Plans Telephone Seminars

Become a Certified Christian Life Coach Professional Certified Christian Life Coach Professional Christian Life Coaching is a rewarding and exciting career where you use your gifts and talents to help others identify goals and values and make significant changes in their lives. Our premier program is affordable and comprehensive program and delivered in a 16 week all which is offered through weekly group webinars, or through  more...

Wellness Programs: Rewards, Penalties, Legal Risks, and Legal Developments ...ors, and exceptions for certain wellness and supplemental plans. Employers that link wellness programs and incentives face a number of risks, from violating GINA and ADA claims to tax penalties for failing to properly report and withhold income and employment taxes. This audio conference is a must for those who advise employers on wellness programs and policies designed to promote a healthier  more...

Flexible Spending Accounts BenefitsMany employee benefit plan sponsors are unaware of all the complex rules governing flexible spending accounts. In this session you will receive a thorough overview of the numerous plan design considerations and legal requirements of flexible spending accounts. This knowledge will enable you to avoid running afoul of rules that could jeopardize the tax-favored status of your plans. This  more...

What's that Smell? Sewer System Overflow Prevention and Management ...serve as a planning guide in developing long term control plans for CSO's and overflow mitigation plans for SSO's. The topics covered in this audio conference represent the crux of the management of sewer system: preventing/controlling overflows. The intent is to provide you with a detailed overview of sources of overflows, mitigation measures and planning techniques to assist their  more...

What's that Smell? Sewer System Overflow Prevention and Management ...serve as a planning guide in developing long term control plans for CSO's and overflow mitigation plans for SSO's. The topics covered in this audio conference represent the crux of the management of sewer system: preventing/controlling overflows. The intent is to provide you with a detailed overview of sources of overflows, mitigation measures and planning techniques to assist their  more...

Economic Development Financing Update ...plans, wholly distinct, both of which were equally feasible. The point I am trying to bring out is that one does not plan and then try to make circumstances fit those plans. One tries to make plans fit the circumstances.' - General George S. Patton, Jr., War as I Knew It, page 116 (1947) Those localities that have not planned for the current environment are experiencing a worse impact than  more...

Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP): Developing a SWPPP and the New EPA Storm Water Rules ...er pollution and consequently, EPA is moving forward with plans to set storm water standards under the national pollution discharge elimination system. This change in direction will require industry, developers, states and local governments to take steps to reduce runoff, including development of a SWPPP or MS4 program and incorporation of best management practices. This live audio conference  more...

Developing a School Wellness Program BenefitsAs many of you are aware, childhood obesity is one of our nation's leading health threats. Today, about 1 in 3 children and youth (ages 2-19) in the United States is already overweight or obese -- that's nearly 25 million young people. - Disappearing recess: Nearly one-third of elementary schools do not schedule recess on a regular basis. - Less physical education: 92% of elementary  more...

Understanding Your Summary Plan Descriptions ...itsEmployers who sponsor ERISA-covered health and welfare plans are required to communicate the terms of the plan to participants in a summary plan description. The SPD is an important disclosure document that describes, in understandable terms, the rights, benefits and responsibilities of participants and beneficiaries in ERISA-covered health and welfare benefit plans. The SPD must include  more...

Advanced Applicant Tracking Strategies For Government Contractors: Effective Tools To Avoid Claims of Discrimination ...ired to track applicant data for their affirmative action plans. However, even companies who properly track applicant data treat the process as a purely recordkeeping exercise. Failure to maintain proper and robust information regarding applicant disposition is the most common error employers can make which results in Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) findings of  more...

Medical Records Update for Paralegals: Releases, Retention and Confidentiality Requirements ...plans, vendors, and others who retain medical or health records are often subjected to complex and conflicting requirements to maintain the confidentiality and restrict the disclosure of the information. Complex and overlapping rules and regulations impose rigid requirements that must be met before information is released and require medical record repositories to retain the records for  more...

COBRA: A Little of Everything is Changing ...w is that impacting compliance responsibilities? COBRA PLANS - What IS and What ISN'T? One of the most misunderstood parts of the COBRA law is the COBRA obligation on the Health FSA and Voluntary Payroll Deduct plan. We will discuss the employers obligation - some voluntary payroll deduct plans are COBRA - some plans aren't?? Worse for the Health FSA - the FSA is always a COBRA obligation  more...

Self-Auditing Your Employee Benefits:A Guide to What May Need Fixing ...irements and the specific terms of your employee benefits plans is a monumental task. It is easy to have your time consumed by the day-to-day issues and questions that arise under your benefit plans and the typical annual processes and compliance requirements already in place. It is difficult to take the time to step back and ask what issues may be lurking that could create significant  more...

Changes to Cafeteria Plans: What You Need to Know to Prepare BenefitsThe IRS recently issued new rules which replaced portions of the old regulations. These new rules are exciting but require you to review and act on your old documents. The information provided in this live audio conference will assist you in decisions for the upcoming plan year and how to prepare for the changes. This live audio conference is designed for human resources and benefits  more...

The Trickle Down Effect of Health Care Reform: A Potpourri of Payroll, Benefits, Income Taxes, and Other Changes BenefitsThe phased in requirements of health care reform require that you continually monitor the landscape to spend your benefit dollars effectively, while remaining compliant. This is an opportunity for employers to reassess their decisions and consider the future impact of this legislation. Attend this live audio conference and stay current on your compliance obligations, planning  more...

Strategies to Reduce Bullying and Social Aggression ...f bullying, including cyber bullying. Whether your school plans to implement one or more bullying prevention strategies or a comprehensive bullying prevention or school improvement initiative, there are several issues you need to know that can increase your chances of success. This live audio conference is devoted to learning new techniques and strategies that can dramatically reduce the  more...

Implied Obligations in Construction Contracts BenefitsWhen parties enter into construction or design contracts there may be numerous implied obligations that arise under law or in equity. These implied obligations should be carefully considered by owners, design professionals and contractors. These implied obligations apply to most construction and design contracts unless a specific contractual provision is provided in the contract that  more...

Avoiding Legal Pitfalls on Construction Projects: The Three Ds (Dollars, Delay and Defects) BenefitsConstruction projects are notoriously fecund areas for legal disputes, most of which can be categorized according to the Three Ds: dollars, delay and defects. Is it inevitable that all construction projects will at some point be labeled troubled, or is it possible to avoid the chronic and recurring bugbears? This audio conference will help you anticipate and maybe even avoid the classic  more...

Key Subcontracting Issues, Including Flow-Down and Paid-If-Paid Provisions ... contract flow-down clauses, consent clauses, make or buy plans, privity, sponsorship and subcontracting plans. Learning Objectives - You will be able to discuss subcontracting issues. - You will be able to review subcontracting plan requirements. - You will be able to identify past performance issues. - You will be able to explain tailor clauses for specific types of subcontractors. This  more...

Preparing for the International Financial Reporting Standard ...ould keep the proposed timetable in mind as you make your plans. For example, companies subject to the 2014 change date should be prepared to begin capturing IFRS data January 1, 2012, in order to have readily available information to create comparative financial statements. Those companies who might consider earlier adoption may need to establish a more aggressive timetable. This audio  more...

Recent Developments in Employer Liability for 401(k) Investments ...ver-expanding list of factors bombards sponsors of 401(k) plans, and places companies and their management potentially in the cross hairs. From Enron, Worldcom and Sarbanes-Oxley, to the more recent massive class actions filed against Fortune 500 companies regarding 401(k) plan service fees, decision makers face increasingly tough choices and more difficult compliance challenges when it comes  more...

Land Development Right Transfer Issues and Complexities ...s well as the development goals of a community's land use plans. When TDR works, property owners are compensated for voluntarily conserving their land and developers are able to achieve more profitable levels of development despite contributing to off-site preservation. As a market driven tool that requires coordination of various stakeholders, TDR can seem intimidating. This teleconference  more...

Health Care Reform Update BenefitsPresident Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law on March 23, 2010. This legislation will effectively restructure one-sixth of our economy and have a significant impact on our personal lives. Beyond the partisan politics and media hype are the practical concerns of employers, HR professionals, attorneys, third-party administrators, and other consultants and  more...

Implementing An Indoor Air Quality/Construction Hygiene Plan ...plans to help reduce damage to building materials during construction. Following the appearance of mold and water intrusion as a significant threat to construction projects, construction hygiene plans began to emerge in the early 2000s. Today, sustainability plays a key role in most new construction and large-scale renovations projects. To aid in designing and constructing  more...

Contractor's Dilemma of Dealing With Bad Plans and Specs ...Plans and specifications are, without question, critical to the success of any construction project. When the plans and specifications are clear and without significant errors or omissions, the project is much more likely to be on time and within budget. But what happens when plans are riddled with errors, conflicts or omissions? This teleconference will provide you with valuable tips for  more...

IRS Form 8928: Health Plan Reporting and Excise Tax Update ...plans now have a duty to self-report certain regulatory plan failures and pay excise taxes where such failures are not corrected in a timely fashion once discovered, or are due to willful neglect. You need to know the Internal Revenue Code rules or risk expensive excise taxes for failure to comply with COBRA, HIPAA and other federal group health plan mandates. Recently issued IRS final  more...

Administration of Pain Agents BenefitsYou will learn about using balanced analgesia with pharmacologic options for treating pain. This provides optimal analgesia and level of function for their patients. Discussion will include the importance of choosing the appropriate pain agent for the type of pain at the right dose. Learning Objectives - You will be able to discuss different types of pain medications. - You will be able  more...

Code Section 409A ...that will require most employers to make changes to their plans and agreements. Employers that make these changes before January 1, 2011, can avoid IRS penalties, in most cases. In 2010, the IRS issued Notice 2010-6, Relief and Guidance on Corrections of Certain Failures of a Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan to Comply with Code Sec. 409A(a). Importantly, the notice does much more than  more...

Long-Term Care Insurance in Estate Plans BenefitsClients spend a lifetime building financial security for their retirement, often with the desire to pass the assets on to their family or charity rather than loose it to the cost of long-term care. Whether at home, assisted living or nursing home care, the cost can be staggering. When is the purchase of long-term care insurance appropriate for a client? How can the client control the  more...

Is Your Health Care Plan Grandfathered Under the Health Care Reform? ...plans routinely make annual changes to their plans that are designed to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve employee health and productivity. As plan sponsors consider design changes for 2011, they must also take into account new federal mandates under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as modified by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010  more...

Change Order Basics ...discuss differing site conditions, defective or ambiguous plans and specifications, disclosure of information, allowances, owner interference, inspections, unit prices, ripple effect, cumulative impacts, disruption, total cost claims, modified total cost claims and contingency, and how these concepts relate to construction contract modifications. Learning Objectives - You will be able to  more...

Evaluating Your Third-Party Administrator: Are You Getting What You're Paying For? ...tor is ubiquitous with health and welfare, and retirement plans. However, proper administration by TPAs should not be taken for granted. As with all facets of employee benefit plans, TPAs need to be monitored and evaluated to ensure proper plan administration and fulfillment of a plan sponsor's fiduciary responsibility. This teleconference explores the key roles of TPAs, how to evaluate a TPA  more...

Avoiding Exposure Under The Illinois Wage Payment And Collection Act BenefitsAre you paying your employees correctly? Maintaining proper pay practices has always been challenging due to the highly technical and often changing regulations in this area. Unfortunately, as the number of wage and hour lawsuits continues to spiral out of control, keeping abreast of the current rules and legal developments regarding pay practices has now become a matter of basic survival.  more...

Employee Driven Health Care: A Checklist for Employers BenefitsThis teleconference will include a comparison of HSA, HRA and FSAs. You will discover the value of Section 125 plans and recognize funding methods for various plans. Human resource managers, benefits and payroll professionals, controllers, CFOs, business owners and managers, insurance professionals and attorneys  more...

Low-Impact Development Maintenance and Upkeep Techniques ...w impact development concepts into their site development plans. This results in the use of many complex storm water BMPs such as bioinfiltration systems, infiltration basins, constructed wetlands, wet ponds, green roofs and porous pavement. Unlike conventional detention basins which require little maintenance, these complex BMPs require significant short-term and long-term maintenance in order  more...

Current Issues Facing Real Estate Lenders: Managing Through the Tidal Wave of Distressed Properties ...ition, most financial institutions need to develop action plans to effectively manage distressed assets in order to maximize their recoveries. This teleconference is designed to give insight and practical tools to those responsible for managing and working out distressed real estate. The program also explains the pitfalls incurred by failing to actively manage residential and commercial real  more...

Building Code Compliance Specifications ...t while building officials are charged with reviewing the plans and specifications for compliance. Many design professionals do not understand how much information to include in their project specifications as it relates to code compliance nor the limits placed on them by their professional liability insurers. This teleconference helps design professionals understand their responsibilities  more...

Return on Investment for Wellness Programs ...ness should be part of every strategic health plan. These plans can offer a valuable tool for employers to promote a fit and health-conscious work force that will save employers money by keeping health insurance premiums down, reducing workers' compensation costs, and by increasing productivity and decreasing lost time. Implementing a plan takes time, attention and deserves a well thought-out  more...

Current Issues in Revocable Living Trusts ...tsRevocable living trusts are a foundation of many estate plans. The use of a revocable living trust generally provides for a confidential distribution of family wealth without required court interference and also allows for assets to avoid probate in most jurisdictions. Using a revocable living trust allows for planning in the event of incapacity without having to formally declare a person  more...

Qualified Retirement Plans Eligibility and Vesting Tips and Traps for the Unwary ...with specifically interpreting the provisions of your own plans and introduce you to a variety of options in order to make sure you know what you have and have what you want. In addition, although many provisions appear to be straightforward, the practical application of these functions can be complex. Human resource managers, benefits administrators, payroll managers, plan administrators,  more...

Criminal Liabilities Under HIPAA ...tablishing new civil and criminal HIPAA penalties. Health plans, health care clearinghouses, health care providers and Medicare prescription drug card sponsors may be prosecuted criminally for HIPAA violations. With ID theft on the rise, prosecutors are becoming more aggressive in enforcing HIPAA laws, particularly when intent to illegally obtain patient information is involved. In addition,  more...

Preparing for the Unexpected Departure of Key Employees: An Introduction to Replacement Planning ...izations, public or private, have functioning replacement plans in case of the disastrous loss of key people to death, disability, sudden resignation or the potential threatened loss in hostage-taking situations. Replacement planning is not the same thing as succession planning or talent management, though many organizational leaders confuse them. This teleconference helps you understand the  more...

Foreclosing on Real and Personal Property Collateral: What You Need to Know BenefitsLoan defaults are rising and secured creditors are once again having to think about enforcing their rights through foreclosure of real and personal property collateral. This can be a complicated process that requires a good deal of planning in order to reach a successful outcome. This teleconference will help the people responsible for loan workout and enforcement evaluate their positions  more...

Opt-Out Incentives and Other Cost Cutting Measures for Health Plans BenefitsThe recent debate regarding health care reform has highlighted for the public what employers have known for years - health care is expensive. Employers have for years looked for creative ways to alleviate double digit annual increases in the cost of health coverage provided to its employees. Employers have toggled deductibles and co-payments, and they have implemented wellness programs and  more...

Best Practices in Commission Pay Plans BenefitsThere are few management tools that work as well in recruiting, directing, motivating and retaining sales people as a strong commission plan. This is critical because sales people are often highly paid, remote from headquarters and entrusted with customer relationships (very valuable assets). A properly designed commission plan clearly and personally communicates the strategy of the  more...

Utilizing Spendthrift Trusts in Estate Plans BenefitsA spendthrift trust is an invaluable tool in protecting assets for the beneficiary. This teleconference will introduce you to the use and purpose of spendthrift trusts. Additionally, this program will provide specific guidance of drafting an effective spendthrift trust and highlight drafting pitfalls. Attorneys, estate planners, accountants, presidents, vice presidents, CFOs, controllers,  more...

Limited Medical Programs: How Employers Are Using Them to Control Health Care Costs BenefitsAfter years of increasing medical premiums, employers are hitting road blocks in cost saving measures. We are at a point of office visit co-pays approaching $50, prescription drug co-pays of $50 to $100, deductibles exceeding $2,000 for in-network benefits, and more and more premium cost shifting from employer to employee. Employee's are finding it hard to afford the per pay premiums and  more...

Health Insurance Basics For Employers ...ll be discussed. We will describe the different models of plans, including traditional indemnity plans, PPOs, HMOs, point-of-service plans and consumer-driven health plans. You will learn some insurance basics and be exposed to underwriting requirements, as well as a review of applicable government regulation. Human resource managers, benefits administrators, payroll managers, accountants,  more...

Traffic Management for Construction Work Zones: Unique Challenges and Solutions ...who are required to prepare and implement traffic control plans often do not understand how to process the approval and satisfy the agencies requirements, as well as federal and state occupational regulations. Understanding the MUTCD and agency requirements, as well as their newly implemented regulations can impact schedule and costs. This teleconference will help you understand how first to  more...

Pitfalls of Participant Loans in Retirement Plans ...ministration. Plan sponsors of qualified employee benefit plans need to be aware of many pitfalls to avoid tax consequences. Even worse than tax consequences is the possibility of the entire plan losing its preferred tax status. This teleconference will explain the regulations of participant loans in a plan, help you avoid the associated pitfalls and ensure the plan complies with the  more...

Providing Investment Advice to Retirement Plan Participants Without Triggering Liability BenefitsThe current recession and volatile financial markets highlight the importance of financial literacy. Until recently, retirement plan sponsors have been constrained in the types of investment advice that can be provided to plan participants. Plan sponsors have long wanted to provide the investment advice their participants desire, but without incurring liability for advice given in good  more...

Tax Treatment of Gift Card and Certificate Sales ...nounced, in several industry director directives, that it plans to focus on several specific issues in this area. Despite this emphasis on gift card revenue issues however, the IRS has provided little guidance in this area. The sale of gift cards also raises a variety of state tax and state law issues. This teleconference will help you identify and handle the numerous federal and state tax  more...

Financial Planning After Retirement: Coordinating the Retirement Plan with the Estate Plan ...tection and estate planning benefits for large retirement plans so that the valuable 'stretch out' does not become a 'blow out.' Most trusts are inadequately drafted to handle retirement plans, especially in light of the recent changes of the Pension Protection Act. New preparer penalties put an additional premium on determining whether the trust is likely to qualify. This teleconference will  more...

Planning to Avoid Estate Litigation BenefitsEvery estate plan, no matter how well-intentioned, can be challenged and in today's litigious society, those challenges are even more commonplace (and costly) than ever. This teleconference helps you recognize potential issues, learn techniques to diffuse future hotspots and protect yourself from common mistakes that leave plans susceptible to challenge. Through true-life examples, the  more...

Building Performance Benchmarking Strategies ...and benchmarks, execute realistic performance improvement plans, and perform the design and retrofits that meet the challenges laid out above. It targets in particular the managers of corporate real estate portfolios, federal building managers, facility groups at university campuses, and building managers at city, state and federal level. The teleconference is also specifically addressed at  more...

Changes of Status Checklist ...who sponsors a cafeteria plan or other health and welfare plans, it can be confusing to administer your plan when an employee has a change in status. This teleconference will assist you in determining when you can allow an employee to change their election under your cafeteria plan. It will also cover what happens when an individual has a change in status while on COBRA. We will cover the  more...

Benchmarking your Health Benefit Program: How Do You Stack Up? nInformation is power. You can increase your competitiveness by knowing the kinds and the quality of health insurance other employers are offering. Measuring your health plan against meaningful benchmarks will help fuel your strategies not only for reducing cost, but also for recruiting, employee retention and health plan design. n nThis teleconference will work through several methods to  more...

Paid Sick Leave Update: Policies and Procedures in an Evolving Workplace nMany employers voluntarily provide their employees with paid sick leave. Increasingly, however, states and localities are dictating that employers allow employees to use these voluntarily-provided paid sick leave benefits for reasons beyond those covered by the employer's program. In some cases, states and localities have begun to mandate that employers provide employees with a minimum paid sick  more...

Drafting Trusts in Estate Planning nEstate tax laws keep changing. Did you know that even though the estate tax exemption is predicted to stay at $3.5 million the lifetime gift tax exemption will stay at $1 million, leaving the door open to reduce the estate tax exemption back down to $1 million when Congress tries to balance the budget in a few years? In addition to estate taxes, clients' families need protection from probate, bad  more...

Presenteeism: Measurement and Intervention Issues for Employers and Health Plans nProductivity is fast becoming an even more vital issue to the business world. Presenteeism, or work loss due to underlying health conditions when individuals remain at work, is one important facet of productivity. One study found that approximately 6 percent of a global company's total compensation (salaries, wages and all benefit costs) were lost due to presenteeism. Work site wellness programs  more...

Demand-Side Water Conservation Initiatives ...nservation, drought preparedness and diverse water supply plans to meet existing and future water demands. Internal and external factors are causing water shortages, rate impacts, conflicts among neighboring water users, and both real and perceived unreliable water supplies. These circumstances are impacting businesses, homeowners, and the health and security of our modern existence. Brown and  more...

More Affordable and Sustainable Communities: The Role of Good Design for Workforce Housing ...rs and residents. These will be explained using images of plans and photos of the completed developments. This teleconference will help you understand how to successfully organize a community to engage rationally and creatively in the design of new housing developments which meet the needs of the developers, neighbors and future residents. To avoid lengthy and contentious public review  more...

The New HIPAA Special Enrollment Rules and Related Disclosure Issues ...al enrollment rights currently applicable to group health plans and imposes new notice and disclosure obligations for employers that maintain such plans. While many of these obligations are not effective until after 2009, the special enrollment changes are effective April 1, 2009. In addition, the new law imposes civil penalties of up to $100 a day for failure to comply with the new notice and  more...

Establishing Payment Arrangements: Beyond Net 30 nMore than 10,000 businesses have slow or nonpaying customers. How can you collect that money efficiently and quickly and keep that money coming in? The credit crisis, high fuel costs, job losses, bankruptcies, foreclosures and the failing economy are all contributing to factories closing, job loss and business owners going out of business because they can't get paid. Maximize your in-house  more...

Floodproofing Fundamentals: Design Methods to Reduce Flood Damages ... and nearly 50 percent of homeowners have no preparedness plans for floods or other major disasters. n nSolution: This teleconference is intended to help you reduce or eliminate the risk of flood damages to residential, commercial and public buildings. We will review basic design methods and techniques used to minimize or eliminate damage to new and existing buildings, contents and utility  more...

Retirement Benefit Solutions For Nonprofit Organizations and Government Entities nNonprofit organizations face many of the same issues regarding use of retirement benefits to attract and retain employees and executives as for-profit companies, but the tools available to them are often more limited. This teleconference will explore both broad-based retirement programs and executive deferred compensation available to nonprofit organizations. It will highlight new rules for  more...

Updating and Maintaining Wills, Trusts and Estate Plans for the Evolving Client ...n and why clients need to review and revisit their estate plans and how to spot those issues for existing and potential clients. The second part will highlight various drafting techniques that will allow a will and trust to maintain maximum effectiveness in the future. We'll focus on how to best address a client's future needs with flexibility built into the document and address future changes  more...

Same-Gender Marriage Rulings: Impacts on Employee Benefit Plans Across the Nation nIn May 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that the state cannot deny same-gender couples the right to marry. Same-gender couples - many of them, in fact - flocked to California and started getting legally married on June 17, 2008. But then in November 2008, California voters approved Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage going forward. Massachusetts and Canada also allow same-gender  more...

Restructuring: Changing Your Choice of Business Entity ...through various stages of its life cycle as it grows. The plans of its owners change, and management succession and exit strategies become more immediate concerns. As a result, initial tax and state law decisions need to be revisited, and when warranted, consideration of changes to a company's tax and legal structure may be advisable or necessary. This teleconference will provide you with a  more...

Aging Building Management: Best Practices in Development Long-Term Capital Plans nUp to 30% of the average organization's annual capital outlay is spent on facilities and related infrastructure. How can an organization ensure it is most effectively leveraging this investment to support operations today and meet the needs of the future? n nOptimally managing capital assets requires detailed information about the condition of an organization's facilities and major building  more...