It’s been a cold and snowy winter and the spring thaw will soon be upon us. We’ve had record snow accumulation, which could lead to flood issues in the near future. The National Weather Service is also predicting above average rainfall during the months of March through May.

A common question this time of year is whether you need a flood insurance policy? You don’t have to be in a designated flood zone area in order to purchase a flood policy. Water backup is not flood coverage, and flood is not a peril covered under most homeowners’ insurance policies.

When Health Care Reform takes effect, companies with more than 50 employees will either offer health care benefits or face penalties. And the choice isn’t as straightforward as it may sound. In many instances companies will save money by paying the fines rather than funding a health care plan. Others will lose money if they drop coverage.

Most employers would like to offer the benefit, but it needs to be truly affordable.

Life Insurance….you know it’s something you need, but it’s something that’s often put-off till later or never purchased at all.  When purchasing life insurance many questions come to mind.  Some of the most common questions are listed below:

What if I Don’t Die?

This is the most common question when buying term life insurance.  When the policy term is over, you get nothing if you’re still alive.  Most people are happy to still be alive, but others focus on the premiums that have disappeared.  Sometimes, this leads to people waiting till later in life to purchase a policy.  This can be risky because it means higher premiums, or the possibility that you are no longer insurable.  Most people are in need of life insurance while their family is young and they have financial obligations such as college education for their children, a mortgage, etc.

Some carriers offer a term policy with a return of premium option.  This policy returns all paid in premiums back to you, in one tax-free lump sum, if you are still alive at the end of the policy term.  It also offers a conversion option.  You can forego the lump sum and convert to a policy that will pay the death benefit to your beneficiary upon your death, without paying in any additional premiums.  The death benefit is lower than the original face value but still a great option, especially if you happen to be uninsurable at the end of your policy term.

If you want permanent life insurance coverage, which means the policy will pay the face value to your beneficiary upon your death, then you might want to consider whole life insurance.  This type of insurance is usually more costly than term insurance and depending on the payment plan you choose, you could end up paying premiums your entire life.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established new guidelines to regulate and encourage the use of workplace wellness programs. In 2014, these rules allow employers to increase incentives or rewards offered as part of a health-contingent wellness program, provided the program follows certain guidelines.

Most workers appreciate the need for workplace safety because they cannot afford the personal pain and financial loss when injured at work. Owners, executives, and HR decision makers cross their fingers, appreciating the economic impact that workplace injuries have on their business. A good risk management plan can reduce workplace injuries and protect both employees and employers, but it will only be effective if you know how to obtain management commitment to workplace safety.

What is a safety culture and how can it help your business? Safety culture is the sum total of all the efforts undertaken by organization members with the goal of improving the workplace every day. To create a true culture of safety, the principles of occupational health and environmental safety should be enshrined in all risk management efforts.

On February 10, 2014 the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service announced that the Affordable Care Act's health coverage mandate for some employers will be delayed another year until 2016. The impact is to employers with 50 or more employees, but fewer than 100 employees, working at least 30 hours per week. 

Whether in the workplace or at home, leading by example is a powerful motivating force. As a parent, you teach your children by example. As a supervisor at work, you can have a great, positive influence by not only your actions but also your expectations.

In great anticipation of John Torinus headlining this year’s Human Capital Summit on Solving Health Care on March 13, 2014, we are sharing his blog content. Stay tuned for more posts and insight from John as we get closer to our event!

The soap opera titled ObamaCare keeps burning and turning, and the episodes to come promise to be as unpredictable as the ones playing out.