HR Partners Newsletter May 2017

Running a business is tough, but it's easier with a partner.

Newsletter May 2017

House Takes First Step Towards ACA Repeal

Employers Should Stay the Course for Now

On May 4th, the House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act. According to Fisher Phillips Employment Law Firm, t he following are key changes that would take effect if the House version of the AHCA went into effect:

1. The current prohibition on pre-existing condition exclusions

would be able to be eliminated in states that request a

waiver;

2. Medicaid expansion would be repealed;

3. Income-based exchange subsidies would be replaced with

age-based tax credits;

4. The difference between insurance costs for a younger

person and an older person could increase;

5. Essential health benefits in insurance plans could be

eliminated if a state requests a waiver; and

6. The individual mandate penalty would be eliminated.

Read the full article

Looking for a job?

America has

5.7 million openings

CNN Money reported, "That's close to the record number of job openings reported by the Labor Department since it started tracking them in 2000. The US had an all-time high of 5.9 million openings last July. The numbers bear a mix of good and bad news.

Good news: Employers are hiring and workers are starting to feel more confident about leaving a job for another one. It's reflects a much improved situation from the Great Recession.

Bad news: Not all employers can find the skilled workers they need. Experts say that such a high number of job openings is due partially to a gap between the job skills employers demand and the skills job seekers have.

Many professions -- such as electricians, carpenters, waste management collectors -- are in short supply. With limited workers, employers are forced to hike up wages for those positions to retain or recruit new employers are forced to hike up wages for those positions to retain or recruit new employees."

If you are one of the many businesses looking to hire new employees, HR Partners can help with your recruiting effort. Click here to contact us for assistance.

Click her to read the DOL Full Jobs Report

IRS Announces

HSA and HDHP Limitations for 2018

The annual HSA contribution limits are set to increase for the 2018 plan year:

$3,450 for Self-only ($50 increase)
$6,900 for Family ($150 increase)

Read the full article

May HR Checklist

Holiday Communication Plan:

The upcoming summer months have three major holidays -

Memorial Day,Independence Day, and Labor Day. Make sure all employees are aware of the holiday schedule and work requirements.

Flexible Summer Schedules:

The summer months are a great time to allow flexible schedules if your business model allows. With the warmer temperatures, flexible schedules allow employees to enjoy seasonal activities and parents more opportunity for summer fun with their students who are out of school.

Summer Internships:

Hiring summer interns? We can help!

Summer PTO Plan/Vacation Request:

With summer rapidly approaching, now is a good time to make sure you have a clear PTO plan and tracking method in place. To prevent understaffing and promote fairness, consider reviewing the following with your employees:

How far in advance do employees need to request off?
What is the protocol for coordinating vacation time with coworkers?
Is there a system in place for approving time off?
Are there any PTO limits? For example, number of consecutive PTO days permitted or number of employees allowed off at a time?

HR Partners | f [email protected] | 770-248-0401 | www.GoHrp.com