Small Business Insurance Options and Benefits For those of you who haven’t heard, partially self-funded plans are the next big thing in small business insurance options. But how do you know if it’s right for your company? And if you decide it’s a good solution, what is your next step?

I recently interviewed a prospective Human Resources Manager candidate and asked what one of her current challenges was. She gave an answer that included an example of two direct reports who once were the best of friends, but are now archenemies and have brought their issues with them to the workplace. In the industry that she is in, she explained that this is common behavior and that it often lands her in the position of being a mediator.

Here at Helios, I get numerous phone calls and emails each week from clients and coworkers with questions about their benefits plans. I receive questions from “Is my health insurance and HMO, PPO, or POS?” to “My employee worked a reduced schedule this month; do I have to take away their benefits?” and even as broad as “Is the recent health care legislation going to affect my organization?”. It appears as though people are increasingly confused and wary of making the wrong choice given the complications of the Affordable Care Act and the complexity of offering multiple benefit plans.

If you are a recruiter or HR professional working for a federal contractor, the recent changes to OFCCP recordkeeping rules have been challenging to keep up with. If you are unsure about the details of these rules, please see our recent blog posts on the subject.

Last month at the McDonald’s annual meeting there were thousands of protesters who gathered at the company’s headquarters to fight for higher wages. They were calling for minimum wage to be raised to $15 per hour. The protesters argued that at their current rate of pay (they receive on average $8 or $ 9 per hour), they cannot pay their bills.