J&D Benefits Perspective

Swine Flu – Resources for Employers

This featured article was originally published on April 30, 2009.

A new concern for employers is the recent news of a swine flu outbreak that started in Mexico and is now spreading in the United States and other countries. Confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported in California and 10 other states, and the US government is warning that a pandemic (global flu outbreak) is imminent. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defines a pandemic on their Pandemic Flu website: Click Here

Employers should be taking action now to assess risk and implement an action plan. An abundance of information is available on several government websites. First, the HHS Pandemic Flu Website is “One-stop access to U.S. Government swine, avian and pandemic flu information.”: Click Here. Within the site, you will find State and Local Government Planning & Response Activities and Workplace Planning, including checklists, letters and guidance for employers and employees.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Swine Flu Website is also an excellent resource, starting with their Swine Flu Q&A. Also on the site are confirmed cases tracked by state which are updated regularly. Companies should be aware of areas where outbreaks have occurred, and adjust work travel as necessary.

Both the HHS Pandemic Flu Website and the CDC Swine Flu Website allow you to sign up for e-mail alerts so that you can be advised as new information is available.

Finally, The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) offers an online handbook (also available in PDF format): “Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic”.

Please contact your Johnson & Dugan team if you have any questions.

Readying for Open Enrollment

Benefits Communications to Take Center Stage

More than ever, employees are looking to their employers and their human resource (HR) departments for information and tools to select their benefits. In fact, employers and their HR departments are now the number-one source consulted for advice during open enrollment (63%), surpassing co-workers (55%), spouse (54%) and benefit advisors (39%), according to MetLife’s 2008 Open Enrollment Survey.

“As employees continue to bear more responsibility for choosing and paying for their benefits, they have a stronger interest in making smarter decisions than they did in years past, and they are asking their employers for the information and tools that will help them choose wisely,” says Bill Mullaney, president, Institutional Business, MetLife.

Protecting Social Security Numbers

Cathy Christie-Patton, Account Manager, Johnson & Dugan

Back in 1935, when the original Social Security Act was passed, the concept of identity theft was unheard of, much less the threat to an individual’s sense of personal and financial security it has become today.

While Social Security Numbers (SSNs) were designed to be used only as a means to record earnings and monitor benefits paid under the Social Security program, these nine digits soon became the most widely-used personal identifier in record-keeping systems in the United States and, as such, made the potential risk for identity theft that much higher.

Who has the right to request or require your SSN? Anyone may request it; however, there are two main provisions of Federal law that prescribe when an individual is required to provide his or her SSN. These provisions are found in The Privacy Act of 1974 (Section 7 of P.L. 93-579) and the Social Security Act, as amended in 1990 (42 U.S.C. Section 405 (c)(2)(C)).

Flexible Benefits Open Enrollment - Plan Wisely

Jody Lee, Corporate Training Manager, Johnson & Dugan

Many companies are holding open enrollment for their Flexible Spending Account plans for the 2006 plan year. To be sure these plans are utilized effectively, proper planning is essential.

Sexual Harassment Training

Reminder: the deadline to complete supervisor training is drawing near. Employers with 50 or more employees are required to provide two hours of sexual harassment prevention training to supervisory employees at least every two years. The law, AB1825, took effect on January 1, 2005, and requires that training take place within one year unless qualified training had taken place after January 1, 2003.

Katrina - Resources for Employers

We have collected a list of resources that may be helpful to our clients and their employees dealing with the Katrina disaster.

New I-9

Jody Lee, Corporate Training Manager, Johnson & Dugan

A new I-9 form was released on May 31, 2005. The 1991 version of the form has been re-branded to reflect the transition from the INS to the Department of Homeland Security's US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). No other material changes have been made to the 1991 version. The old version of the form can be used until December 31, 2005, however, the new form can be downloaded from the USCIS site. I-9 Form.

Facts Regarding HR and Employees in 2005

Kathy Dugan, COO Johnson & Dugan-

Now and again, employers need to be reminded to review their HR philosophies and compare them to what is current and relevant in today's world. With each generation of employees, there are new expectations and challenges. Click below for "the facts".