Tallahassee, FL - Simple answer - a lot. Florida health insurers are seeking double-digit rate hikes for 2018 Affordable Care Act coverage, but this week state regulators asked insurers to submit backup plans to raise premiums even higher next year because of uncertainty surrounding the future funding of subsidies that help low-income Americans pay their out-of-pocket costs. For next year, Florida Blue has requested rate hikes ranging from 9 to 24 percent that assume subsidies will be funded.  Read Miami Herald article. 

A VETS-4212 form must be filled out annually by all contractors and subcontractors with a federal contract that exceeds $100,000.  The form shows the number of targeted veterans in your work force by job category, hiring location, and number of new hires, including targeted veterans hired during the reporting period and the maximum number of employees during the period covered by the report.  On July 24, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) sent a letter clarifying the data collection and reporting periods for the VETS-4212 and the EEO-1 Form. Read more.

Managers often feel like their company resists change, especially when it impacts company culture. Top-down approaches are often resisted by the organization. Your employees drive the culture of the company, so here is a simple program to get them to lead the effort to drive positive change.  Read some tips.

August 3, 2017 - Randstad US  announced the findings of a new study examining job seekers' perceptions, attitudes and expectations of the job search process. The key finding - was that  an i deal candidate experience leverages innovative technology, but puts human interaction first.  Many companies are jumping to implement digital HR solutions to better manage the large flow of job applicants. Now, the d igital (not personal) experience that is becoming the price of entry for employers. The survey found 82 percent of workers agree the ideal interaction with a company is one where innovative technologies are behind the scenes and second to personal, human interaction.  Read more.

On July 17, 2017, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a revised version of Form I-9  , (or  fillable pdf version ) Employment Eligibility Verification, on July 17. Employers can use this revised version right away or continue using the last version (revision date of 11/14/16) through September 17.  On and after September 18, employers must use this revised I9 form with a revision date of 07/17/17 N . 

July 14, 2017 - According to the EEOC, George Harris, who is deaf, applied for a warehouse position with Capstone Logistics in Missouri. When Harris arrived for the interview, the site manager canceled the interview and said they would reschedule so that HR and an interpreter could be present. The interview was never scheduled and the site manager sent Harris a text message saying, "...we have determined that there is no job that we can offer that would be safe for you. There is just too much equipment traffic in our work areas and being able to hear a horn or equipment in operation is paramount for safety. I would not want to put you in a dangerous position."  The site manager did not discuss job safety with Harris, but assumed he could not do the job safely. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to make an individual assessment of job capability, and Capstone allegedly did not the follow the process outlined in the ADA for interviewing applicants with known disabilities.  Read what to do.