Library
January 19, 2004
Here We Grow Again!
Roger O'Connor has joined the Astron Solutions team as a Senior Consultant. Roger will be responsible for business development and client relationship management. His primary area of expertise is to assist companies in managing and linking their business and market compensation strategies. His industry experience includes the automotive, banking, healthcare, insurance, legal, non-profit, retail, and technology sectors. Prior to joining Astron Solutions, Roger was Director of Compensation Survey Consulting at Watson Wyatt Data Services and Director of Compensation at KPMG. He is a member of WorldatWork, and the New York and New Jersey Compensation Associations. He received his Bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management and Psychology with a minor in Information Systems from Upsala College of New Jersey. Roger can be reached by e-mail at raoconnor@astronsolutions.com and by telephone at 800-520-3889 x5 or 646-792-2513. Welcome aboard Roger! Oops! Our mistake...
...is your opportunity to win! The Astron Solutions team celebrated National Director Mike Maciekowich's 50th birthday on Friday January 16. During the celebration, we took some pictures. As you can see, one did not come out as planned! 
If you can guess whose feet belong to whom, you can win some valuable Astron Solutions themed prizes! Please e-mail your entry no later than noon on Friday, January 23. If more than one correct entry is received, a random drawing will be held of all correct entries. In your entry, indicate from left to right the feet in the photo. The Astron team is
Can Your Employees Legally Opt Out of Single Healthcare Coverage?
Recently, the Astron Solutions team came across a quirk in New York State insurance law that we were unfamiliar with. We hope you find this information useful, as well! Under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), employers are allowed to provide individual coverage without an employee contribution, while requiring a contribution for coverage of dependents - a generous policy, but potentially sticky. Your employees may wish to opt out of such a plan, perhaps because a spouse's employer provides superior coverage. Before you allow them to turn down employer-sponsored health insurance, however, be sure to determine your state's position on the issue! While ERISA often preempts state laws, this is not the case for insurance legislation. For instance, New York State does not permit employees to waive fully employer-sponsored health insurance. If an employee wishes to opt out of employer-sponsored coverage, you must charge all employees for the coverage - even if it's as little as a penny each pay period. The New York Office of General Counsel issued an opinion on the topic on April 1, 2003, representing the position of the New York State Insurance Department, which states: It is the position of this Department that where the employer requires any contribution by the employee towards his or her coverage, the employee may waive coverage. If, however, the employer only requires an employee contribution toward dependent coverage, then the employee may not waive his or her coverage. This interpretation creates parity between employees with dependents and those without dependents. We at Astron, and several of our clients, have effected policy changes since discovering this information. If your organization is located or does business in New York and has been similarly affected, let us know! Or, if yours is another state with comparable legislation, send us an email at info@astronsolutions.com.
Reader Poll Archive
Wonder what your fellow readers think about critical HR topics? Is your organization unique from or similar to others?Click here to view the results of our past polls!
Have a Question?
If you have a topic you would like addressed in Astronology, or some feedback on a past article, don't hesitate to tell us! Simply reply to this e-mail. See your question answered, or comments addressed, in an upcoming issue of Astronology.
Looking for a top-notch presenter for your human resource organization's meeting? Both Jennifer Loftus and Michael Maciekowich present highly-rated sessions on a variety of compensation and employee retention issues. For more information, send an e-mail to info@astronsolutions.com.
Are you reading a pass-along copy of Astronology? Click on
this button
Send inquiries to info@astronsolutions.com or call 800-520-3889, x105.
The Fine Print
We hold your e-mail address in trust. Astron Solutions promises never to share or rent your personal information. We also promise never to send you frivolous e-mails and will allow you to leave our list, at your option, at any time.
To remove yourself from this list, please follow your personalized subscriber link at the bottom of your Astronology alert e-mail. Copyright 2007, Astron Solutions, LLC ISSN Number 1549-0467 |
||
