Word on Benefits

Put a Ring On It or Lose Domestic Partner Benefits

Staff

01 Aug 201709 Aug 2018

Following the Supreme Court’s landmark 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage, a growing number of employers are requiring same-sex couples to marry to receive health care benefits. For many employers, domestic partner benefits were a way to provide equal coverage to employees […]

401(k) Plans Employee Benefits Retirement

Top 5 Tips for 401(k) Loan Program Design

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

26 Jul 201728 Jul 2017

Considering loan options for your 401(k) plan but concerned about the potential consequences? Here are five plan design ideas for plan sponsors who want to allow employees to borrow against 401(k) accounts and, at the same time, ensure the loan is repaid […]

Apprenticeship Programs Communication Employee Benefits

Put It In Writing—Apprenticeship Fund Policies

Justin Held, CEBS

25 Jul 2017

Administering an apprenticeship fund can be complex, requiring funds to follow not only good educational administration practices but also good business practices. A chapter in the soon-to-be-released Trustee Handbook: A Guide to Labor-Management Employee Benefit Plans, Eighth Edition, published by the International […]

Disability Benefits Employee Benefits Health Care Insurance

Disability Benefits: An Overlooked Piece of the Employee Benefits Package

Staff

20 Jul 201712 Mar 2018

When weighing the employee benefits package of a new job, candidates definitely consider the health care benefits, probably read over the retirement plan and will no doubt investigate the number of vacation days—But few new hires take time to consider the disability […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employee Benefits Prescription Drugs

Generic Drugs Coming to a Store Near You, Faster

Guest Contributor

19 Jul 2017

Do you wish that you could once again play softball without worrying about the rising costs of patent-protected prescription drugs? Are you struggling to walk up the stairs without having the weight of drug payments on your shoulders? Well, the Supreme Court […]

Employee Benefits Regulatory Wellness

Tracking EEOC Rules for Wearables in Wellness Programs

Teri Dougherty, CEBS

18 Jul 201723 May 2018

As wearable fitness trackers are gaining traction, the new Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) rules are asking employers to slow down to make sure that the information being collected through wearables for workplace wellness programs is being used for legal purposes. Wearable […]

Employee Benefits Paid Time Off (PTO) Vacation

Unlimited Paid Time Off—Who Benefits?

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

14 Jul 201718 Jul 2019

It’s summer vacation season. Employees who may spend the rest of the year squirreling away their vacation time are finally getting out of the office to go on a European adventure or take a long-awaited family trek to a theme park. What […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Apprenticeship Programs Employee Benefits Health Care Regulatory Retirement Talking Benefits Podcast

Talking Benefits Episode 7: Hot News in the Summertime

Staff

13 Jul 201706 Sep 2017

Summertime. Typically a little quieter at work as vacations commence and a lot quieter in Washington, D.C. Not so much this summer. There is plenty to talk about in this month’s Talking Benefits Podcast. Chill out with a new episode, packed full […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employee Benefits Health Care Mental Health Regulatory Wellness

ACA Ch–Ch–Ch–Changes: 71% of Employers Don’t Want Repeal

Anne Patterson

11 Jul 2017

David Bowie’s song “Changes” comes to mind as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) replacement morphed into the American Health Care Act and now the Better Care Reconciliation Act. Access to health care could be changing, and employers are reacting to possible workplace […]

Employee Benefits Wellness

55 Wellness Initiatives for Your Workplace

Staff

06 Jul 201706 Jul 2017

Workplace wellness programs have come a long way. From their humble beginnings with a heavy focus on fitness and nutrition, they have expanded to encompass initiatives that contribute to an employee’s overall well-being. An International Foundation survey released last month, Workplace Wellness […]