Posts Tagged ‘Business Population’
Small Business Health Insurance: Escaping The Catch-22
May 18th, 2010 by getguarantee
As the economy continues to tank so do the number of Americans without health insurance and the number of small entrepreneurs who can afford to insure their employees.
A recent survey by the NFIB Research Foundation, a small business advocacy group, found that only 47 percent of small business owners offer employee health benefits. These offers are 20 or more people, more than twice as likely to offer employee health benefits than those with less than 10.
The survey showed that the low numbers are primarily the result of a new Small Business staff decided are not covered. Most small businesses to offer, what benefits will be offered for a while and they are reluctant for fear of losing good employees.
"It is much better for staff morale, if not a small business operator and provide health benefits, but they offer, then forced to take it because it is too expensive to continue," said William J. Dennis, NFIB's senior research fellow . "Small-business owners experience considerable turmoil in their early years. Often experience cash flow problems and the result are reluctant to additional costs such as health insurance. What is new in this picture that the new small business operators, or waiting longer for election does not seem to offer compensation insurance for their employees at all. "
The fact that new small businesses decide not to offer services, is a disturbing trend, because the rapid turnover of the small business population. If the trend continues, the number of employers that are growing will always offer advantages. And that will hurt small business because it talent pool from which they draw thet limit.
What Can Be Done?
Small companies are not alone in the struggle with the costs of health care (and premiums) in the current economic situation. The U.S. Census Bureau reports 47 million people or 15 8 percent of the U.S. population was without health insurance in 2006
Unfortunately for the small business owner, new legislative approaches to the promotion of the uninsured may even hurt them. A popular option is the "pay or play" mandate that employers either pay for health insurance for their employees or a penalty to the cost of government is to provide medical care without insurance offset requires. The rules would probably apply only to full-time employees.
Supporters say such mandates could significantly reduce the ranks of the uninsured are, and the vast majority of uninsured families with at least one full-time employees. Many of them are low-income families, suggesting that these measures would benefit the working poor.
Opponents argue that many low-paid workers only get worse, reduced to part-time off or the cost of insurance of the offset.
In their paper, "Employer Health Insurance Mandates and the Risk of Unemployment", researchers, and Katherine Baicker Helen Levy found several factors influence the extent to which these mandates cost more jobs:
? The cost of insurance.
? How much of the cost of coverage will be passed on to workers through lower wages.
? How many workers are insured earnings, up, close to the minimum wage, that their wages are not sufficient to offset reduced the cost of the new cover.
The authors found that the mandate would still be 54 percent of American workers without coverage.
"The vast majority of those who is from pay or play mandate in families with incomes twice the poverty level or more, depending on the coverage live benefit intended to extend the mandate leave a significant share of the working poor ineligible for such benefits either because their hourly rates are too high or they are free, for smaller companies, "the authors write.
Most experts agree that such mandates are bad for small businesses. Employers are faced with difficult decisions. In the NFIB survey, only 20 percent of small businesses, they would simply require the insurance companies. Many said they would either move to eliminate more jobs or more employees part-time status.
Moving people to part time work is a particularly attractive option for small businesses. In fact, part-time employees are treated is an important factor on whether small businesses support pay or play legislation.
According to NFIB, "The treatment of these employees relative costs of changes in one direction or another, offers small businesses the strong relative incentive to change."
Small business experts agree that if part-time employees by a mandate that most employers will respond by simply eliminating jobs through inaction on the unemployment rate for non-insured persons covered.
Small business owners always have an uncertain future, but who to do in the current economic situation and the crisis in health care is a very hard time for the first step.
Tags: Advocacy Group, Business, Business Advocacy, Business Employees, Business Health Insurance, Business Population, Cash Flow Problems, Catch22, Current Economic Situation, Employee Health Benefits, Employees Health, Escaping, Health, Health Insurance Benefits, Insurance, Nfib, Rapid Turnover, Research Fellow, Small, Small Business Health Insurance, Small Business Owner, Small Business Owners, Talent Pool, Time Election, U S Census, U S Census Bureau
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Cyber Crime Hitting UK Small Business
March 11th, 2010 by getguarantee
Small businesses think the transition to payments from customers over the Internet need to decide, before you try to accept it, according to Tony Neate, Managing Director of Get Safe Online. Research was commissioned by the organization shows that have 44 percent of small businesses in the United Kingdom, a victim of cybercrime, including internet fraud, identity fraud has been, phishing and data theft. Of the affected businesses, more than a third (36 percent) had suffered from a computer virus and almost one fifth (18 percent) was a victim of internet scams such as phishing, spyware and hackers in the past two years. Said Mr Neate In such an environment that is as soon as your company responsible for dealing with confidential information from other people, then come new rules and regulations into play. It shows that there is now legislation which has brought only by the credit card companies and small business outfits, perhaps a look at this because it likely they are to be collected as a result of taking credit card information. The message is that if you need an expert in the field of computers and computer security, and you have your own e-commerce site or server, and receive guidance. Also, if you are safe among people credit card and online transactions, that the right advice. Get Safe Online shows, however, only five percent of small businesses access to dedicated IT support, either internally or by an outsourcing service provider. Instead, many entrepreneurs take it upon themselves to keep with the latest online security. Of those who had experienced online crime and other IT-related problems nearly a fifth said (19 percent) lead lost revenue due to downtime – the average number as 1.540 pounds – or an estimated 750 million euro loss in the UK population for small businesses as a whole. In addition, said 60 percent of small businesses, they would come to a halt if their computers were seized from cyber-crime and IT topics. While looking companies to access control, data encryption and secure password practices, as well as look at other measures such as training of personnel is needed is to consider also important that should mean by a few simple precautions that should not be online risk in the shadow of the great advantages to bring the Internet for companies in the United Kingdom. Disclaimer: This article was written for information and interest only. The information in this article included the views of the author and should not be construed as advice or on financial decisions. Expert financial advice should always be sought and any links contained in this article are included for reference only.
Tags: Business, Business Owners, Business Population, Computer Security, Computer Virus, Confidential Information, Credit Card Details, Crime, Cyber, Cyber Crime, Downtime, E Commerce Site, Hackers, Hitting, Internet Fraud, Internet Need, Internet Scams, Losses, Managing Director, Outsourcing Provider, Phishing, Small, Small Businesses, Spyware, Tony Neate
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