Investing in your most important asset, your people.

We began working with HCR Group soon after we founded Topaz, and they have been an increasingly valuable contributor to the growth of our business. They provide counsel and support on new employee benefits programs and other initiatives that have helped us attract and retain staff in the very competitive public relations marketplace.

- Co-Founder/CEO, Public Relations Firm

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How often should I meet face to face with my benefits broker?

A. In order to stay on top of benefit trends, you should meet with your benefits broker at least every six months. You should also expect additional visits from a member of the service team.

Q. How do I best manage escalating health care costs?

A. Your trusted advisor can educate you on options such as Consumer Driven Health Plans, plan design alternatives, cost shifting, and more.

Q. Do all brokers get the same rates from carriers? If so, what distinguishes one from another?

A. Yes, all brokers get the same rates from carriers provided they ask for the same plan designs and provide identical employee census data. Brokers distinguish themselves by offering a definable service model and delivering value-added services such as COBRA management, HIPAA administration, customized new hire employee packets, benefits handbooks, interviewing, and more.

Q. How often should I update my Employee Handbook to be compliant with legal changes such as USERRA, salary deductions statements, and more?

A. With all the federal and state legal compliance changes over the past 1-5 years, companies need to ensure that they do not find themselves legally exposed to fines and penalties for non-compliance in notifying employees of their rights. You should have your Employee Handbook reviewed at least every two years to ensure that it contains all required legally-mandated information. In addition, every few years a Human Resource Audit should be conducted to ensure your organization's legal compliance in Recruitment, Benefits, Compensation, Training, Employee Relations, Safety, etc.

Q: What steps can be taken to ensure that employee records, files, and reporting meet federal and state requirements?

A: A seasoned Human Resource professional knows what information a company needs to retain in files, what documents need to be stored separately from general employee information, and the timeline for reporting employee information to federal and state agencies. You must have the utmost confidence in the person you have designated to handle these areas - whether that person is a consultant or in your employ.

Q: If we don't have the need or financial resources to hire a full-time HR person, what is the downside to having someone else in the organization "pitch in" when needed?

A: It takes a true HR professional to help you comply with the ever-changing HR regulations and legal issues. Someone "pitching in" doesn't necessarily have that level of expertise. If your company can't support a full-time HR person, consider outsourcing this function to a reliable, skilled source who understands your culture, takes care of what's needed when it's needed, and helps you comply with all legal issues. For example, businesses are obligated to have a written Safety Program with the appropriate training, OSHA 300 Log documentation, MSDS Logs, etc. Are you in compliance?

Q: Are all insurance carriers the same?

A: Not in a lot of areas. At HCR, we select carriers based upon their financial stability, claims paying history, underwriting guidelines, pricing and customer service reputation. We may explore up to 10 different carriers for each client.

View a list of the carriers HCR Group partners with.