Unemployment Benefits Have Expired - What Does That Mean For Your Business?

The $300 per week federal unemployment benefits have expired as of September 6, 2021. As of June 2021, close to 9 million people across the country were still unemployed. With the expiration, 7 million people lost their unemployment benefits completely and 3 million lost their $300, so what does this mean for your business and the overall economy?  Employers and businesses across the U.S. argued that the unemployment benefits were a leading factor in the labor shortages that we have been experiencing over the last year. It is no secret that the economy has taken a hit since th...

Minimum wage increases continue to climb and it is creating a positive impact on the overall health of the economy. Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening today.  Snapshot of the History of Florida’s Minimum Wage On January 1, 2021, Florida increased its minimum wage by 9 cents, making it $8.65 per hour. Due to Amendment 2, passed by the constitutional referendum in 2020, Florida’s minimum wage increased again as of September 30, 2021, to $10 per hour.  Fast forward to September 30, 2022, and the minimum wage will increase to $11 per hour and go up...

Every week we get asked different questions regarding COVID-19 and how your business should respond. Here are a few of our most frequently asked questions:  COVID FAQ:    Can I ask my employees to stay home or leave if they have symptoms? Absolutely. This is not a new rule with COVID. If you have an employee that shows up at work sick, it’s always been acceptable to send them home. Now with COVID, not only are you allowed to ask them to go home, but you can also ask employees to keep you posted about changes in their condition or update you if they receive tes...

Pay classifications are a critical topic. As a business owner, you don't want to have exposure to risk. The amount of money that we see in back wages is huge, so you must pay close attention to pay classifications.  Did you know that 70-90% of the businesses out there get pay classifications wrong? Complaints are the main driving force for pay classifications - if someone feels as though they haven’t been paid right, they will complain. This often happens through employees calling the Department of Labor (DOL) and submitting a complaint due to a misclassification.&...

According to Mental Health America’s (MHA) Mind in the Workplace 2021 report, nine in ten employees report that their workplace stress affects their mental health.  The last year and a half was a wild ride for employers and employees alike. Due to COVID-19, people adapted to new working environments, policies, and business processes.  As you can see, the disruption and changes made since the start of 2020 have greatly impacted employees' mental health. As a business leader, what does it look like to ramp up your wellness benefits and provide mental health perk...

Did you know brokers with a 100 person group can spend up to 272 hours a year administering benefits?  If you think about it, enrollment management and new hire enrollment take around 6 hours per month, which amounts to 72 hours per year. If you combine that with the 200 hours that open enrollment alone takes, administering benefits is a time sucker.  Here are 3 benefits administration technology benefits for brokers:  1. Enhanced Automation  Utilizing benefits administration technology removes the hassle of paperwork and manu...

Job descriptions are extremely important and helpful for both the employees and managers. They provide a clear understanding of duties and responsibilities for the employee and they provide a roadmap for the manager to follow.  Job descriptions also help with recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and compliance. A good job description should provide:  • A clear understanding of duties  • A framework for performance management  • Pay range justification  • Legal protections  Here are 3 tips for writing a power...

According to a recent report from SHRM, more than half of employees surveyed in the U.S. plan to search for a new job in 2021. Due to the pandemic and economic downturn, turnover rates have been at their lowest level since 2012, but as the world has started to open back up, turnover rates have increased, leading to what SHRM is calling a turnover ‘tsunami’.  What we have seen:  When the pandemic hit, most employees stayed in their current positions due to income security and the uncertainty of the economic climate. According to a report from staffing firm Robe...

Open enrollment is not the only time of year where the right benefits administration technology can save you time, money and keep you in compliance. With employees coming on and off your plan all year long, you need a tool where vital data does not fall through the cracks, costing you money and your employees heartache.   Why is benefit administration technology important?  According to a SHRM survey, 92% of employees said that benefits are important to their overall job satisfaction.  Today insurance brokers and organizations have the ability to choos...

Managing payroll and human resources can be a big challenge for law firms. It can be difficult to manage multiple associates across various locations with different billable hours, but it shouldn’t have to be. As an attorney, you already have a lot to juggle, and payroll should be made simple. Law firms need a timekeeping system that does more than just store hours.  Here are 3 key things that law firms need from their payroll provider:  Flexibility  As we stated above, most law firms have different frequencies at which they pay employees. An example of th...