A new survey found that small business owners are struggling to provide health insurance for their staffs and don’t feel confident in determining the type of insurance that best fits employees’ needs. The survey, conducted by the Iowa Insurance Division and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, found that 64 percent of small business owners didn’t feel confident in picking a policy that fits their budgets and their employees’ needs, while 33 percent said they couldn’t afford to provide insurance. The finding, the groups say, highlights the need for more insurance education.

Deere & Co. and the United Auto Workers have begun work on a new master agreement covering approximately 9,500 represented employees at 15 John Deere facilities. The current agreement expires at midnight Sept. 30. “We look forward to mutually beneficial discussions and a successful completion of the collective bargaining process,” said Ken Huhn, Deere & Co. vice president of labor relations, in a press release.

About 46,000 Maytag Corp. refrigerators will be recalled due to a fire hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Tuesday. The recall expands upon a 1.6 million-unit recall in March 2009. An electrical failure in a component that turns on the refrigerator’s compressor can cause overheating and a serious fire hazard. Maytag, formerly based in Newton, is now part of Whirlpool Corp. See which brands are being recalled.



Ken Dubus, managing director for Principal Real Estate Investors, received the Patriotic Employer award for his support of an employee who serves in the National Guard and Reserve. The award was presented by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, an agency in the Department of Defense that seeks to increase employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding support.

The U.S. Postal Service could save up to $500 million next year if employees accept cash incentives to retire or resign by the end of this fiscal year, the Washington Business Journal reported. The package would give eligible employees $10,000 during the first fiscal quarter of 2010 and another $5,000 during the first fiscal quarter of 2011. About 30,000 employees are eligible for the incentive package.