Word on Benefits

Does Your Paid Leave Policy Deter Midcareer Hires?

Teri Dougherty, CEBS

12 Oct 2017

She is starting over. She brings a proven record, enthusiasm and a couple decades of experience. Her competition is likely a new graduate or perhaps someone with a couple years of experience who has not yet accrued weeks of paid vacation. Your first-choice […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employee Benefits Voluntary Benefits

Voluntary Benefits Becoming Mandatory to Attract and Retain

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

11 Oct 201711 Oct 2017

Pet insurance, vision insurance, identity theft insurance. A growing number of employers are offering these and other types of voluntary benefits as they look for ways to recruit and retain employees and improve worker well-being. Leigh Stepan, CEBS, principal of Leigh Stepan […]

Employee Benefits Mental Health

Mental Health Support in the Workplace: Employers Respond

Anne Patterson

10 Oct 201723 May 2018

World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10th every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness on mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. The Day is a reminder that organizations throughout the […]

Employee Benefits Financial Education Financial Wellness Retirement

Using Behavioral Economics to Participants’ Advantage

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

05 Oct 2017

What stops us from making good financial decisions? In a recent International Foundation member webcast, Using Behavioral Tools to Drive Better Decision Making, James V. Bracchitta, CEBS, a labor trustee on the Screen Actors Guild Producers Pension & Health Plan, shared ideas […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Opioid Abuse Prescription Drugs

Employers Feel the Impact of the Opioid Epidemic

Staff

03 Oct 2017

91 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose. It’s a growing epidemic that no one can ignore—including employers. Of individuals misusing pain relievers, about two-thirds are currently employed, making opioid abuse a problem in workplaces all across the country. An International […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Human Resources (HR) Paid Leave Paid Time Off (PTO)

That’s Not a Sick Day! Or Is It?

Teri Dougherty, CEBS

29 Sep 2017

Are you sick? Well, that may depend on your organization’s definition of a paid “sick” day. According to the International Foundation Paid Leave in the Workplace: 2017 Results, reasons for sick days by corporate and public employers in the United States may be expanding. […]

Communication Employee Benefits Multiemployer

Instant Benefit Communication Challenge—Just Add Change

Anne Newhouse, CEBS

26 Sep 201726 Sep 2017

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” —Maya Angelou “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” —Alphonse Karr “Change is inevitable. Change is constant.” —Benjamin Disraeli Not many people get excited […]

Employee Benefits Multiemployer

Multiemployer Plans Filling Gaps With Professional Trustees

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

20 Sep 2017

In my research for International Foundation member requests, I noticed an uptick in questions about professional trustees and their fiduciary roles. Here’s an overview of a professional trustee’s role on a multiemployer plan board of trustees. Definition A professional trustee is a […]

Communication Employee Benefits Health Care

Take the Surprise Out of Emergency Medical Bills

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

15 Sep 2017

When an emergency medical situation occurs, whether it’s a playground mishap, a car accident or a life-threatening health care crisis, the first priority for patients and their loved ones is getting care and getting it quickly. They may not think about whether the […]

Employee Benefits Paid Leave Paid Time Off (PTO)

Leave Donation—Helping Workers Support Each Other

Staff

12 Sep 2017

In the event of an emergency, an employee’s paid time off can run out quickly. A leave donation program allows employees to donate their paid leave time to a colleague who is dealing with a catastrophic illness or personal emergency, allowing the […]