Word on Benefits

Planning a Vacation This Year? Don’t Bank on It.

Alyssa Hodder

26 Oct 202126 Oct 2021

Blue skies, sunshine and white sandy beaches . . . It’s what you dream about to get through the long, cold winter. But if you had any travel plans in 2020 (or even 2021), chances are they were cancelled. COVID-19 has clearly […]

Employee Benefits Employee Benefits Survey Voluntary Benefits

The Secret Benefits Sauce for Engaged, Productive Employees

Justin Held, CEBS

21 Oct 202111 May 2022

While traditional benefits such as retirement plans and health insurance are an important part of most employers’ benefit packages, the perceived value of supplementary offerings such as leave, and work-life benefits may make a notable difference when it comes to worker engagement […]

Employee Benefits Paid Leave Parental Leave

Designing an Inclusive Paid Parental Leave Program

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

19 Oct 202119 Oct 2021

Employers are increasingly sensitive to the need to create a more inclusive workplace culture. Could paid parental leave programs be one way to help meet that goal? In her article “Rethinking Paid Parental Leave” in the October issue of Benefits Magazine, author […]

Disability Benefits Employee Benefits Employee Benefits Survey U.S. Voluntary Benefits

9 in 10 Employers Offer Voluntary Benefits: Here Are The Most Common

Justin Held, CEBS

11 Oct 202111 Oct 2021

Employers have long included voluntary benefits as part of their ancillary benefit packages. Voluntary benefits are administered by the employer and paid for by the workers, who in turn receive group rates or discounted services. An effective voluntary benefit plan can serve […]

Employee Benefits Mental Health Talking Benefits Podcast

Why Caregivers Are Likely Your Best Employees

Anne Patterson

07 Oct 202111 Oct 2021

Each year, during the first week of October, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and participants across the country raise awareness of mental illness, fight discrimination and provide support through Mental Illness Awareness Week. As our loyal Talking Benefits podcast listeners […]

Canada Coronavirus (COVID-19) Employee Benefits

Is Your Organization Ready to Return to the Workplace? Ask Yourself These Three Questions.

Alyssa Hodder

05 Oct 202105 Oct 2021

Many Canadian employers are starting to implement their return-to-the-workplace plans this fall. But with rising COVID cases and the added stress of the COVID variants, the transition is becoming more challenging. For example, Ontario has implemented a vaccine certification mandate, meaning that […]

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Defined Benefit (DB) Plans Employee Benefits Multiemployer PBGC Pensions U.S.

PBGC Improves Multiemployer Outlook Due to ARPA

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

28 Sep 202122 Oct 2021

On September 20, 2021, PBGC released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Projections Report and a Five-Year Multiemployer Program Report. The reports show a substantial improvement in the outlook for PBGC’s Multiemployer Insurance Program due to the enactment of ARPA. The analysis of […]

Compliance Diversity and Inclusion Employee Benefits Health Care U.S.

Updated: Section 1557 Employer-Sponsored Group Health Plans

Amanda Wilke

27 Sep 202127 Sep 2021

Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been surrounded by controversy for years. Our previous blog, Section 1557 and the SCOTUS Decision—Implications for Employer-Sponsored Group Health Plans, addressed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 2020 final rule […]

Canada Employee Benefits

The Election’s Over, So Now What? Impact on Canadian Employers and Plan Sponsors

Alyssa Hodder

23 Sep 202123 Sep 2021

After a hotly contested snap election, Canadians once again elected a Liberal minority government. Here’s a quick summary of some of the key elements of the Liberals’ platform that may impact employers and plan sponsors going forward: Labour/Employment Pledging to restore the […]

Compliance Employee Benefits Health Care U.S.

Questions From Plan Sponsors on the No Surprises Act and Transparency in Coverage

Anne Newhouse

21 Sep 202120 Sep 2021

On November 12, 2020, Congress and the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury (the Departments) issued a final rule for Transparency in Coverage (TiC) aimed at group health plans with the purpose of encouraging transparency in health care costs. […]