Employee Benefits Report – March 2025
Is Your Company’s Unused PTO Liability Putting You at Risk?
Nearly half of employees don’t use all their paid time off (PTO). This trend signals problems for both workers and employers. Here’s what HR needs to know— and do—about unused vacation time. Read on for details.
The Smart Employer’s Guide to Combating Rising Healthcare Costs in 2025
While no one knows what 2025 will bring from an economic point of view and there are several factors that are beyond the control of organizations, they can implement various strategies to man- age a major expense, namely healthcare.
Read on for details.
Wages Set to Reflect 2024 Levels as Labor Market Pressures Ease
Compensation budgets are holding steady for 2025, even as concerns over talent attraction and retention ease. Employers plan to allocate similar salary increases as in 2024, according to expert projections. Read on for details.
Employers Face Third Year of Double-Digit Healthcare Increases
Global employers are bracing for another year of substantial healthcare cost increases, marking the third consecutive year of double-digit growth, according to new industry data. The trend shows no signs of slowing, creating mounting pressure for organizations to develop strategic responses to these escalating expenses. Read on for details.
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – Spring 2025
What’s New for Medicare in 2025?
In 2025 several important changes and updates are being introduced to the Medicare program that will impact beneficiaries, providers, and insurers. These updates aim to address ongoing healthcare challenges, improve access to essential services, and make healthcare more affordable for older adults and those with disabilities. Read on for details.
5 Ways to Tell If You’re on Track for Retirement — and 5 Things to Do if You Need to Catch Up
Retirement planning is a vital part of financial wellness, but how do you know if you’re on track? Here are five ways to assess your progress, followed by five expert-recommended strategies to catch up if you’re falling behind.Read on for details.
Why Life Insurance is a Must-Have for Homeowners
Owning a home is one of the largest financial commitments many individuals or families will ever make. Regardless of whether the household consists of young children, couples, or single occupants, life insurance is a crucial financial tool for protecting this investment and providing peace of mind. Read on for details.
The Digital Shift in Healthcare: Embracing Telehealth and Virtual Care
The healthcare industry is undergoing a significant transformation as more services transition to digital platforms, prioritizing telehealth and virtual care. This shift is driven by advancements in technology, the need for accessible care, and the convenience it provides for both patients and providers. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – January 2025
Time to Rethink Existing Benefit Strategies
American workers continue to report alarmingly low levels of overall well-being, according to the latest research. Just one-third say they are doing well when their physical health, mental health, and financial stability are taken into account. Read on for details.
Does Your Wellness Program Needs an Inclusion Check-Up?
Wellness programs aim to improve employee health and well-being. But many miss the mark on inclusivity, potentially doing more harm than good by alienating swaths of the workforce. Read on for details.
Closing the Financial Inclusion Gap: How Employers Can Help
There is growing bipartisan support for the concept of financial inclusion—ensuring all people in the U.S. have access to basic wealth-building tools like retirement accounts. Read on for details.
Don’t Leave Pet Parents in the Doghouse
There’s a new family dynamic that employers need to consider: pets. With pet ownership at an all-time high, companies that don’t support pet parents risk losing talent. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – December 2024
New Data Shows Workplace Burnout for 75% of Female Employees
A growing mental health crisis among working women has reached a critical point, with female employees disproportionately affected by mounting stressors that are pushing rates of burnout, anxiety, and depression to alarming levels. Read on for details.
58% of Millennials Bet on 401(k)s Over Social Security
A significant generational shift in retirement planning is reshaping how employers need to think about their benefits packages. While older generations have traditionally viewed Social Security as their primary source of retirement income, younger workers are increasingly putting their faith—and their money—into personal retirement accounts. Read on for details.
DOL Pushes Back Against Texas Courts Over Fiduciary Rule
The Department of Labor (DOL) is mounting an aggressive legal challenge to protect its new fiduciary rule for retirement advice, following preliminary injunctions that halted the planned implementation of the regulation. Read on for details.
Family-Building Benefits Lead Latest Workplace Benefits Surge
U.S. employers are rapidly expanding their family-building benefits packages, with fertility and adoption support emerging as key offerings in the competitive talent marketplace. New research shows companies are investing heavily in these benefits to attract and retain employees while supporting diverse paths to parenthood. Read on for details.
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – Winter 2024
What Exactly Are No-Deductible Health Plans?
While most health insurance plans require you to pay out-of-pocket costs up to an annual deductible amount before coverage kicks in, no-deductible plans skip this step. Read on for details.
How Life Changes Impact Your Life Insurance Needs
Getting married, having children, buying a home, and other major milestones often necessitate revisiting your life insurance coverage. As your life circumstances evolve, so do your financial obligations to loved ones. Ensuring adequate life insurance protection can provide them critical financial support if you pass away unexpectedly.Read on for details.
Grow Your Nest Egg Tax-Free with a Roth IRA
Opening a Roth individual retirement account, or Roth IRA, allows you to set aside after-tax income that can grow tax-free for retirement. Contributions to a Roth IRA are not tax deductible, but qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. Read on for details.
How to Get Your Retirement Back on Track Post-Divorce
When long-term marriages end, retirement plans are often casualties. With the right steps, however, you can mitigate the damage and work toward the retirement you envisioned. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – October 2024
Navigating the Benefits Buffet: How to Choose the Right Mix for Employees
With the number of potential employee benefits rising swiftly, employers face tough choices deciding which perks provide the highest value. Read on for details.
GLP-1s without Lifestyle Changes May Not Lead to Sustained Weight Loss
The popularity of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic has skyrocketed in recent years due to their effectiveness for weight loss and treating type 2 diabetes. Read on for details.
Employees Cut Back on Their Own Benefits amid High Inflation
As inflation continues weighing on employees, new research released just ahead of open enrollment reveals what some industry experts call a troubling trend: evidence that employers would be wise to step up their benefits education and communication. Read on for details.
Pay Raises Expected to Slow in 2025 as Labor Market Cools
As the white-hot labor market of the past few years shows signs of cooling down, pay raises for U.S. workers in 2025 are projected to be slower than recent trends. Still, most employers will give salary bumps above the 3% threshold that has become the norm in the pre-pandemic economy.Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – September 2024
New Moms Need More than Just Time Off: The Case for Postpartum Benefits
As any new parent knows, bringing home a newborn is exhausting and overwhelming. But for many moms in particular, it can also be isolating and stressful, and lead to serious mental health issues like postpartum depression or anxiety. Read on for details.
Court Halts FTC Non-compete Rule for Plaintiffs: A Win for Employers?
Unexpected injuries can lead to financial stress for many workers. With accident insurance, employers have an opportunity to provide additional financial support to employees. Read on for details.
Family Fitness Is the New Frontier for Employee Wellness Programs
As companies look to improve employee health and productivity while lowering healthcare costs, many are realizing the benefits of expanding wellness initiatives individual employees to include their families as well. Read on for details.
Enable Healing from Pet Loss with Thoughtful Bereavement Policies
As the number of American households welcoming pets continues its 30- year climb, now including more than 66% nationwide according to recent surveys, their role in our families and fabric of daily life has transformed dramatically. Consequently, the grief inflicted by losing these furry loved ones can be devastating. Read on for details.
Life & Health Insurance Advisor – Fall 2024
Who Will Care for You? Long-Term Planning for Your Golden Years
As you enter your golden years, it’s crucial to have a plan for how you’ll pay for long-term care if you need it. Read on for details.
Getting the Most from Medicare: When Medigap Makes Sense
As you evaluate your Medicare coverage options, you may be wondering whether purchasing a Medigap policy is right for you. Medigap is supplemental insurance that helps pay for costs left uncovered by Original Medicare, which includes Part A hospital insurance and Part B medical insurance.Read on for details.
Ambulatory Surgery 101: What You Need To Know About Costs and Coverage
As more routine medical procedures move out of hospitals and into outpatient centers, you may find yourself considering an ambulatory surgery center, or ASC, for your next elective procedure.Read on for details.
Are You Making These 4 Life Insurance Mistakes and Putting Your Family At Risk?
When it comes to life insurance, it’s easy to make mistakes that could put your family’s financial future at risk.
Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – July 2024
Everything Employers Need to Know About Overtime Pay Rule Changes
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently implemented the first phase of a two-step update to overtime pay regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that will substantially impact American workplaces. Read on for details.
Working Moms Mean Business: Supporting Your Parent Workforce
Balancing parenting duties while holding down a full-time job is no easy feat. But with some strategic support from employers, working moms and dads can find greater success both at home and in the office. Read on for details.
How Well Are Current Employee Benefits Programs Meeting Needs of Modern Families?
When it comes to supporting employees with families, traditional benefit offerings may no longer cut it. As concepts of family expand beyond the nuclear unit, benefits must evolve to meet a wider range of needs. Read on for details.
Mixed Signals on Retirement Savings: Higher Balances But More Hardship Withdrawals
Americans have made strides in retirement savings account balances early this year, but financial strain continues to lead some to dip into those funds to make ends meet. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – June 2024
Anxiety Now Top Employee Mental Health Issue
Anxiety has reached unprecedented levels among U.S. workers, according to new data, now topping the list as the number one mental health issue impacting the American workforce. Read on for details.
How Lifestyle Savings Accounts Can Unlock Higher Retention
As the competition for talent continues, employers are searching for new ways to attract and retain top employees. They’re finding that outdated, one-size-fits-all benefits packages no longer cut it. Read on for details.
How Targeted Wellness Programs Can Reduce Workers Comp Claims
Employers pay a high price for workplace injuries. ccording to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), workers’ compensation costs U.S. employers nearly $1 billion per week, including indirect expenses like lost productivity, human resources support, replacement employee training, and reputational damage. Read on for details.
2024 Pay Raises: Employers Navigate Tight Job Market as Year Unfolds
Six months into 2024, U.S. employers are immersed in a delicate high-wire act as they finalize compensation budgets and pay raise plans. Though inflation has moderated to around 3% after peaking at 8% in 2022, the job market remains fiercely competitive, forcing companies to carefully balance salary hikes against rising costs and profitability pressures. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – April 2024
The Personalization Mandate: Tailoring Benefits to Boost Retention
Generation Z is primed to take over as the largest generational group in the workforce. This seismic shift means employers must get creative in how they attract and keep top talent across diverse ages and life stages. One area ripe for a refresh is employee benefits communication and personalization. Read on for details.
Prioritize Care While Cutting Costs
As 2024 rolls on, employers expect healthcare costs to continue rising, making for the steepest increase in a decade, according to recent projections. With employer healthcare expenses anticipated to jump 8.5% nationwide, finding innovative solutions to reduce expenditures while supporting employee wellness has become paramount. Read on for details.
Navigating Compensation in the Era of Transparency
As healthcare costs continue their meteoric rise, employees are struggling under the weight of medical expenses. But a novel new benefit offers employers a way to attract top talent while empowering staff to manage costs. Read on for details.
Early Cancer Detection Saves Lives, Lowers Costs
A recent report reveals that early cancer detection through screenings can improve survival rates and reduce healthcare costs for employers. However, many organizations struggle to get employees screened due to a lack of awareness, time constraints, and reliance on third parties for care. Proactive efforts by employers to promote screening compliance can lead to better outcomes. Read on for details.