Word on Benefits

COVID-19 Creates Shift in Mental Health Benefits Over Past Two Years

Anne Patterson

24 Aug 202124 Aug 2021

In less than two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has created new mental health challenges or intensified existing issues for workers across the United States and Canada. Organizations are expanding and enhancing benefit offerings, according to a new report from the International Foundation, […]

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Returning to the Workplace? Don’t Lose Sight of Your People Leaders

Alyssa Hodder

19 Aug 202119 Aug 2021

As I wrote in my blog on empathetic leadership, one positive emerging from the pandemic is that it has refocused attention on human needs—from health and wellness, to financial security. Many employees have struggled psychologically and financially, and employers have responded. But […]

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Student Loan Assistance Benefits Extended Through 2025

Amanda Wilke

18 Aug 202118 Aug 2021

When the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted in March of 2020 allowing employers to make contributions of up to $5,250 toward their employees’ student loans on a tax-free basis, employers and employees alike were grateful for the […]

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Should You Consider Cyberinsurance for Your Organization?

Alyssa Hodder

16 Aug 202116 Aug 2021

Do you have the right level of protection against cyberattacks? Does your current insurance even cover them? What about cyberinsurance? If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. At our recent Fraud Prevention Institute, Katharine Hall, senior vice president and cyberpractice leader with […]

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Special Financial Assistance: Filing and Application Tips From PBGC Staff

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

12 Aug 202112 Aug 2021

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) and Treasury officials have delivered a new briefing on the special financial assistance (SFA) program for financially troubled multiemployer plans under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). During the briefing on July 22, 2021, […]

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Using Mental Health Apps as Part of Your Employee Wellness Strategy

Robbie Hartman, CEBS

10 Aug 202109 Aug 2021

Digital mental health tools have been growing in popularity, especially as plans and organizations navigate lockdowns and remote work arrangements that have kept employees apart during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these tools deliver mental health resources, programs and education through self-service […]

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Happy Anniversary, HIPAA

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

09 Aug 202105 Aug 2021

August 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The main goals of the law were improving the portability of health insurance coverage for people who change jobs, preventing health care fraud, assisting […]

Office Dress Code Post-Pandemic: 5 Tips for Employers

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Office Dress Codes Post-Pandemic: 5 Tips for Employers

Anne Patterson

05 Aug 202105 Aug 2021

The health and safety of all workers—whether on the front lines since the start of the pandemic, already back at the office or planning to return this fall—should continue to be the top priority for employers as we navigate the future of […]

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The Psychology of Benefits Fraud: Why We Lie to Ourselves

Alyssa Hodder

03 Aug 202104 Aug 2021

Have you ever told a white lie? Would you cheat on your taxes? What if you knew you wouldn’t get caught? A panel at our Fraud Prevention Institute—featuring David Asselstine, senior vice president and chief financial officer/chief risk officer with the Teachers’ […]

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DOL Guidance on Lost Retirement Plan Participants

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

28 Jul 202128 Jul 2021

The issue of what to do about lost or missing participants is a frustrating one for plan sponsors. These participants often have terminated participation in a plan because they took a new job. They may have even moved. Because these terminated participants […]