding employees E-mail, not private E-mail means one slipup can be daunting to ones career. Furthermore, it is especially important to keep this in mind when E-mailing a superior or someone that you don’t know very well, so keep the above tips in mind before hitting the “send” button.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Things to Know About Your Retirement Plan</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:13 GMT</p> <p><br />Private employers offer retirement plans to its workers to enable them to have financial security in the future. To know what awaits you in retirement, you should first understand how your plan works and what benefits you will receive. <br />There are two common types of retirement plans that most employers offer: </p> <p>• Defined benefit plan </p> <p>It is retirement plan being funded by the employer, which promises you a specific monthly benefit at retirement. Benefits from this plan are calculated using factors such as age, salary, and the number of years you worked in the company. </p> <p>• Defined contribution plan </p> <p>It is a plan funded by you and your employer’s contributions to your individual account in the plan. In this kind of plan, you are responsible for choosing where to invest your contribution and decide on how much can be deducted from your paycheck. Your employer will add to your account by matching a certain percentage of your contribution. You will receive the balance of your account upon retirement, which will reflect gains or losses from the investment, the amount of contributions made, and any fees charged to your account. </p> <p>How to participate and earn your retirement benefits </p> <p>After knowing what kind of retirement plan your employer, is offering, you must know how to participate in it to start earning your retirement benefits. </p> <p>• First, find out if you are within the group of employees covered by the employer’s retirement plan. <br />• Find out how to participate and contribute to your retirement plan after you start working in the company. <br />• Read the Summary Plan Description of your plan. <br />• Learn how to start earning benefits and how much your retirement benefits will be. <br />When do you start to receive your retirement benefits? </p> <p>Under the law, you begin to receive your retirement benefits when you reach age 65 or the age your plan considers to be normal retirement age, or equivalent to 10 years of service. </p> <p>However, in determining when you can receive benefits, three things must be considered: </p> <p>• The start of receiving benefits from plans is provided for by the guidelines in the federal law. <br />• Plans can choose when to begin paying benefits as expressed in the plan documents. <br />• A claim for benefits must be filed to initiate payment of the benefits. </p> <p>In filing for a benefits claim, the law requires all plans to have a written procedure in the Summary Plan Description. The document will also show a guide on how to file an appeal in case a claim is denied. </p> <p>Some retirement plans offered by employers are governed by federal laws and guidelines in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1975 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code. On the other hand, the plan rules and regulations are contained in the Summary Plan Description. </p> <p>If the plan failed to follow certain requirements of ERISA or claim is denied, you may seek the legal advice of a retirement benefits attorney. A retirement benefit attorney is an experienced lawyer who can best address your issue or concern. </p> <p>About The Author </p> <p><br />Manuel Salvacion </p> <p>Get to know more Social Security retirement benefit information by contacting a LA County social security retirement benefits attorney at <a href="http://www.socialsecuritylawattorney.com/Social-Security-Retirement-Attorney.html">http://www.socialsecuritylawattorney.com/Social-Security-Retirement-Attorney.html</a> </p> <p> </p> <p><br /><a href="http://www.articlecity.com/articles/legal/article_1060.shtml">http://www.articlecity.com/articles/legal/article_1060.shtml</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:13 GMT</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"></span></strong></p> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA) was established on October 21, 1998 to mandate insurance coverage of post-mastectomy reconstructive surgery. The law aids patients who elect post-mastectomy reconstructive surgery by requiring all group health plans offering mastectomy coverage, as well as their respective insurance companies and health maintenance organizations (HMOs), provide post-mastectomy breast reconstruction coverage in addition to other medical and surgical benefits related to mastectomies. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The WHCRA coverage, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, includes four main benefits:</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Post-mastectomy reconstructive surgery on the breast which underwent the mastectomy. </span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Reconstructive procedures, including surgery, on the other breast to enhance symmetry. </span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Treatment of physical complications experienced during each stage of the mastectomy, including lymphedemas.</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Prostheses </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Individuals must be notified of WHCRA coverage by their group health plans, health insurance companies and HMOs at time of enrollment and reminded annually thereafter. Additionally, most states require that the elected post-mastectomy reconstructive surgery must be done in the manner discussed by the attending physician and the patient during consultation. Some post-mastectomy benefits are subject to the yearly deductibles and coinsurance established for other benefits under the plan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Also, under the WHCRA, plans and issuers cannot deny patients of their coverage rights in order to dodge WHCRA requirements. The law also prohibits plans and issuers from encouraging or forcing physicians to avoid or act in a manner that is inconsistent with WHCRA requirements.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">For more information on the WHCRA, please contact your human resources department or go to: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/fswhcra.html.<span style="color: blue;"></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: blue; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p> </article> </main></body></html>