Straight From The Source Blog by Higginbotham Insurance

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year. But even though employers have had three decades to learn about compliance with the law, issues – and lawsuits – are still common. Here’s what today’s employers need to know now about applying the law, approaching employees and staying compliant.

It’s time to get smart about benefits. Smart technology can go a long way to improve the way employees interact with benefits. This, in turn, can increase employee satisfaction, which can boost engagement, productivity and retention. It’s an amazing chain reaction, and it all starts with the right tech tools.

Telecommuting may be the new normal. According to Business Insider, a study from IBM found that 54 percent of workers want to continue working remotely on a full-time basis after the pandemic.

If 20 percent of your workers had a problem that increased absenteeism, decreased work performance and resulted in higher turnover, you’d probably want to do something about it.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives eligible employees the right to take up to 12 weeks of time off for qualifying reasons. It sounds simple, at least in theory, but there’s a lot that needs to be considered to comply with this law while keeping employees happy and businesses running smoothly. Here are some basics on who is eligible, when to designate leave as FMLA leave, how the FMLA works with the temporary Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and what happens when a company isn’t subject to FMLA.

Offering a good salary may no longer be enough. According to a Glassdoor survey, 63 percent of job seekers and employees consider benefits to be a top factor when looking at job ads, and Benefits Pro found that 62 percent of employees under age 50 wouldn’t work for a company that doesn’t offer voluntary benefits. Clearly, to attract and retain talent, employers need to offer the benefits that employees want.   

Prescription drug costs have become a key issue for both workers and their employers. According to the CDC, 60 percent of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 64 were prescribed medication during the previous 12 months. This means that the majority of your workers are likely taking at least one prescription, possibly more, during the average year.

“This tax form is too simple and logical,” said no employer ever.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives covered employees the right to take time off for qualified family and medical reasons. Employers who do not understand the intricacies of this law may land themselves in hot water.

Businesses around the country are striving to employ a diverse workforce. While this is a worthy goal, pursuing it in the wrong way could lead to problems. Specifically, if a company isn’t careful, pushing for diversity could result in claims of reverse discrimination.