|
FROM
THE PRESiDENT
Employers are
facing an impending crisis: too many jobs and too few people, workplace
futurist Joyce Gioia told an audience of HR professionals on Aug. 11. Gioia
is the first to admit that, against the backdrop of the current economy,
her position may seem counterintuitive - in fact, most employers are still
in denial, she said.
There are 13
places in the nation where unemployment is already under 3 percent. The
first metropolitan area to flip to a seller's market encompasses Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia
and Delaware,
where, Gioia said, the employment market is causing serious problems and
employee turnover has reached dangerously high levels in a number of
organizations. In fact, unemployment in Northern
Virginia has dropped to 1.8 percent.
Occupationally,
there are already shortages of HVAC technicians, engineers, mechanics,
actuaries, truck drivers, librarians, degreed specialists in early child
education, IT security analysts and, of course, medical professionals.
The above report
from the Society of Human Resource Management is chilling. If we are going
to continue to prosper, finding the right people and keeping them is more
important than ever.
How can employers remain
competitive in such a market? A rapidly emerging trend in the benefits
arena centers around flexible work schedules. Flextime is fast becoming the
most popular employee benefit. Flextime is often a win-win situation
because it helps control employment costs and provides employers with a
competitive advantage within the marketplace. Many employees are willing to
sacrifice part of their salary in order to regain some freedom when it
comes to work schedule. We implemented flextime here at HRi for some positions
about a year ago. This newsletter is edited by a telecommuter. There are
number of iterations that can include a compressed workweek, job sharing,
telecommuting, and more. If you are interested in learning more about
flextime, call our Benefits department to schedule a discussion to review
the options and administrative possibilities.
In addition to
providing consultation about benefit programs, HRi is excited to announce
the following new programs that can help your organization recruit and
retain the best employees:
- We are again offering our two-hour seminar in
"Behavioral Interviewing" to all our clients as part of our
base fee. You can see the outline at our web site by clicking the link
at the bottom of this article.
- We now have a web-based skills assessment package that can
test over 100 different proficiencies from Legal Knowledge and
Microsoft Office to Carpet Laying Basics and Finish Carpentry. We have
purchased a large block of these packages and we will make them
available to HRi clients as part of our base fee until the supply is
exhausted.
Remember, the
limiting factor to most business growth is the inability to attract and
retain the appropriate people. In a competitive market, HRi can make your
organization the employer of choice.
-Tim Schaffer,
President
Behavioral
Interviewing Seminar
|
|
Greetings!
Welcome
to the August 2004 edition of DiRECTIONS. In this issue, Tim discusses
the newly competitive employment market and suggests ideas to help your
company remain competitive.
We also
provide important insight into the complicated world of health insurance
and stress the importance of understanding coverage. Additionally, we
provide a link for MAMSI members to establish an online account with the
carrier in order to access services and information.
|
|
What
Everyone Should Know About Health Insurance
|
|
 At HRi, we
strive to find the best health insurance plan for each client, based on
the specific needs of both owners and employees. After we obtain quotes
and the client selects a plan, it is important that all covered
employees have a detailed understanding of the specifics associated
with the plan. This article focuses on information, rules, regulations
and questions each person should be familiar with concerning his or her
health insurance coverage.
Health insurance plans typically
change from year to year. Each year, carefully review and be familiar
with sections of your health insurance that pertain to your particular
situation. For example, if you have a chronic condition, such as
diabetes, you will want to highlight sections that detail prescriptions
drug coverage. Do not assume that prescription drug coverage and other
types of coverage will remain the same from year to year. Contact your
insurance company directly if you need more information concerning
specific coverage information.
Plans differ because of the amount you
must pay and by how easy it is to get services you need. Very few plans
cover the entire cost of healthcare, but some cover more than others
do. Sometimes, plans with lower premiums pay much less for prescription
drugs and other services and as a result, can cost you more money.
When reviewing coverage, keep in mind
the following attributes of any health plan:
- Coverage - Do the services covered match your
needs?
- Co-pay & Deductibles - How much are the
out-of- pocket costs?
- Claim Payment - Many hospitals and Doctor's
offices take care of submitting a claim on your behalf, but they
are not required to. Find out what you have to do before your
insurance will pay the medical bill.
- Conditions that affect payment - Some plans
require prior authorization or approval before getting certain
prescription drugs, tests or hospital admittance.
- Caps on Benefits - Many plans have dollar
amount limits on the amount to be paid for services such as
medical equipment, physical therapy and prescription drugs. If you
have a chronic condition, check to see if your plan has a yearly
or lifetime cap on benefits that they will pay.
- Cost of Premiums - As stated before, when a
plan has a lower premium, it could be a sign that the deductibles
and/or co-pays are higher.
Read On...
|
|
eMAMSI for
Members
|
|
Many of our clients participate in a
MAMSI Health plan. The MAMSI website provides many options for members
to access information concerning his or her health plan. Members can
view claims, update addresses and request replacement cards.
If you are a member of a MAMSI health
plan, visit the link below and click "Register for eMAMSI".
You will need your member number to set up an account. If you have any
questions, contact our Benefits Department at benefits@hri-online.com
or at 443.321.7700.
eMAMSI for
Members
|
|
Interactive
Benefits Poll!
|
|
In the feature article, Tim discussed
flextime as an employee benefit. We also provided an article about the
importance of understanding your own health plan. What do you consider
the most important employee beneft? Click the link below to participate
in our online poll.
Benefit Poll
|
|
|
