Helios is committed to helping Northern Virginia families in need, and this fall, we are excited to help local families celebrate another special occasion: Halloween! We are teaming up with The Meltzer Group to collect new or gently used Halloween costumes to benefit the children of Shelter House.

I’ve recently been noticing something interesting when I tell people in social situations that I work for an HR consulting company. Instead of asking whether I help organizations 'run payroll and fire people', I’ve been hearing individuals say a lot of things like, 'so, you work with new things other than pay to make employees happy, right?'

While on client site, sitting in Leadership meetings, attending training, there is always one key initiative all companies are talking about right now: How do we attract top talent and, how do we get those people to stay?

Q: Does an employer’s cash-out option (i.e., cash-in-lieu of benefits) have any impact on the coverage’s affordability under the employer mandate? A: Yes. As background, under the employer mandate, the employer must offer at least one affordable, minimum value plan to all full-time employees, or risk a penalty. Affordability is based on the cost to the full-time employee for single-only coverage. Generally speaking, coverage is affordable if the cost of single-only coverage does not exceed 9.5 percent of that employee’s W2 wages or 9.5 percent of that employee’s rate-of-pay. (There is also a way to determine affordability based on the federal poverty line.)

“What happens when you hire a person with disabilities is you see how we do our jobs and then the mystery is over and we’re not special anymore. We become a part of the fabric of the work culture.” - Kathy Martinez, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy, who is also blind. Before moving into Human Resources, I spent several years working in the disability insurance industry. I worked with employees experiencing some of the most challenging circumstances anyone can expect to encounter in their lifetime. Many found their way back to gainful employment after recovering, or learning to live with medical and mental health diagnosis such as permanent paralysis, agoraphobia, cancer, fibromyalgia, depression and multiple sclerosis, to name a few. What made the difference in these employees’ lives was the support of fearless employers and human resource professionals who looked past assumptions about limitations to see the possibilities. On the other hand, some employers have fears of heavy burdens and unmanageable expenses related to hiring and accommodating employees with qualifying disabilities. These fears, when acted upon, can lead to discriminatory hiring and employment practices. I can say that in my experience, which is extensive, the fears are of the unknown, with little bearing in reality or when compared to the very real benefits of hiring talented employees, embracing diversity and limiting discrimination claims. 3 Business Tax Incentives to Offset Accomodation Costs While there may be time and expense related to providing reasonable accommodations, businesses have many tax credits available to them for offsetting cost, including: Disabled Access Credit: This is a credit for small businesses that incur expenditures for providing access to persons with disabilities. An eligible small business may take the credit each and every year they incur access expenditures. Architectural Barrier Removal Tax Deduction: This deduction allows businesses to claim up to $15,000 a year in qualified expenses, for items that normally must be capitalized, to remove architectural and transportation barriers to the mobility of persons with disabilities. Work Opportunity Credit: This credit provides eligible employers a tax credit up to 40 percent on the first year’s wages (up to $6,000) for a new employee with a credit-qualifying disability. Finding the right talent in the 21st century workforce will become increasingly challenging. Organizations cannot afford to overlook any source of valuable contributors if they want to stay competitive. At Helios HR, we help our clients develop smart solutions and the sound policy needed to both accomplish business goals and support a spirit of diversity and inclusion.

Recently, I had a hiring manager contact me and ask me my opinion about a candidate she interviewed. The manager mentioned the candidate was incredibly nervous during the in-person interview. However, during the initial phone screen I had with the candidate, she was well spoken and confidently provided details of her previous work experience. That said because the hiring manager asked for my opinion, this leads me to believe she saw a candidate with growth potential and an eagerness to learn and trusted my judgment as her recruiting consultant. As hiring managers are you able to “spot” a candidate that could be groomed and developed as a star performer? Let’s explore some of the best ways to identify high potential in candidates.