News Reports

U.S. regulators and lawmakers recently helped advance what one generic drug industry leader coined “the most important pharmaceutical legislation since the 1984 Hatch-Waxman Act”: a plan that could help employers get a better handle on rising health care costs.

For more than a decade, AARP has recognized employers with progressive policies toward recruiting and retaining older employees. Now, the nonprofit has teamed up with the Society for Human Resource Management to cosponsor the AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50 awards as applications are accepted for the 2013 search.

Nearly 60% of HR and recruiting executives, directors and managers in a nationwide survey consider social media networks like LinkedIn and Facebook the next big wave in reaching a greater number of qualified candidates.

Email, instant messaging, laptops, digital teleconferencing and flexible schedules have dramatically changed the way people live and work, as well as how their personal and professional lives intersect. But a recent national poll of 570 working Americans concludes that, despite breathtaking advances in technology and greater workplace flexibility, work-life balance is still very much a work in progress.

Mercer has identified a clear global trend in sponsors of defined benefit pension plans accelerating their intentions to manage their pension risk and ultimately transfer it to external parties.

While the nation’s attention remains focused on legal and political fights over health care reform, including an imminent ruling on the matter by the Supreme Court, a consumer advocacy organization notes that an invisible tragedy continues to play out nationwide for uninsured families who struggle to get the health care they need. A report released last week by Families USA reveals that more than 26,000 Americans between the ages of 25 and 64 died prematurely in 2010 because they did not have health coverage.

New compensation regulations adopted in the U.S., U.K. and other countries following the financial crisis are causing global financial services companies to focus on talent management and rewards beyond pay to help them attract, retain and engage top talent in today’s environment, according to a poll of financial services executives conducted by Towers Watson. The poll also finds that companies are evenly divided on the impact that the current regulatory environment is having on risk taking in the industry.

Companies that measure corporate culture have more engaged and committed employees, according to the results of a study from Critical Metrics, LLC. The findings also revealed that although most employees and senior leaders think that measuring corporate culture is important, few companies measure it, and even fewer do it well.

While the vast majority of companies involved in mergers and acquisitions use retention agreements to retain key talent, a new survey by global professional services company Towers Watson shows companies that are more successful at retention begin the process early — identifying people and tactics — and don’t rely solely on money.

Eligibility for participation in a 401(k) plan is one of the single-most important factors in closing the retirement savings gap for Generation X, according to a new report by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute.

In a June 12 letter to congressional leadership, American Benefits Council President James A. Klein urged swift enactment of legislation to stabilize pension plan funding while expressing strong concerns about efforts to increase employer-paid insurance premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

A National Partnership for Women & Families report released for Father’s Day, “Dads Expect Better: Top States for New Dads,” includes an analysis of state laws and regulations governing paid leave and workplace rights for new fathers in the United States.

Americans continue to report difficulty getting access to health care services, regardless of their type of health plan, according to a new report by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Although the entire HR/benefits industry is waiting for the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act later this month, 86% of single employers and corporations will or are likely to continue to provide health coverage to their employees in 2014, according to the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

Despite national economic and employment uncertainty, many American workers who identify themselves as top performers are thinking about changing jobs. In line with research showing the recent uptick of voluntary turnover in the workplace, the 2012 Aflac WorkForces Report revealed nearly half of U.S. workers (49%) are at least somewhat likely to look for a job this year. More troubling for employers, a majority of those who say they are extremely or very likely to leave their jobs describe themselves as the kind of workers companies need to retain to remain competitive in a tight economy.

As attention to the importance of creating retirement income grows, a new MetLife study finds that plan sponsors of the largest workplace retirement plans and their recordkeepers have taken the first steps to help participants secure retirement income — but a lot more work needs to be done to pave the way for participants to begin to take action.

A significant number of U.S. employers that still offer defined benefit pension plans are committed to providing those benefits to new salaried employees, according to a survey by Towers Watson. The survey also finds that employers are adding features to their defined contribution plans that mirror DB design to help close possible retirement savings gaps created by the shift from DB to DC plans.

Workplace flexibility practices are a business imperative that help employees meet their work and life responsibilities and help employers respond to the competitive global marketplace, the Society for Human Resource Management president told Congress today.

Although most Americans still get their health coverage through their jobs, new research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that fewer workers have access to this benefit.

The economy is causing employees, particularly younger generations, to turn with greater interest to employers for help with establishing financial security. According to a new survey, nearly half of all employees say that because of the economy they are counting on employers’ benefits programs to help with their financial protection needs, and that percentage climbs to 55% for Gen X workers and 66% for Gen Y.