How to make wellness work
Benefits managers struggle to measure the real returns on wellness initiatives; achieving the goals of cost savings, cost avoidance and employee engagement requires a well-orchestrated plan. But it's not an impossible task.
Andy Stonehouse
Tobacco cessation, lowered blood pressure hallmarks of healthiest companies
What are some of the common factors all much welcomed signs of improved workplace wellness that are common to Americas healthiest companies? A marked reduction in smoking, plus measurable reductions in glucose and blood pressure levels emerge as the most consistent hallmarks of a truly healthy workplace.
How benefits managers can help protect the 401(k)
The President, Washington lawmakers and state legislators are all trying to chip away at the backbone of employee retirement benefits. Benefits managers hoping to reinforce the successes of their 401(k) programs need to take action now to help protect the system.
Automatic enrollment, escalation features feed 401(k) success
More and more, companies which have integrated auto-enrollment and auto-escalation features into the retirement plan design are producing impressive participation and savings rates, more in line with the targets that will result in the kinds of 401(k) balances participants will need in retirement.
Benefits education yields recruitment and retention benefits
By getting employees more directly engaged in their own financial well-being educating them on their benefits, helping them make the right retirement planning decisions and learning how to tackle financial stress by addressing their own debt and their worries over health care costs employers are seeing lower turnover and increased productivity.
Benefits Think Benny Award nominations now open
Everyone appreciates a little recognition for their professionalism, their dedication to their work and to their employees and the world of benefits decision-makers is no different. Its once again time to take a moment and see if this is the year you or one of your colleagues might be the right pick for our annual Benny Awards.
Millennials facing bigger debt and financial wellness woes
A new PwC survey suggests millennial employees are feeling the pinch more strongly than other workers, and notes that ongoing financial stress can be a tremendous drain on worker productivity and performance and will be until remuneration begins to match the rapidly increasing cost of living.
Your employees health habits are your biggest liability
In analyzing ways to contain ever-escalating health care costs, many employers are seeing tangible returns from wellness programs but continuing to place the blame on employees and their bad health habits for much of those rising costs.
Employees getting back on the 401(k) bandwagon
As hopeful evidence that a half-decade of retirement savings doldrums may finally be over, a new examination of employee 401(k) participation suggests workers are back on the savings path and increasingly using HSAs as a new form of long-term financial planning.
Avoiding the pitfalls of the fiduciary standard
For retirement plan advisers and the plan administrator community it remains more than a bit problematic to cope with the prospect of a new threshold of responsibility for the financial decisions of plan participants. Or, having their hands tied and only being able to offer extremely financial guidance, as the case may be.
Politicized climate may see retirement programs under attack
While a flurry of recent, presidential-level focus on Americas retirement system might be a good opportunity for dialog on its shortfalls, those in the retirement industry fear that a new era of potential tax grabs is on the horizon.
Are employees more satisifed than ever with their benefits?
Despite some sense of grumbling out in the working world about the shape of benefits in the midst of further ACA rollouts, one new study suggests employee satisfaction regarding their benefits is at an all-time high.
Compliance conundrum: to outsource or not?
The amount of paperwork you will eventually be responsible for handling to ensure compliance with the Affordable Care Act may be the source of headaches far worse than any errant Arctic air mass you could ever imagine.
Mercer survey suggests value of benefits beginning to wane
New research by global consulting giant Mercer has revealed an unexpectedly negative perception about way that employees view their benefits, especially as more and more health care costs are shifted onto their plate.
BlackRock practices what they preach in financial wellness
The 5,800 U.S. employees of BlackRock, Inc. do get a nice side benefit to their companys vast reputation for financial management: They have a holistic financial wellness program that most of us could only dream about.
BlackRock elevates financial planning in employee benefits
Despite its reputation for money management, financial giant BlackRock, Inc. recognized that its own employees still needed help making the right decisions about retirement and health care savings.
Harkin floats new, privately run retirement savings system
Coming just on the heels of President Obamas unveiling of the new MyRA proposal, Senator Tom Harkin announced Thursday the finalized details for his Universal, Secure, Adaptable Retirement Funds Act legislation he hopes will provide a stable and financially solid mechanism for the 75 million Americans without access to workplace retirement plans.
Biden lauds ACAs foot soldiers at Families USA gathering
To hear it from Vice President Joe Biden, the fight over the Affordable Care Act may be far from over but hes certainly interested in recognizing the troops who helped build support for the landmark legislation.
Vision insurance offers a look at bigger savings
A new study conducted by human capital risk management firm HCMS Group suggests that employers who offer vision benefits to their employees might be able to save as much as $5.8 billion in cost savings over a four year period, partly due to the preventative screening opportunities afforded by low-cost eye check-ups.
Hoping for a brighter benefits future in 2014
Right now is a good opportunity to look at the good, the bad and the ugly of the benefits world in 2013, and to see what we might be able to look forward to in the coming year.