http://houze.org/new/index.php en {latest_author} Copyright 2010 2010-06-22T12:49:02+00:00 http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/cobb_county_government/ http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/cobb_county_government/#When:12:49:02Z Marietta, Georgia - The Cobb County Board of Commissioners approved a 3 year contract, with 2 additional year extensions for their Employer Paid Life and Long Term Disability Plans. The committee recommended and approved the Insurance Carrier, The Hartford, with Houze & Associates, Inc. as the patterning broker for employee education, enrollment and ongoing administration. Houze & Associates, Inc. has been providing those and additional services to the county since 2000. Houze has partnered with different carriers who have been able to provide the best product at the lowest cost for the county. We look forward to another 5 years of service to Cobb County and their employees. 2010-06-22T12:49:02+00:00 http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/putnam_county_schools_eatonton_ga/ http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/putnam_county_schools_eatonton_ga/#When:13:19:12Z Houze & Associates, Inc. supports the Retirement and Recognition program for Putnam County Schools employees. Twelve former employees were recognized in a retirement ceremony for their dedication and support of the school system in Eatonton. Houze & Associates, Inc. is honored to be a partner of Putnam County Schools. 2010-06-07T13:19:12+00:00 http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/twin_cedars_youth_and_family_services/ http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/twin_cedars_youth_and_family_services/#When:14:10:51Z LaGrange, GA - Houze & Associates, Inc. is honored to support the future of Twin Cedars Youth and Family Services. Twin Cedars sponsors programs like Chattahoochee CASA, TRUST, Parents As Teachers, The Troup County Prevention Coalition, Circle of Care and Community Counseling. 2010-06-04T14:10:51+00:00 http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/coweta_county_board_of_education/ http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/coweta_county_board_of_education/#When:17:23:51Z Newnan, Georgia - The Coweta County Board of Education voted unanimously to re-appoint Houze & Associates Broker of Record for The Systems' employee benefits package. Houze & Associates will continue to provide active and new hire employees benefits education, online and face to face benefits enrollment, Flexible Spending Account management, and ongoing administration. These services are in addition to the agent/broker duties of evaluation of benefits, obtaining competitive offers from interested insurance carriers and negotiating with those Carriers for benefits and products on The Systems behalf. 2010-05-11T17:23:51+00:00 http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/gaspa_conference_stone_mountain_ga/ http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/gaspa_conference_stone_mountain_ga/#When:14:23:55Z Houze & Associates, Inc. is a Business Partner for the Georgia Association of School Personnel Administrators on the coast of Georgia. Stacey Weldon and Patricia Cromer were present as a Partner Sponsor at the Conference held at The Marriot Evergreen, Conference Center and Resort. The mission of GASPA is to build alliances and structure processes for ensuring a quality work force for Georgia’s schools. These attendees will cultivate environments that positively impact the classroom and support student learning through the implementation of best practices in recruiting and retention, employee selection, training and maintenance, leadership development, employee satisfaction, and quality service. Houze & Associates, Inc. is honored to be able to partner with such a great organization for our school system partners. 2010-05-07T14:23:55+00:00 http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/troup_county_schools/ http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/troup_county_schools/#When:14:21:53Z LaGrange, Georgia - Troup County Schools Retirement Reception honors the men and women who have dedicated their careers to the education of students throughout Troup County. We were able to support this cause and take part in making the event special for the extraordinary people in our community. This event through donations ensures a unique send-off to the educators who have given their time and talents to the children of Troup County for many years. 2010-05-05T14:21:53+00:00 http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/waiver_of_premium/ http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/waiver_of_premium/#When:20:09:46Z The Purpose of a Waiver of Premium Waiver of Premium is a common provision included in most group life insurance policies. It is intended to provide continued life insurance coverage for an employee who becomes totally disabled prior to the age specified in the contract (typically 60 years of age) if the waiver of premium claim is approved. As a rule, the waiver period starts after the employee has been out six months, or as specified in the contract, and continues until the employee reaches age 65 or is no longer disabled. The Importance of Filing Claims in a Timely Manner Waiver of premium claim forms must be filed within a specified time, typically twelve months from the disabled employees’ initial date of disability. Generally, a waiver of premium form should be completed for any employee applying for Long Term Disability benefits or if it appears the employee will be out of work at least six months. Employees out on Workers’ Compensation are also eligible for waiver of premium. The Consequences of Not Properly Complying with the Provision If an employer does not file a waiver of premium claim within the specified time in the contract, or does not file the claim at all, life coverage may be denied. It is very important to make sure you understand how your waiver of premium works and file all claims on time. 2010-04-28T20:09:46+00:00 http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/columbus_regional_healthcare_celebrity_classic/ http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/columbus_regional_healthcare_celebrity_classic/#When:14:26:45Z Sponsorship for the 16th Annual Celebrity Classic through Tennis and Golf included a unique opportunity which Houze & Associates as been a part of since the inception of The Classic. We joined other leading corporate citizens to help the Columbus Regional Medical Center Foundation surpass the charity goal for the John B. Amos Cancer Clinic through this important event. 2010-04-06T14:26:45+00:00 http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/how_our_counselors_prepare_before_meeting_employees_onsite/ http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/how_our_counselors_prepare_before_meeting_employees_onsite/#When:19:49:14Z As we approach annual enrollments, the proper preparation by the enrollers is of the utmost importance. The enroller is the “ambassador” of Houze & Associates, Inc. to the client and the employee. They must demonstrate professionalism and personal interest in the employee during the face-to-face enrollment process and aid the employee in making informed decisions on their benefits. Each enroller has their own “drill” in getting prepared for the open enrollment and putting together the necessary benefit information in a format that works best for them. This background information is most critical to the process. As soon as the enrollment schedules are finalized, the enrollment packets prepared and the websites updated you have available the information needed to properly prepare for the enrollment. From the Benefit Summary Sheet included in the employee packet and the benefit details shown on the client’s dedicated website, we have the necessary information for the Enrollment Manual. The manual is set up by each Benefit heading which makes the information available for quick and easy reference during the actual enrollment. A training session conducted for the enrollers on the specific client and their benefit package prior to the actual enrollment intensifies and clarifies the main points and questions to be considered. There is an individual benefit discussion, a systems walk through, an issues review and “mock employee” sessions to ready the enrollers for the enrollment. As each employee sits down with us, we introduce ourselves and make them feel comfortable during the enrollment process they are beginning. Be sure to answer all questions to the best of our ability and instill in the employee our willingness to guide them through any benefit decisions. At conclusion, give them their benefit election form copy, review the elections made and thank them for meeting with us. 2010-04-01T19:49:14+00:00 http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/effective_communication_is_the_key_to_a_successful_benefits_package/ http://www.houze.org/index.php/latest/effective_communication_is_the_key_to_a_successful_benefits_package/#When:19:47:39Z Educating employees about their benefits can be a tough job. The challenge is to take a large volume of information, that is often complex and confusing, and present it to the employee in a format that is condensed and easy to understand. Effectively communicating with employees about their benefits must be a year round effort and should not be confined to blurbs of information only during open enrollment periods. The goal is to give the employee enough information to help them make an informed decision about the benefit choices available for themselves and their family, but not so much information that they throw up their hands in despair. A “Summary of Benefits”, which provides a brief description of each benefit in a consolidated, quick glimpse form, is a good tool to highlight available benefits; and, although they are great during the open enrollment period, they should be made available to employees year round. They are particularly good for introducing new employees to the benefits available to them. Another great tool for ongoing communication of benefit related material is a website dedicated to providing information and resources related to the benefits offered on a year-round basis. A good benefits website will have summary information of each of the benefits, as well as links to resources that will provide more in depth information as needed. This is also a good place for employers to post required plan information, such as plan documents, summary plan descriptions, etc. Claim forms and important contact information can also be made available via the website. Other items that can be useful in communicating with employees on issues that relate to their benefits are: Mass email notifications Employee Benefit Surveys Group Meetings/Benefits Fairs Premium/Benefits Calculators By using a variety of communication methods, a greater number of the employee workforce will have access to employee benefit information that is useful. Some employees will prefer to go online and read about their benefits and utilize the links provided to obtain more in depth information. Others will relate better to printed material that is tangible and can be reviewed at their convenience. The actual verbiage used is as important as the communication vehicle chosen to deliver the message. It is easy for benefit professionals to sometimes forget that industry concepts and terminology can be completely foreign to the average employee. The challenge is to make an effort to present information in everyday language and define terms as needed. The usage of industry terms and acronyms should always be clearly defined. An added advantage of good employee benefit communication is it gives the employer an opportunity to remind their employees of their total compensation package, which includes the benefit dollars the company spends each year on the employees’ behalf. Most employees see their compensation simply as the dollar amount printed on their paychecks. It is important to remind employees, at least periodically, of the benefits they receive that are either provided by the employer at no cost or the cost is shared by them and their employer. Employer contributions to the employee’s benefit package can be detailed using a “Hidden Paycheck” Benefits Statement. This statement would list all the benefits available to the employee, indicate those for which the employee is currently enrolled, and breakdown the cost of the benefits by the portions paid by the employer and those paid by the employee. A competitive benefits package creates an employer of choice environment which will translate into a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining the most qualified employees in your industry. However, simply creating an outstanding benefits package is not enough to get the job done. If employees are not aware of the benefits available to them, or fail to understand the advantages the benefits offer them, the efforts have been in vain. Effectively communicating and educating employees is crucial to the success of any benefits package. 2010-03-16T19:47:39+00:00