Word on Benefits

Employer Coverage of GLP-1 Drugs on the Rise

Cara McMullin

13 Jun 202413 Jun 2024

New Survey Data Reveals Total Reported Annual Claim Representation for GLP-1 Drugs for Weight Loss Has Increased to Almost Nine Percent A new survey report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans reveals updated U.S. employer coverage surrounding glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) […]

Compliance DOL Legislative U.S.

What to Know Before the Overtime Final Rule Takes Effect July 1

Amanda Wilke

11 Jun 202411 Jun 2024

After much anticipation, on April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released its overtime final rule, updating the salary threshold for overtime exemptions for executive, administrative and professional (EAP) employees and highly compensated employees (HCEs). The rule is slated to […]

Employee Benefits Employee Benefits Survey Paid Time Off (PTO) U.S. Vacation Work Life Balance

Hot Paid Time Off Trends for the Summer

Anne Patterson

05 Jun 202405 Jun 2024

As the school year draws to a close and temps heat up, folks across the country are starting to plan for summer fun! Whether you’re getting another passport stamp, sticking around for a staycation or taking a Friday afternoon off for a […]

Benefits Magazine Communication Employee Benefits ERISA Multiemployer Retirement U.S.

Best Practices for Multiemployer Retirement Plan Death Audits

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

29 May 202429 May 2024

Fiduciaries have many responsibilities that stem from the duties of care, loyalty and prudence, including ensuring the correct benefits are paid to the correct participants and beneficiaries of the plan. Benefits Magazine authors Lisa L. Kaiser, CEBS, and Carey R. Wooton, CEBS, explain […]

Employee Benefits Legislative Regulatory Talking Benefits Podcast

It’s a Busy Time in Washington: What Plan Sponsors Should Care About

Anne Patterson

23 May 202423 May 2024

It’s been a busy time in Washington, D.C., with an array of regulatory releases since mid-March. Adding to the attention this space has already been drawing, the latest Talking Benefits podcast episode provides a run-down of what’s been happening so plan sponsors […]

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Seeing the Value of Vision Benefits

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

21 May 202421 May 2024

May is Healthy Vision Month, which makes it a spectacular time to review vision benefit offerings and communicate to employees and plan participants the importance of eye care. According to the 2022 Employee Benefits Survey, more than half (62%) of U.S. employers […]

Canada Employee Benefits Mental Health U.S. Wellness Work Life Balance

Wake-Up Call: The Impact of Sleep Deprivation

Rebecca Plier

16 May 202417 May 2024

There is no denying that sleep is incredibly important. After all, we spend a third of our lives asleep! Despite the considerable role sleep plays in our lives, many of us often feel tired and lethargic, and we have difficulty falling to […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Prescription Drugs Wellness

Employer’s Role in the Obesity Epidemic

Amanda Wilke

14 May 202421 May 2024

The latest theme to hit employer-provided benefits is GLP-1 drug coverage and the costs to treat obesity while reducing other health risks. To properly respond to the obesity epidemic, employers must understand obesity, weight bias and stigma, and the effect obesity has […]

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Generative AI and Security Implications in the Workplace

Anne Newhouse

09 May 202409 May 2024

Although artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been used for years to create algorithms, identify patterns and automate processes, certain AI-powered tools are newer and still evolving. One such tool is generative AI. Along with other AI tools, generative AI is gaining use […]

DOL Employee Benefits FMLA Legislative Paid Leave Parental Leave Regulatory U.S.

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: An Update

Anne Patterson

08 May 202408 May 2024

Back in July of 2023, I wrote a blog on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and what plan sponsors needed to know at that time. I was pregnant while writing that first blog and curious not only how the law would impact […]