Nearly 65 percent of respondents to a recent HRHero survey on health insurance benefits said they expect their health insurance costs to rise because of health care reform. Half of respondents said they were not sure if their organizations would eliminate health care plans in 2014, when it may be easier for workers to get coverage in the individual market.

One of the biggest unknowns for many employers is how health insurance costs will affect their businesses each year. The 2012 HRHero Health Insurance Benefits Survey showed that most employers are certain about one thing – that the uncertainty will continue.

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Each year, HRHero surveys its readers about their HR departments and what has changed in the last year. This year, 820 people took the online survey. The following are highlights of the results.

• 37% of respondents have been in HR for six to 15 years. 28% have been in HR for 16 to 25 years.
• More than 70% of respondents are full-time HR employees and 85% are classified as exempt employees.
• 37% of respondents said they have an annual salary of $71,000 to $110,000. 29% said they have an annual salary of $51,000 to $70,000.
• 53% reported that they typically work 40 to 50 hours per week.
• 55% said the head of HR at their organization reports to either the CEO,  president, or executive director.
• 41% reported that HR has an influential seat in the inner circle of strategic planning at their organization.
• 28% said they have an HR department of one person, while 31% reported there are two to three people in their HR department.

Read the survey results

Human resources and employment law information — like everything else — is available in multiple formats from multiple sources. So whom do HR pros trust to help them stay current on human resources and employment law issues and in what format? Each year we ask our  readers to tell us about their favorite sources to turn to. Here are some of the results:

• Respondents use new technologies but still enjoy the person-to-person interaction of networking and live training. Live seminars, networking, online resources, SHRM or other HR meetings, websites, and webinars are the formats many respondents use.
• Topics respondents trained on most last year include the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), benefits, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and new state or federal legislation or regulations.
• Online resources respondents recommend for staying current in HR include SHRM, government agencies, and websites like HRHero and BLR.com.

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