Tag: benefits

happiness

Managing Employee Status Changes Under the Affordable Care Act

By Jennifer Carsen, JD, Senior Legal Editor So, you think you’ve got a pretty good handle on this whole Affordable Care Act (ACA) thing. You know that you’re an applicable large employer (or ALE—and that “ALE” isn’t merely that thing you want to drink a lot of after a day of filling out ACA paperwork).

Global Healthcare Benefit Costs Trending Higher

The cost of employee healthcare benefits around the globe is trending higher, driven largely by the higher cost of hospital and inpatient services, medical technology, and the overuse of services, according to a survey of medical insurers by Willis Towers Watson, a global advisory, broking, and solutions company. The Willis Towers Watson Global Medical Trends […]

Getting Employees to Read Your Benefits E-Mails

By Jeffrey Hemker, national manager, Retirement Division, Invesco Plan sponsors spend a significant amount of time crafting and deploying employee benefit communications, with 73% using e-mail to get the word out. Despite these efforts, 80% of participants do not open and read materials and, of those who do open, almost half don’t fully understand the […]

Effective Wellness Programs Combat Worker Burnout

Seventy percent of U.S. office workers and managers report working more than 40 hours a week, and the majority consider the office the most productive place to get work done. But employers need to take action to ensure it remains an inspiring, motivating environment. This, according to the second annual Workplace Index conducted by Staples […]

Are Sabbaticals Right for Your Company?

When the White House announced presidential daughter Malia Obama was taking a gap year between high school and college, many people thought it was a good idea. The break between schooling is usually used as an opportunity for young people to do something meaningful, pause from the routine, and return ready to focus on achieving […]

Prepare for HIPAA Privacy/Security Audits This Summer, Experts Advise

By Gwen Cofield Now that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has begun prescreening questionnaires for Phase 2 privacy and security audits, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-covered entities should make sure they’re prepared on the compliance areas HHS’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has indicated it plans to emphasize.