Oct. 1 Employee Notification of Health Care Marketplaces approaching

The National Restaurant Association has launched a new tool to help restaurateurs notify employees about new government-run health insurance marketplaces. Restaurant members of the Louisiana Restaurant Association can use this tool at no charge as they implement the notification process.

SPECIAL NRA NOTIFICATION TOOL WEBINAR--Sept. 12, 1-2 p.m. Register here.

The online employee-notification tool, available at Restaurant.org/Notify, is designed to help employers meet an Oct. 1 federal deadline to notify employees about government-run health insurance exchanges.

“As changes begin to unfold under the health care law in the coming weeks and months, the Louisiana Restaurant Association will continue share valuable information and tools available to help our members navigate the complexities of the law,” said Stan Harris, LRA President/CEO. “The NRA’s new online notification tool is a great benefit of being a member of the LRA.”  

The online tool is available exclusively to NRA restaurant members as a benefit of membership. If you are a restaurant member of the LRA, you are automatically a member of the NRA through our dual membership program.

Among other provisions, the health care law creates a new section of the Fair Labor Standards Act that require employers to provide existing employees with basic information about exchanges by Oct. 1, including letting employees know they may be eligible for federal tax subsidies to buy health plans through exchanges. The mandate applies to all employers covered by the FLSA. Starting in 2014, employers will be required to provide employees with the FLSA notice within 14 days of hiring, according to the Department of Labor.

Exchanges are set to open in every state on Oct. 1 to begin offering millions of Americans new options for buying health insurance for 2014.

The National Restaurant Association’s Notification Tool offers online registration that guides an employer through the law’s required information process so that all employees can be properly notified when they access the site.

“Members who register to use the tool can create online portals to tell their employees about exchanges, track which employees they’ve notified, and keep on- and offline records to document which employees have received the notice,” Harris added.

The Notification Tool is part of the National Restaurant Association’s Health Care Reform Headquarters. The one-stop shop offers NRA members information about how the law affects restaurant businesses, including a Health Care Law Primer that covers key aspects of the law for restaurant employers. The Health Care Reform Headquarters will later offer a marketplace to help restaurant employers and employees shop for Affordable Care Act-compliant health plans.

New NRA program EmployeeEdge designed for your restaurant staff

Restaurant and foodservice employees, like most people, juggle the demands of work, family, friends and all that goes with it. And it’s not easy. EmployeeEdge is the National Restaurant Association’s exclusive rewards and benefits program—an industry first—created with the foodservice professional in mind.

EmployeeEdge provides an opportunity to help your employees optimize their health, wealth and happiness, which can also benefit your operation by providing affordable employee benefits and reducing payroll costs and logistics by providing a new direct deposit option.  The EmployeeEdge prepaid Discover card provides your employees with a low-cost way to manage their money. It also helps you manager yours. Employees can have their pay directly deposited to the card, providing you with a no-cost alternative to payroll cards and paper checks.

Better than a bank account, the EmployeeEdge prepaid Discover card requires no minimum balance or overdraft fees. And there’s no need for employees to pick up their paycheck. The prepaid card also includes Cash Rewards at several major retailers like AMC, CVS and Lowe’s and keeps cardholders up to date on recent transactions via text message and online.

Healthcare Discount Cards from United Healthcare is an option through the EmployeeEdge program. Employees can receive up to 50 percent off healthcare costs at the point of service and access to professionally-staffed hotlines for wellness advice.  

Also with Edge, your employees can take advantage of membership perks and discounts that make their hard-earned cash go even further. In addition, there are tools for employees to manage their money, be healthy and grow their careers in the industry.

Employee Edge is a membership card and costs $25 per year; however, the EmployeeEdge membership is waived if you have an active EmployeeEdge Prepaid Card or an EmployeeEdge Healthcare Discount Card.

When you enroll, you’ll be eligible to receive Instant Rewards and access to the Rewards Mall. By upgrading to the EmployeeEdge Prepaid Discover card to receive more benefits and rewards—including cash back.

EmployeeEdge membership is the smart, easy way to save cash and enjoy great discounts. Members will enjoy cash rewards from major merchants such as CVS, Lowe’s and Cabela’s, special travel discounts exclusive to EmployeeEdge members, and discounts from hundreds of retailers in the Rewards Mall, such as the Gap, Fashion Bug, Eddie Bauer, Payless Shoes, Dick’s Sporting Goods and The Sports Authority, Pearl Vision, Ace Hardware, Meineke and many others.

To learn more about enrollment discounts when you purchase or subsidize EmployeeEdge membership for employees, contact (855) 672-3343 or employeeedge@restaurant.org.