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Volunteering Time Off, Part 1 | New York Benefits Advisors

Volunteering Time Off, or VTO, has become a buzz topic for many companies as of late. It involves encouraging employees to take time off from their job to plug in to their community and the nonprofits that support it. Let’s delve in deeper to understand what VTO looks like. Typical VTO policies allot for 8 … Continued

ASK THE EXPERTS: OVERTIME AND PAID TIME | NY Employee Benefits Team

Question: Should we include holidays, PTO, vacation, or other leave taken during the workweek in calculating overtime premium pay under FLSA rules? Answer: No. Because holiday, PTO, and vacation hours are not actually hours worked they do not count towards overtime pay. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), an employer who requires or permits an employee … Continued

FROM THE HOTLINE: HOLIDAY PAY FOR NEW EMPLOYEES | New York Benefits Consultants

Question:   Our handbook states you must work your first scheduled day before AND after the holiday to receive holiday pay.  However, what if the employee is scheduled to work the holiday and then calls out on the holiday?  Do we still need to pay them holiday pay even though they called out? Answer: There is nothing in … Continued

Millennials, legal industry workers more likely to be hungover at work | NY Benefits Team

On average, American workers miss two days of work per year due to being hungover, a survey of 1,000 full-time workers from Delphi Behavioral Health Group found. By industry, the sector most affected by hangovers is tech, with an average of 8 sick days used, while construction workers and legal industry workers used four, the survey … Continued

Identity Theft | New York Employee Benefits Advisors

Recently, the “Happiest Place on Earth” wasn’t living up to its name for many families. For almost a full year, malicious software had been installed on point-of-sale systems at several Earl Enterprises restaurants. This software then captured debit and credit card numbers, expiration dates, and cardholder names of users purchasing food at these venues. Identity … Continued

Gig Economy 101 | NY Benefits Agency

By now you’ve heard of the term “gig economy” but you may not know what it means. Is it describing the economy of musicians as they work gigs? Does it mean something about computers and the measurement of space allotted for their programs? Does it have something to do with fishing? Well, not exactly. But, … Continued

3 Ways to Improve Psychological Safety | New York Benefits Consultants

Employees who feel a sense of psychological safety at work are more likely to be engaged, productive and generating the innovative ideas needed to move an organization forward—but promoting that type of environment requires significant commitment on the part of the employer, a process that can be supported by HR leaders. At a session at … Continued

Ask the Experts: Executive-Only Medical Plans | New York Benefits Advisors

Question: Our company offers group medical and dental plans for all employees. We also have an executive-only medical plan that covers out-of-pocket expenses that the regular group plan does not pay. Does COBRA apply to the executive-only plan? Do we have to include it in our summary plan description (SPD)? Answer: The coverage continuation requirements of the … Continued

Connecting Agility, Culture and Change Management | NY Benefits Consultants

Every company wants to lead their industry, and doing so means remaining competitive.  With the rate of speed the world experiences change in this age that is a very difficult proposition.  For an HR professional, it is increasingly more difficult to stay ahead of the curve. So, what are the critical pieces to the strategy? … Continued

Ask the Experts: Taxability of Reimbursements for Mileage | NY Benefits Team

Question: Are amounts an employer reimburses employees for mileage taxable? Answer: They may be; the type of reimbursement plan will dictate whether reimbursement for business travel is or is not taxable. Both accountable plans and non-accountable plans allow an employer to reimburse employees for their business expenses. With an accountable plan, the reimbursement is not … Continued