Word on Benefits

Human Resources (HR) Paid Time Off (PTO)

Time Off for Voting—Yea or Nay?

Chris Vogel, CEBS

18 Oct 201609 Aug 2018

Does everyone in your workforce have enough time to vote—enough non-work hours while the polls are open—on November 8? If you’re in doubt, you may want to check what your state laws say, if anything, about time off for voting. The federal […]

Financial Education Financial Wellness

When Financial Distress Shows Up at Work

Pat Bonner, Ph.D., CEBS

13 Oct 201609 Nov 2017

Working for another organization many years ago, I shared a cubicle wall with a colleague who frequently got phone calls from creditors about late payments. I couldn’t help overhearing him negotiating payments. Given talk about money in the workplace was pretty much […]

Employee Benefits Human Resources (HR) Wellness

Wild and Not-So-Crazy Predictions About the Future of Work

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

12 Oct 201609 Aug 2018

Will insurance drones fly around and monitor our physical activity, and will Big Brother health plans tell when we’re depressed by monitoring our iPhone activity? Will employers use office space as rental housing for employees? Well, maybe. How about worker teams that […]

Employee Benefits Health Care

5 Cost-Control Secrets for Health Plan Contracts

Anne Patterson

04 Oct 201613 Jan 2017

When looking at total benefit dollars spent, how do fees paid to vendors serving your health benefit plan stack up? These fees probably represent a significant portion of your budget, so understanding how fees are calculated and the value they provide to […]

Communication Employee Benefits Financial Education Financial Wellness Retirement

Retirement Planning Testimonials Beat Eye-Popping Data

Pat Bonner, Ph.D., CEBS

29 Sep 201609 Nov 2017

One of the challenges of being in the benefits field is persuading people to take action. We want them to participate in an annual health risk assessment, exercise, get their children vaccinated, save for retirement . . . the list goes on […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Compliance Health Care Regulatory

Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Rules Notices Required SOON

Lois Gleason, CEBS

20 Sep 201606 Jul 2020

As tree leaves start to turn colors in October here in the Midwest at the International Foundation headquarters, our minds are turning to other changes in the air for some employers, administrators, health providers and health insurance providers nationwide. Section 1557 of […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Compliance DOL Employee Benefits ERISA Health Care

DOL Wants to Hear From You! Share Your Thoughts on Form 5500, Now!

Julie Stich, CEBS

16 Sep 201621 Sep 2016

Note: The DOL announced on September 20, 2016, that the deadline for submitting comments has been extended to December 5, 2016. Last week I had the opportunity, along with a few Foundation members, to meet with Ian Dingwall, Chief Accountant for the […]

Employee Benefits Flexible Work Options Human Resources (HR)

Status Quo a No-Go for the Future Workforce

Julie Stich, CEBS

09 Sep 201621 Feb 2017

Gaps in knowledge and declining job skills. Challenges hiring and keeping key talent. Older workers delaying retirement because of income insecurity. These are just a sampling of future workforce challenges, according to business and academic leaders who gathered for the International Foundation […]

Employee Benefits Financial Education Financial Wellness

Financial Education Lessons from the NFL Playbook

Anne Patterson

07 Sep 2016

Regular football season is upon us and here’s what I’m thinking about: How my fantasy picks are looking for the week, where and with whom I will watch my favorite team play (the Green Bay Packers), the green and gold combination outfit […]

Canada Employee Benefits Health Care Wellness

Does Workplace Wellness = Healthier Employees?

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

02 Sep 201605 Feb 2020

Do employees who participate in workplace wellness programs actually become healthier? That’s one of the important questions researchers in Canada have been looking at, along with what kind of return on investment employers can expect from a workplace wellness program. Preliminary results […]