Ask the Experts: Mandatory Flu Shots | Maryland Benefits Agency

Question: Can we require our employees to get flu shots? Answer: While there is no law that prohibits employers from mandating flu shots — and in some states, the law requires all healthcare workers to get flu shots — you should carefully determine if the benefits to your business outweigh the risks. There has been … Continued

Medicare Part D Notices Due Oct. 15 | Virginia Benefit Advisors

Are you an employer that offers or provides group health coverage to your workers? Does your health plan cover outpatient prescription drugs — either as a medical claim or through a card system? If so, be sure to distribute your plan’s Medicare Part D notice before October 15. Purpose Medicare began offering “Part D” plans … Continued

Ask the Experts: FSA Limits | Virginia Benefits Agents

Question: Our company offers flexible spending accounts (FSAs) for health care and dependent daycare. Our plan limits are the maximum amounts allowed by federal law. Will the IRS increase the limits for 2019? We hold open enrollment in November for employees to make their FSA elections for the following year. Answer: The maximum annual limits … Continued

9 Reasons Why Stay-at-Home Parents Need Life Insurance | VA Benefit Brokers

You’re probably already aware that a parent with a job outside the house most likely needs life insurance to protect their loved ones in case something were to happen. But it’s not just breadwinners who need coverage—stay-at-home parents do, too. Here are nine reasons why. 1. To replace the value of their labor. Stay-at-home parents … Continued

Look Backward to Plan Forward | VA Benefits Agency

We have entered Open Enrollment season and that means you and everyone in your office are probably reading through enrollment guides and trying to decipher it all. As you begin your research into which plan to choose or even how much to contribute to your Health Savings Account (HSA), consider evaluating how you used your … Continued

Wearable Technology | Virginia Employee Benefits

Don’t lie–we ALL love gadgets. From the obscure (but hilariously reviewed on Amazon) Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer to the latest iteration of the Apple empire. Gadgets and technology can make our lives easier, make processes faster, and even help us get healthier. Businesses are now using the popularity of wearable technology to encourage employee wellness … Continued

Back to School Time Off Tips | Virginia Employee Benefits Group

The coals from the Labor Day barbecues have cooled, the beach chairs have been returned to their sheds, the ice cream shops have scaled back their hours, and the white shoes have been set aside for the next nine months. Whatever the end of summer means to you, for millions of families, it signals the … Continued

Federal Employment Law Update – August 2018 | Virginia Benefit Advisors

IRS Permits Student Loan Repayment Benefit as Part of Employer’s 401(K) On August 17, 2018, the federal Internal Revenue Service released a private ruling letter (Number 201833012) concluding that an employer may amend its 401(k) plan to provide student loan repayments (SLR) nonelective contributions under the program without violating the “contingent benefit” prohibitions of 26 … Continued

Staffing for Scalability | Virginia Benefit Agency

Vince Murdica, chief revenue officer at ThinkHR, discusses what it takes to become scalable and sustainably staff companies through bursts of rapid growth. I’ve seen it in my own career: When companies go through rapid growth — quickly moving from 50 to 100+ employees — things start to get shaky. This period of acceleration can … Continued