Despite Dr. King’s focus on non-violence in all his pursuits, tragically on the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.

Though Dr. King was born on January 15th, MLK Day is held on the third Monday in January each year.  It was President Ronald Regan who signed the law in 1983 that made Dr. King’s birthday a national holiday. However it wasn’t first observed as a holiday until 1986.

Many states were reluctant to accept MLK Day and even those who voted in the designation of the holiday didn’t like the fact that it was a national holiday for a private citizen.  Many states observed the holiday only under different designations, such as Civil Rights Day, and sometimes in connection with other holidays. However, by 2000, all 50 U.S. states recognized MLK Day as a holiday.

Although today both a federal and state holiday in all 50 states, MLK Day is not observed as a paid holiday by a majority of private employers. Benefit surveys report that between 27-38% of U.S. private employers observe the day as a paid holiday. However, most companies not observing this holiday typically allow employees to use either vacation, PTO or an unpaid personal leave day if they are requesting this date as time off.

No matter what you’re doing on January 21st this year, and no matter what race, color or creed you are, please take a few moments to consider the achievements of a man who tirelessly protested to end racial discrimination in  federal and state law and helped improve our society.

The exchanges are online supermarkets where people can shop for private health insurance and obtain federal subsidies to
help defray the cost. The concept of an exchange is simple: Competition will drive down prices. But operating an exchange is an immense technical challenge requiring sophisticated information technology to digest and display huge amounts of data on the costs and benefits of various insurance plans.

It has been estimated by the Congressional Budget Office that 25 million people will eventually receive coverage through
the exchanges.

States can choose to enter into partnership exchanges with the federal government, in which states conduct plan management and/or consumer assistance functions. The deadline for states to apply to be in partnership exchanges is Feb. 15, 2013.

The deadline for filing “blueprint” applications to operate state-based exchanges (SBEs) was Dec. 14. Blueprint applications for SBEs were filed by California, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Utah, Sebelius said. HHS is to act on the applications by Jan. 1, 2013.

In addition to the applications for SBEs, HHS gave conditional approval the week of Dec. 10 to Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, Oregon, and Washington to create state-based exchange. Conditional approval means HHS has found that the eight states and the District of Columbia have made enough progress in setting up their own exchanges for individuals and small group plans that they are likely to be ready to take applications when
open enrollment begins Oct. 1, 2013. Plans sold in the online markets will take effect in 2014.

Under the ACA, HHS will operate federally facilitated exchanges (FFEs) in states that do not set up their own SBEs or enter into state partnership exchanges (SPEs). On Nov. 20, the administration released proposed rules regarding essential health benefits and health insurance markets. On Nov. 30, it released a proposed rule on payment parameters for risk adjustment programs.

Many states, especially those led by Republicans, have balked at creating exchanges to implement the controversial health care reform law. There are 32 states that have chosen to not establish state-based health insurance exchange markets.

The number of states likely to operate SPEs or have FFEs is not yet clear. On its exchange progress map, as of Dec. 17, health care consulting firm Avalere Health LLC estimated that 12 states would be likely to form SPEs: New Hampshire, New Jersey, Delaware, North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa, Arkansas, and South Dakota.

Twenty states are likely to have FFEs, according to Avalere: Maine, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, and Alaska.

Avalere estimated that 18 states and the District of Columbia would be likely to have SBEs. Avalere included Utah, which already has an exchange, as likely to operate a SBE. Utah has asked HHS to approve its exchange as an SBE.

On its map “where states stand so far” on exchanges, dated Dec. 17, the National Academy for State Health Policy’s “State Refor(u)m” health reform project lists 18 states and the district having declared their intent to establish an SBE, seven states that are considering or have declared partnerships, and 25 states that have rejected state-run exchanges.

NASHP lists Delaware, North Carolina, West Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Arkansas, and Iowa as likely partnership states. States rejecting state-operated exchanges are Maine, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, and Alaska, it said.  01.04.2013

Individual U.S. states can establish their own minimum wage rates that are either equal to or higher than the federal minimum wage.  The federal minimum wage has not increased since it was raised to $7.25 an hour in July 2009.

The minimum wages increases were not uniform across all states providing them.  Missouri’s minimum wage rose from the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour by just 10 cents to $7.35 an hour.  In most states, the increase was 14 or 15 cents.  Rhode Island’s minimum wage rose by 35 cents, more than double any other increase.

In a number of states, such as Washington, minimum wage increases are tied to the Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and clerical workers. Washington’s minimum wage, already the highest among states, jumped from $9.04 to $9.19 an hour.   01.04.2013

Take care this winter and prepare some extra time in getting safely to your destination.

With the expiration of the temporary 2 percent payroll tax cut on December 31, the employee share of the Social Security tax will increase from 4.2 percent to 6.2 percent. Social Security is financed by a 12.4 percent tax on wages up to $113,700, with employers paying half and workers paying the other half.  01.03.2013

Unfortunately, the decline in the unemployment rate has more to do with the fact that 350,000 Americans stopped looking for work in November.  Also, Friday’s report said that the job growth in September and October was less than originally reported — 49,000 fewer jobs were created in those months combined. Last month’s jobs report suggested that the economy had added 148,000 jobs in September and 171,000 jobs in October. That’s now been revised downward to 132,000 and 138,000, respectively.

Since July, the economy has added an average of 158,000 jobs a month, a decent increase from  the 146,000 monthly average in the first six months of the year. Retailers added 53,000 jobs while temporary help companies added 18,000 and education and health care also gained 18,000.

Auto manufacturers added nearly 10,000 jobs. On the other hand, overall manufacturing jobs fell by 7,000.  This was down because of the loss of 12,000 jobs in food manufacturing that is weighted by the layoff of workers at Hostess.

Still, overall manufacturing jobs fell 7,000. That was pushed down by a loss of 12,000 jobs in food manufacturing that likely reflects the layoff of workers at Hostess.

The U.S. grew at a solid 2.7 percent annual rate in the July-September quarter. But many economists say growth is slowing to a 1.5 percent rate in the October-December quarter, largely because of Hurricane Sandy and threat of the fiscal cliff. That’s not
enough growth to lower the unemployment rate. The recession is five years old this month, and the U.S. has only recovered half of the 8 million jobs lost during the recession. At the pace of growth of the past three months, it will take two and a half more years simply to get back to pre-recession employment.  12.07.2012

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Following two straight years in which Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 fell on the weekend (Sundays in 2011-2012 and Saturdays in 2010-2011), this year’s calendar will yield an extra paid day off for many U.S. workers. Almost three-fifths of surveyed employers have scheduled at least three paid days off for the 2012-2013 holiday season, compared with about two out of five establishments responding for the 2011-2012 and 2010-2011 surveys. The survey also suggests some recovery in holiday gifts, bonuses, and
party-giving from levels observed around the end of the recession.

The survey, based on responses from 628 human resources professionals and executives representing a broad cross-section of U.S. employers, revealed the following:

Nearly six in 10 surveyed employers (58 percent) have scheduled at least three paid days off for the 2012-2013
holiday season, up from 42 percent a year ago and 36 percent in 2010-2011, when the national holidays fell on the weekend.
Despite this year’s favorable calendar, roughly two in five establishments will award no more than an extra half-day with pay. Only a small minority of firms (5 percent) reported fewer than two paid year-end holidays.

A long Christmas weekend is on tap for many U.S. workers this year, as 51 percent of responding employers have slated Monday, Dec. 24, as a paid day off.

Some workers will have to postpone their holiday dinners and gatherings, as nearly four out of 10 surveyed establishments will require at least a few employees to work Dec. 25, Jan. 1, or both. Christmas work shifts have been scheduled by 34 percent of the employers, while a few more (38 percent) will have workers on duty for New Year’s Day.

Employees who work on the national holidays typically get something extra in their paychecks, leave balances, or both. Among those requiring holiday work in 2012-2013, well over half will award extra pay to those who toil either
Christmas or New Year’s Day. Forty-nine percent will pay time-and-one-half or double time, and 8 percent plan to give holiday workers a combination of additional pay and compensatory time off.

Holiday gifts and bonuses have seen some resurgence in the past several years. Forty-five percent of surveyed organizations will distribute gifts or bonuses to some or all employees in 2012-2013, virtually unchanged from a year ago (46
percent) but well above the record low of 33 percent in 2009, when the recession came to its official close. Management and non-management are equally likely to receive holiday cash or gifts from employers, and money still trumps merchandise as a year-end expression of company gratitude.

Gifts from clients and business associates are restricted or prohibited by the vast majority of U.S. employers. More than three out of four responding organizations (77 percent) impose formal rules on gift acceptance, including 25 percent that ban gifts entirely.

Holiday celebrations are on the slate at roughly three out of four surveyed organizations (74 percent), somewhat improved from 2009, when just 67 percent sponsored any late-year festivities. Companywide events are planned by more than half of the responding employers (55 percent), virtually unchanged from a year ago (56 percent) and up a bit from 2009 (50 percent).

Most employers will pay the entire cost of their companywide parties. Among employers sponsoring events for the entire workforce, 86 percent will foot the entire bill. Just a few companies (4 percent) will contribute a set amount and ask employees to pick up the rest. Nearly seven in 10 companywide parties (68 percent) will be held away from the worksite, and alcohol will be served at nearly two out of three events (63 percent).

Charitable activities around the holidays will be sponsored by more than three-fifths of surveyed employers (63
percent), most of which will participate in multiple programs and activities. Toy collections and food drives remain the
most common philanthropic endeavors.