More than 1,000 restaurateurs have taken advantage of the National Restaurant Association’s Notification Tool, an online resource designed to help employers meet the October 1 deadline to notify employees about government-run health insurance exchanges.
“The National Restaurant Association’s Notification Tool guides an employer through the law’s required information process and creates a company-specific landing page that can be used to properly notify employees,” says Phil Kafarakis, chief Innovation and Member Advancement officer, National Restaurant Association. “This is new ground for a trade association and the response from our members tells us we are providing a valuable resource.”
Among other provisions, the health care law creates a new section of the Fair Labor Standards Act that requires employers to provide existing employees with basic information about exchanges by October 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.
The NRA Notification Tool, which is an exclusive member benefit, helps employers inform employees of new requirements around health care coverage; track and report which employees received the notice; and create records to verify compliance.
“Turnkey solutions like the Notification Tool are typical of the ways the NRA supports our members,” Kafarakis says.
The Notification Tool, available at Restaurant.org/Notify, 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.
