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Escalating costs of healthcare and benefits have led business owners across the country to seek out a solution that makes the most sense for their company. Of the many options out there, self-funded health insurance has become a realistic opportunity for many small businesses thanks to third-party administrators.

These organizations, also known as TPAs, allow business owners to take advantage of self-funding, which can provide a “greater level of flexibility that comes with being able to tailor the plan to their needs,” according to the Society for Human Resource Management. The self-funding process can be complicated, but a good TPA can simplify the process so that employers can reap the benefits of self-funded insurance without having to deal with the risks of managing it themselves.

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GMS, a Professional Employer Organization headquartered in Richfield, Ohio, announced today that 20-year software and technology veteran Christian Tracey has joined the company as Chief Technology Officer.  

Tracey will play a key role in crafting GMS’ go-to market technology strategy, as well as leading the internal IT function, as the company embarks on the next phase of growth.

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When the Trump Administration took office back in January, most people believed that they were going to focus on three things:

1. The repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act
2. Tax cuts
3. Tightening the country’s borders as it pertained to immigration

We all know what happened with the repeal and replacement of the ACA. The Republicans have tried a couple of times, but simply do not have the votes to make it happen, even in their own party.

Anyone who has seen attempts at tax cuts over the last 30-plus years knows how challenging the passage of that can be.

That leaves immigration. There’s been a lot of squabbling about walls, travel bans, and the such, but some things seem to have gone under the radar.

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As the years go by, HR administration continues to evolve. The growing need for improved operational efficiency and compliance has led more business owners to turn to HR experts for help managing crucial business functions. 

This expansion has been so great that the Professional Employer Organization industry has nearly doubled to around $168 billion dollars in the past six-and-a-half years. The need for human resource outsourcing isn’t just a need for one or two different industries, as HR providers saw a 23 percent or greater increase in business from blue collar, white collar, and grey collar businesses. 

While businesses often turn to PEOs for help with benefits administration and risk management services, there are other additional HR functions and benefits that have become more popular in recent years. Two of the more intriguing recent trends in human resource outsourcing is a move toward investing in online payroll and workplaces wellness programs.

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It’s difficult to run a small business without much support, which is why more employers are turning to human resource outsourcing. According to market research company Global Industry Analysts, Inc., the HR outsourcing market is projected to grow to nearly $54 billion by 2020 as business owners turn to other organizations for help managing important HR functions.

So why have so many businesses turned to HR outsourcing? Here are four big reasons:

• Time savings
• Improved compliance
• Better recruitment and training capabilities
• Cost savings

The benefits speak for themselves, so now it’s a matter of finding out exactly what business responsibilities you can outsource and which ones make the most sense for your business.

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As a business owner, you get used to making tough decisions every day. One critical question is whether you should handle every human resource function internally or if it’s in your business’ best interest to consider outsourcing. 

To insource or to outsource may not be as difficult of a question as you may think. Here are four reasons why it may make sense for your business to consider human resource outsourcing.

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Are you confident in your company’s policy on sexual harassment? What if I told you in 2016 nearly 13,000 sexual harassment charges were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), costing companies over $40 million in claims payout, not including monetary benefits obtained through litigation. That email circulating around the office with the most recent celebrity nudes could cost you millions once Bill prints a copy and tapes it to Martha’s computer!

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Small business owners weigh many factors when deciding whether to invest in a group health insurance plan, but oftentimes the decision comes down to dollars and cents. The Kaiser Family Foundation’s 2016 Employer Health Benefits Survey notes that the high costs of insurance premiums are the primary reason why firms won’t offer health benefits. Even for business owners who do offer plans, rising insurance premiums can create a lot of stress and confusion, especially if the owner doesn’t know how these premiums are calculated and how they can manage them.

Employers can have many questions for group health providers, and that includes exactly how much they can expect to spend. Here’s a rundown on what the insurance industry uses to calculate your group health insurance coverage premium, as well as some strategies that can lead to lower costs.

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It’s always a good idea to get more information. For a small business owner, that extra information can be the difference between finding the right group health coverage for your business.

Even if you have a good grasp on the basics of group health insurance, it doesn’t hurt to ask a provider a few important questions before you purchase a plan for your business. Here are some key things that you should ask a provider about group health insurance coverage.

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Managing health insurance for a business can get complex in a hurry, especially if you’ve never dealt with group plans before. When it comes to offering healthcare coverage, you’ll quickly find that not all health insurance plans work the same way. 

Instead of getting overwhelmed, it’s a good idea to step back, take a breath, and start with the basics. Let’s go over what you should know about group health insurance before you start offering plans  to your employees.

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