Big-company CEOs such as GE’s Jeffrey Immelt are attempting to get their arms around the general economic anxiety that might be generated by the advance of Obamacare, as well as how changes in the health-care sector will specifically affect their companies. “Hospitals and clinics appear to be delaying purchases in response to the Affordable Care Act,” he said at GE’s annual meeting last month. Medical equipment such as MRI machines are a huge vertical for the company.
Meanwhile, a whopping 90 percent of mid-market executives named health-care costs as their top challenge in a new report by the National Center for the Middle Market at Ohio State University, according to Chief Executive.
Specifically, owners and chiefs in businesses with a significant amount of low-wage and seasonal workers are still trying to figure out how to address the penalties and incentives in the Affordable Care Act which amount to prods to get their companies to offer sponsored health coverage. Instead, many are reducing these employees’ hours under 30 per week to eliminate the problem.
Sodexo USA, for instance, is eliminating access to health insurance and other benefits for about 10,000 of their 125,000 U.S. workers because of Obamacare.
Many small businesses got a reprieve from the Affordable Care Act until next year or later, but many mid-market firms are already moving toward the realities that are going to come at some point, including opting out of providing the required coverage and preparing to pay federal penalties. Others, The Wall Street Journal said, are restructuring their businesses, reducing their employees’ hours or trimming their total headcounts to fewer than 50 full-time workers to fall below Obamacare’s radar.
Additional reading:
Odd-Hour Workers Face Loss of Employer Health Plans
The Healthcare Dilemma: Foodservice operators struggle with new healthcare legislation.
Will Obamacare help or hurt your business?
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
