Category: Newsletter

Jul
10
2019

Making Your Voluntary Benefits Program a Success

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

Both employers and employees have much to gain from a solid voluntary benefits program. For employees, being able to enroll in an insurance product through a workplace voluntary benefits program offers them the advantage of group pricing, the convenience of paying through payroll deduction, and perhaps access to insurance that would be difficult to get on an individual basis. For employers, offering a range of voluntary insurance products can help increase employee satisfaction – along with loyalty and morale – and make the business more competitive in attracting and retaining the best talent. These advantages alone, however, do not ensure…
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Jul
10
2019

Legal Traps to Avoid When Dealing with FMLA Requests

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

If you are a business owner who is confused about navigating the various rules and timelines within the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, you certainly aren’t alone. The law has plenty of caveats and it’s important that you pay attention to all of the details and nuances of the law so you don’t go astray. Here’s a handy list of mistakes to avoid. Top FMLA Mistakes Firing It would be a bad idea to fire an employee if they’re unable to return to work following the end of FMLA leave that is due to their serious health condition. Better to…
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Jul
10
2019

New Dual-Wage Threshold Workers’ Comp Changes Ahead

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California will recommend dual-wage threshold changes to several construction classifications for the 2020 workers’ compensation policy year. The Bureau will make the recommendations to the Department of Insurance during its annual rate filing in June. The recommendations for changes to these dual-wage classifications would have to be approved by the state insurance commissioner. While most workers’ comp classes have one rate, in some classes the difference in claims costs between high- and lower-wage workers is so great that a dual-wage classification is needed. In those cases, the workers above the threshold rate are…
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Jul
10
2019

Employee Behavior, Habits Can Thwart Heat Illness Prevention

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

Every summer thousands of American workers suffer from heat illness after working in hot conditions and not taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves. Often employers have not put in place safeguards and have failed to train their workers in heat illness prevention. But even the most well-intentioned employers need to take extra precautions to ensure their employees’ safety. The biggest challenge in implementing a heat illness prevention program is cutting through misconceptions about heat illness and workers not understanding how to identify the initial signs of such illness. You also have to make sure that your supervisors are all…
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Mar
07
2019

Fender-benders – Your Guide to Minor Accidents

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

It can easily happen, you misjudge the space when making a turn in close traffic or in a parking lot and you tap another car’s rear bumper. The other driver gets out his car and appears unhurt. He inspects the bumper and says “Let’s just forget about it.” You agree and go on your merry way. A few weeks later, however, your insurance company informs you that the man is suing you for lost wages, neck injuries and pain and suffering. Where did you go wrong? The so-called accident was only a tiny tap that barely scratched paint. There couldn’t…
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Mar
07
2019

Warning: New California Privacy Law Has a Long Reach

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

California will be implementing the strongest electronic privacy law in the nation come Jan. 1, 2020, but provisions of the law mean that companies that collect and store data on Golden State residents can be held to account for data they store going back to Jan. 1 of 2019. Starting Jan. 1, 2020, California residents can request all data an organization may have on them going back 12 months. Any company that stores data of any type on residents will need to start now to make sure they are properly collecting and classifying California resident data starting January 1, 2019….
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Mar
07
2019

Benefits in a Multi-generational Workplace

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

With multiple generations working side-by-side in this economy, the needs of your staff in terms of employee benefits will vary greatly depending on their age. You may have baby boomers who are nearing retirement and have health issues, working with staff in their 30s who are newly married and have had their first kids. And those who are just entering the workforce have a different mindset about work and life than the generations before them. Because of this, employers have to be crafty in how they set up their benefits packages so that they address these various needs. But don’t…
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Mar
07
2019

Employers Double Down on Employee Benefits

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

As the job market tightens and competition for workers becomes fiercer, a majority of employers are boosting their employee benefits offerings and are paying less attention to reducing associated costs, according to a new study. The changes reflect the shifting priorities of the workforce and the newest generation to enter the job market. The challenge for employers is controlling benefit costs, while at the same time being able to attract and retain talent as competition for workers increases. The “2018 Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey” by Gallagher Benefits found that U.S. employers were most concerned with: Attracting and retaining talent….
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Feb
05
2019

Couple 401(k) and Financial Wellness Plans to Help Your Staff

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

The first source of financial advice for nearly 65% of U.S. workers is their 401(k) plan provider, according to a survey by T. Rowe Price. The top three objectives for advice that workers were seeking are: Saving for retirement outside of the workplace retirement plan (74%). Saving to fund health care expenses in retirement (74%). Saving in the workplace retirement plan (71%). The results of the study show how much value employees put on their retirement plans and how active they really are in trying to secure a sound financial future for themselves. With the stresses of rising costs, particularly…
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Feb
05
2019

Many Supervisors Guilty of Seven Deadly Sins, Poll Finds

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

One of the key tenets of effective management and happy employees is for managers to lead by example. It’s especially difficult to lead staff effectively and call on them to work hard if they don’t respect their manager for not exhibiting the traits that the boss expects of his or her workers. A study by Florida State University shines the light on what employees think of their managers by focusing on how guilty they are of the time-honored seven deadly sins. Researchers, who polled 750 mid-level employees, said workplaces are seeing increased levels of hostility due in large part to…
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