Word on Benefits

In Search of Benefits Wisdom, Colleagues and Crab Cakes

Chris Vogel, CEBS

03 Aug 2016

When I attended my first Employee Benefits Symposium in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2010—a reward for completing my Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation a few weeks earlier, my only duties were to attend the CEBS conferment ceremony and soak up education […]

Employee Benefits Paid Time Off (PTO) Regulatory

Paid Sick Leave—Mandated or Voluntary?

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

02 Aug 2016

Paid sick leave—In a majority of cases in the U.S., whether to offer this benefit is currently up to the employer. As debates over regionally or federally mandated paid leave intensify, a few cities, and some states, have enacted sick leave laws. […]

Canada Employee Benefits Mental Health

Strategies for Employers After Disaster Strikes

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

28 Jul 2016

When a disaster like the Fort McMurray wildfire hits, it’s important for employers to have planned not only for how to respond to the immediate disaster but also for its potential lasting impact on employees. “There’s a risk period. Just because someone […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employee Benefits Health Care

ACA Leads Employers to Look Closely at Plans

Justin Held, CEBS

25 Jul 201625 Jul 2016

Provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continue to drive health care cost increases for organizations. According to the International Foundation survey 2016 Employer-Sponsored Health Care: ACA’s Impact, respondents anticipate an average cost increase of 5.8% in the current year. These increased costs […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Communication Employee Benefits

How to Get Employees to Use Their Preventive Care

Staff

21 Jul 201609 Aug 2018

Preventive care is vital to keep your employees healthy. The more employees take advantage of available preventive care, the more cost-effective their care becomes. They stay healthy, you save on health care costs—It’s a win-win for employees and employers. You know that […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Opioid Abuse Prescription Drugs

Opioid Epidemic: 8 Ways Plan Sponsors Can Fight It

Chris Vogel, CEBS

19 Jul 201622 Sep 2020

In 2015, 38,300 people were killed on U.S. roads, up 8% from 2014, according to the National Safety Council. In 2014—the latest year for which statistics are available–47,055 Americans died of a drug overdose, including 18,893 deaths from prescription opioid painkillers and […]

Employee Benefits Wellness

Office Olympics: All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses a Stapler

Anne Patterson

14 Jul 201614 Jul 2016

Trash can basketball, desk-chair soccer, synchronized stapling, water cooler weightlifting . . . With Summer Olympic season upon us, a little friendly competition in the workplace can be healthy, especially when it comes to wellness activities. While Office Olympics might not be […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Communication Employee Benefits

ACA Communication—The Struggle Is Real

Justin Held, CEBS

11 Jul 201611 Jul 2016

Employers and employees alike are well aware of the complexities involved in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The results from our most recent survey show that about 40% of organizations rate their employees’ understanding as either poor or very […]

401(k) Plans Defined Contribution (DC) Plans Employee Benefits ERISA Regulatory Retirement

Ten DOL Fiduciary Rule Questions Answered

Julie Stich, CEBS

29 Jun 201629 Jun 2016

On April 6, after years of work, comments, hearings, discussions and more work, the U.S. Department of Labor released a final rule clarifying the term “fiduciary” as it relates to financial and investment advisers and spelling out when conflicts of interest arise […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employee Benefits Health Care

ACA Cost Increases Hitting Employee Wallets

Staff

27 Jun 201627 Jun 2016

Faced with rising costs due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers have made a number of changes to their health plans that directly impact their employees’ wallets. The International Foundation’s new report, 2016 Employer-Sponsored Health Care: ACA’s Impact, finds that about one-third of […]