employees

Moments of Clarity: Being Transparent | California Employee Benefits

culture, Employees, Employers, Human Resources, Leadership, motivation, Workplace

Aristotle was right when he said, “Nature abhors a vacuum.” Companies and politicians like to say that they’re transparent, when in fact, they’re often the opposite. And, as in nature, in the absence of facts, people will often fill their minds with what is perceived.

by Mike Radakovich

Redesigned W-4 Form to Launch in 2020 | CA Benefits Partners

Compliance, Employees, Employers, Forms, Human Resources, IRS, W-4, Workplace

When will the new Form W-4 be released? In 2020, according to a press release published by the Treasury Department on September 20, 2018. The department announced that the IRS will implement a redesigned W-4 form for tax year 2020, a timeline that will allow for continued work to refine the new approach for the form.

by Mike Radakovich

Wearable Technology in the Workplace | California Benefit Advisors

Employee Benefits, Employees, Employers, motivation, Technology, Wellness, Workplace

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 and increase productivity and morale.

by Mike Radakovich

Addressing Mental Health Care at Work: Employee Mental Health Engagement

EAP, Employee Benefits, Employees, Employers, Human Resources, Mental Health, Therapy, Workplace

Nancy Spangler, a senior consultant at the Center for Workplace Mental Health of the American Psychiatric Foundation, says that one in five adults has a mental health disorder, and one in 10 has a substance abuse problem. In addition, major depression and its associated conditions cost the U.S. over $210 billion every year. Clearly, mental health is an issue we need to investigate both in our offices and across the country.

by Mike Radakovich

Do Single People REALLY Need Life Insurance? | California Benefits Advisors

Employee Benefits, Employees, Family, Insurance, Life Insurance, Millennials

Many people make the assumption that life insurance is for married couples and those with kids. While it is true that not all single people need life insurance, there are a number of reasons when it can make (really) good sense.

by Mike Radakovich

Affordable Care Act Update | California Benefit Partners

ACA, Employees, Employers, Health Insurance, Individual Mandate, Insurance, Law Updates, Tax

Recently, the President signed a bill repealing the Affordable Care Act’s Individual Mandate (the tax penalty imposed on individuals who are not enrolled in health insurance). While some are praising this action, there are others who are concerned with its aftermath. So how does this affect you and why should you pay attention to this change?

by Mike Radakovich

Trust Equation | California Benefits Partners

Employee Engagement, Employees, Employers, Human Resources, Leadership, motivation, Teamwork, Workplace

We are currently living in a low-trust society as a whole — we keep hearing that news is fake, science is fake, and so on. That makes it hard for us to trust anyone and is why we need to work on building trust in the workplace more than ever. Human resources professionals and business leaders have an imperative to instill a culture of trust — not just because it is key to employee engagement, satisfaction, and performance, but also because it’s just the most human thing to do.

by Mike Radakovich

Increasing Employee Satisfaction While Solving Problems

Cupertino, design thinking, Employee Engagement, Employees, Employers, Human Resources, job satisfaction, Leadership, motivation

“Design thinking” is a fairly common term. Even if the phrase is new to you, it’s reasonably easy to intuit how it works: design thinking is a process for creative problem solving, utilizing creative tools like empathy and experimentation, often with a strong visual component. The term dates from 1968 and was first used in The Sciences of The Artificial, a text written by Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon.

by Mike Radakovich

Ask the Experts: Marijuana and the ADA | Cupertino Benefits Firm

ADA, CSA, Employees, Employers, HR, Human Resources

Question:
Is medical marijuana use protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? If so, what accommodations would be considered reasonable?

by Mike Radakovich

Summer Survival Guide | California Benefits Agency

Benefit Advisors, California Employee Benefits, Employee Engagement, Employees, Employers, Family, summer

Keep your kids engaged and prevent the summer slide with these survival tips.

by Mike Radakovich