Rea & Associates: How to review options for health insurance benefits
Although the employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act has been delayed until 2015, now’s the time to consider your company’s strategy regarding health insurance benefits for employees. “Regardless of the mandate, you have an opportunity now to change what you’re doing in terms of employee benefits,” says Joseph R. Popp, J.D., LLM, tax manager […]
Tegrit Group: How to get the most from your retirement plan restatement
If your company sponsors a pre-approved defined contribution retirement plan, such as a 401(k), money purchase or profit sharing plan, your plan documents will need to be completely revised and restated sometime between May 2014 and April 2016. The IRS requires this restatement process every six years to incorporate all of the regulatory and legal […]
Fay Sharpe: What every business should know about IP law
Companies invest significant resources developing products and services that are intended to generate revenue. The ability to prevent competitors from copying these new products and services utilizing intellectual property (IP) protection is essential. However, many companies fail to fully protect all of their resources. Or, by failing to educate their workforce on the vulnerability of […]
SeibertKeck: How to keep your workforce productive — and safe — this winter
The number of absent workers regularly spikes between December and March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, last January marked a five-year high for the number of U.S. full-time workers taking sick days — an estimated 1.3 million stayed home and 3.3 million worked part time. Although some of this is […]
Novack and Macey: How alternative dispute resolution can take the place of litigation
More legal disputes are being resolved through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in an effort to sidestep the often high cost and long timeline of traditional litigation. ADR is often a mystery, however, because it doesn’t receive the same attention that typical courtroom proceedings do through traditional media. Parties considering ADR should know the differences between […]
HealthLink: How to crunch data to manage ER utilization and contain health costs
Emergency room overutilization is a prevailing problem for most employers. For example, looking at HealthLink’s book of business, almost invariably more than 65 percent of ER visits are for non-emergency reasons. They fall into the categories of disease and virus or symptom, such as headaches, gastroenteritis, sinusitis and influenza. “The cost of an average ER […]
FirstMerit Bank: How to guard against corporate check fraud
There are many ways for fraud to be committed against your organization, but corporate checks are one of the more popular attack methods. The problem is not a small one. Fraud against bank deposit accounts cost the industry $1.74 billion in losses in 2012, according to the American Bankers Association Deposit Account Fraud Survey. Of […]
SS&G: How to decipher the tax implications of health care reform
Health care reform news, and the ever-present talk of delays, has created confusion for employers and employees alike, but they still must consider certain tax issues for 2013 and 2014. “There’s so much information, you might ask yourself, ‘Where do I turn?’” says Kimberly Flett, CPA, QPA, QKA, director of retirement plan services at SS&G. […]
Kegler Brown Hill + Ritter: How to negotiate and protect your interests as a franchisee tenant
Currently, franchises are an increasingly fast-growing segment of the retail industry, especially in the case of fast casual and quick service restaurants. But before jumping feet first into one, there are some pitfalls prospective franchisees need to navigate before taking advantage of a potential opportunity, says Ian R.D. Labitue, an associate with Kegler, Brown, Hill […]
Cendrowski Corporate Advisors: How to ensure you choose the right person to improve your legal case
Expert witnesses are frequently used in the courtroom by attorneys. While many qualified experts exist, the “right” expert can greatly assist counsel and the litigation with his or her testimony. An expert witness can offer testimony about a scientific, technical or professional issue in a court case. Finding the right expert is often a difficult […]