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Employers Can Write PCORI Fees Off Their Federal Taxes

Health reform fees that health insurers and self-funded plans must pay in order to fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute are “ordinary and necessary business expenses,” and therefore qualify as deductible from federal taxes, a recent IRS memo states. Insurers and health plans will pay the $1 (soon to become $2) per covered life fee […]

Recertification: It’s Easier Than You Think Webinar!

Newly certified and tackling recertification for the first time? Or, maybe you have been certified and you still have questions about the process and policies surrounding recertification. Join us for our Recertification: It’s Easier Than You Think Webinar to learn all you need to know about recertifying. On Monday, October 29, Tonomi Marbley, Recertification Specialist […]

News Notes: Time To Prepare And Post OSHA Form 200

During the month of February each year, most public and private employers are required to post OSHA Form 200 in a conspicuous place. This ‘Log and Summary of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses’ calls for details about on-the-job injuries and illnesses that occurred between January 1 and December 31 of the preceding year. Unless you’re in […]

Will an Independent Fiduciary Help Plans Achieve Retirement Readiness?

A couple of phrases are making the rounds in retirement plan circles; perhaps you’ve heard them. They are “retirement readiness” and “independent fiduciary.” While they have different meanings, they are more connected than you may suspect. We spoke with Jason Chepenik of Chepenik Financial, who advises clients about their benefit programs and specializes in retirement […]

Finding a way to drive gender diversity in STEM fields

Most employers would agree that STEM careers—jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—are on the upswing in both numbers and importance. Most also would agree that there are far more men than women in STEM jobs. A 2011 report from the U.S. Department of Commerce, “Women in STEM: A Gender Gap to Innovation,” signals a […]

Exempt Workers: How To Tell When You Have To Pay Overtime To Outside Sales Employees; New Decision Clarifies The Rules

After selling and delivering bottled water for more than three years, Peter Ramirez quit his job and sued his employer, Yosemite Water Company, for back overtime. His lawsuit, which went all the way to the California Supreme Court, highlights how difficult it can be to determine whether or not outside sales personnel qualify as exempt […]

California Supreme Court to Look at Same-Sex Marriage

Despite the passage of Proposition 8 earlier this month, the issue of same-sex marriage is still very much alive in California. The California Supreme Court announced yesterday that it will address the issues raised by the initiative at the request of advocates on both sides: (1) Was Proposition 8 legally valid, or must it be […]