Healthcare Benefits Cost Increases to Hold Steady in 2016?
Health care benefit cost increases at large employers are expected to hold steady in 2016, due in large part to changes employers are making to their benefit programs.
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PBGC Shifts Reporting Focus to Large Plans and Sponsors with Highest Default Risk
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) announced new final rules for reportable events, focusing on the minority of plans and sponsors that pose the greatest risk of defaulting on their financial obligations.
Ask The Expert: What Are My Options for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Reporting?
Employers will need to do ACA reporting for this year, including forms 1094 & 1095. What options (e.g. software) does the employer have to for reporting? (Currently I use Quickbooks to submit my W2 forms.)
How to Drive Better Engagement in Benefits Program among Millennials
By Richard Shaffer Younger workers place the same value on the same benefits as your older workers. Yet research shows there’s a huge discrepancy between what this large-and-growing workplace group wants—and what their employers think they want. (Source: Employee Benefit News Blog).
NLRB puts employees on the spot
by Burton J. Fishman In a ruling that could make workplace investigations at unionized facilities all but impossible, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) reversed a 37-year-old precedent that protected employees from retaliation. Under the prior Anheuser-Busch standard, employers did not have to hand over witness statements, particularly from employees, to unions in discipline cases. […]
Checking Up on Potential Hires
Yesterday’s Advisor provided a few tips for providing honest references about former employees while minimizing the legal risks to the company; today, we look at the flip side of the coin—checking references for potential new hires.
After-tax HSAs may help employers avoid paying the Cadillac tax
Plan design can help employer plan sponsors avoid the objectionable task of paying excise taxes on health plan coverage they provide to employees. The Cadillac tax is the Affordable Care Act’s way of taxing health benefits, in part to fund the law’s ambitious coverage objectives. As liability under the tax in 2018 approaches, employers are […]
QLACs could increase younger workers’ retirement readiness, EBRI
Qualifying longevity annuity contracts in 401(k) plans could significantly increase the retirement readiness of younger workers with longer life expectancies, the Employee Benefit Research Institute reported recently. Modeling two scenarios involving the recently approved QLACs, EBRI found that, while the general population might experience a “small reduction” in retirement readiness by purchasing a QLAC with […]
The Cardinal Way
I’m a St. Louis Cardinal lifer so, for most Major League baseball fans out there, you probably assume I’m insufferable. (You may be right.) Still, don’t look for me to apologize that we’re in first place, have been for pretty much the entire season, and boast the best record in baseball. The postseason is upon […]
Making the Most of Employment Branding
Yesterday we heard from Dr. John Sullivan, professor, author, corporate speaker, and advisor, concerning employment branding. Today we hear more from Sullivan. Q: What role do you think alumni programs play in a branding program? A: Well, I call them “brand ambassadors.” These people love your company—they left for whatever reason—but they still love your […]