Health Care Reform | Bellingham HR Consultant

The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) released a break down of how the new health care reform signed in by the Obama administration will effect employers and employees. It breaks down to this:

Employer Requirement – Penalties would be assessed on employers with 50 or more employees who fail to offer coverage to employees. The penalty would be assessed if even one employee receives a subsidy to purchase coverage through a health insurance exchange. Employers would also incur penalties if the coverage they offer is considered “unaffordable” to the employee or if the health plan has an actuarial value of less than 60 percent or pays less than 60 percent of covered health care expenses.

Individual Requirement – The new law requires individuals to purchase health insurance coverage or pay a tax penalty beginning in 2014. The penalty, which is phased in, starts at $95 or 0.5% of income per individual in 2014 and increases to $750 or 2% of income in 2016. The penalties for families would be capped at $2,250. Religious and hardship exemptions are available.

Professional Development Opportunities

Emotional Intelligence: The Key to Career Success
Studies have found that intellectual knowledge and technical skills are no longer enough to be successful in the workplace. Interpersonal skills (Emotional Intelligence) is also a key factor in career success and an absolute requirement in leadership. Through this workshop, participants will learn:  How to develop their emotional intelligence (EQ); Influence, inspire, and motivate coworkers, subordinates, and supervisors;  Develop your leadership skills to enhance performance and organizational strength; Manage conflict through effective communication; and, Increase flexibility, enthusiasm, and teamwork while reducing wasted time, energy, and money.

Understanding Leadership and Management Functions
Not all managers or leaders are created equal, and you’ll learn why. Even if you aren’t a manager or in a leadership role in your organization, you will gain insight on what makes a great manager and leader, as well as how you can focus on key areas to successfully step into a management and/or leadership role.  In this workshop you will learn the differences between management and leadership, explore key managerial functions, and discover your leadership style and why it is more about the people you lead rather than you.

For more information on attending these workshops (which cost $49 each), please go to http://www.whatcomcommunityed.com/ for details.