Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS, Author at Word on Benefits

PBGC Releases Special Financial Assistance Final Rule

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

08 Jul 202210 Nov 2022

Changes to the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Program announced Wednesday by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) will improve the ability of underfunded multiemployer defined benefit (DB) pension plans to pay benefits to their participants, PBGC and Department of Labor officials say. […]

Communication Employee Benefits U.S. Voluntary Benefits Wellness Work Life Balance

Pet-Friendly Workplaces: A Paw-fect Employee Retention Tool

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

23 Jun 202223 Jun 2022

Offering pet-related perks has been touted as one strategy for employers trying to get a leg up (or a paw up!) when competing for employees. In honor of Take Your Dog to Work day on June 24, here’s a roundup of pet-related […]

Communication Employee Benefits U.S. Wellness

Ten Ways to Go Green With Your Employee Benefits

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

21 Apr 202221 Apr 2022

With Earth Day approaching on Friday, April 22, it’s the perfect time for employers to consider how to incorporate sustainability into their employee benefits. I recently talked to a couple of experts who explained that in addition to having a positive impact […]

Cybersecurity Education Employee Benefits Financial Education Financial Wellness Fraud Multiemployer U.S.

Trustee Tools for Monitoring and Preventing Fraud

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

13 Apr 202221 Apr 2022

Fraud occurs in all types of multiemployer benefit plans, and trustees have a responsibility to prevent and detect fraud as a part of their duty of oversight. In their article “Three Essential Tools for Monitoring and Preventing Fraud” in the March/April issue […]

Education Employee Benefits Financial Education Financial Wellness Health Care Insurance U.S.

Evaluating Gene Therapy Financing Programs

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

29 Mar 202229 Mar 2022

Gene therapies for rare health conditions have the potential to vastly improve or even save a health plan participant’s life, but they often come with a high price tag, sometimes extending into the millions of dollars. In one example, a treatment for […]

Behavioral Decision Making Communication Employee Benefits Mental Health U.S. Work Life Balance

Springing Forward at Work

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

10 Mar 202226 Apr 2022

Regardless of their views on the necessity of daylight saving time—which starts Sunday for many in the United States and Canada—employers should pay attention to how springing forward (and falling back) affects their workers, experts say. Setting the clock an hour ahead […]

Diversity and Inclusion Education Employee Benefits Financial Education Financial Wellness Health Care Insurance U.S.

What Health Plan Sponsors Should Know About Social Determinants of Health

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

20 Jan 202220 Jan 2022

The events of the last two years, including the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest, have increased awareness of the impact certain social determinants can have on people’s health. In their article, “Benefit Plan Design: Focusing on Social Determinants of Health” in the […]

Communication Employee Benefits Health Care Insurance U.S.

Telehealth: Lessons From the Pandemic

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

13 Jan 202213 Jan 2022

With the Omicron variant causing a spike in COVID-19 cases across the country, access to telehealth visits is likely a benefit that many plan members are continuing to value and use. Nearly two years into a sort of forced experiment with telehealth, […]

Behavioral Decision Making Communication Employee Benefits Mental Health U.S. Wellness

Addressing Traumatic Brain Injuries at Work

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

16 Dec 202116 Dec 2021

Awareness surrounding traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has grown over the last decade as we’ve heard stories of high-profile football players and military veterans whose lives were either cut short or forever changed by these conditions. But other […]

Apprenticeship Programs Communication Diversity and Inclusion Employee Benefits Voluntary Benefits

Building a Positive Jobsite Culture

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

30 Nov 202130 Nov 2021

Some people think that having to “pay your dues,” perhaps by enduring a certain amount of hazing, harassment or unprofessional behavior from co-workers is a necessary part of learning a new job. That’s an outdated attitude that won’t—and shouldn’t—fly with many workers, […]