Anne Patterson, Author at Word on Benefits

Putting #FamilyFirst with Employee Benefits

Anne Patterson

21 Mar 2016

The recent story of Chicago White Sox slugger Adam LaRoche walking away from a $13 million season contract after being told he had to limit the time his 14-year-old son, Drake, spent with the team (his father’s place of work), got us […]

Employee Benefits Financial Wellness Retirement

Cupid Aims for Retirement Security

Anne Patterson

12 Feb 201612 Feb 2016

This Valentine’s Day, light some candles, crank that Barry White and . . . discuss retirement security? Though it might not seem like the most romantic topic, getting your partner involved with retirement planning will help secure a financially happy future, for […]

Employee Benefits Paid Time Off (PTO) Vacation

Unlimited Vacation: Too Good to Be True?

Anne Patterson

09 Sep 201525 Jul 2016

You may remember the International Foundation’s “Benefits Madness” in March, where participants voted for top employee benefits in the form of a March Madness basketball bracket. Vacation time was one of the top benefits, making it to the championship round (health care […]

Employee Benefits Retirement

Feeling Tense? Blame the Stock Market

Anne Patterson

03 Sep 2015

As humans, we tend to like order. We like lists, we like symmetry, we like calm. So when volatility in the stock market brings chaos to that order, we react. There is a term for this reaction—behavioral finance—and about 40 years of […]

Employee Benefits

Domestic Partner Benefits After the Supreme Court Decision

Anne Patterson

09 Jul 201509 Jul 2015

The U.S. Supreme Court made a decision on June 26, 2015 that changed the course of same-sex marriages throughout the nation. States must now license same-sex marriages and cannot refuse to recognize those performed in other states. The International Foundation of Employee Benefit […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Canada Employee Benefits Health Care Wellness

The Search Is On

Anne Patterson

08 Jun 201508 Jun 2015

There are about 50 Google searches per SECOND. Out of the billions of searches per day, what do you think the most popular searches in 2014 were? The top ten included: The World Cup, ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, Flappy Bird (the hit […]

Human Resources (HR)

10 Ways Employers Are Prepared for the Worst

Anne Patterson

17 Mar 201517 Mar 2015

During my morning commute, I’m usually thinking about my to-do list for the day, how to avoid the next traffic jam or what to make for dinner that night. I’ve spent my drive time thinking about a lot of things, but never a […]

Education Employee Benefits Financial Education Health Care Human Resources (HR) Mental Health Vacation Wellness

Wellness Initiatives Give Companies Competitive Edge

Anne Patterson

17 Feb 201517 Feb 2015

As a new employee at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, one of the first things I noticed was a big, beautiful yard in front of my new building (blanketed with snow, of course, because we’re in Wisconsin). When I commented […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employee Benefits Health Care Regulatory

Will the Affordable Care Act See Its Shadow Again?

Anne Patterson

02 Feb 201517 Feb 2015

It’s February 2 . . . Groundhog Day. Every year I celebrate by watching the 1993 classic film with Bill Murray, sharing the main character Phil’s frustration as he finds himself in a time loop, repeating the same day again and again. This […]