Nick Otto

If employers only look at wellness from a 9-to-5 point of view, they are missing valuable opportunities to engage employees. Wellness doesn’t end at 5 p.m., said one expert at the National Business Coalition on Health’s annual conference.

As the retirement system steadily moves away from guaranteed pensions to more individualized retirement accounts, longevity annuities are adding to the financial security of retirees.

Performance-based, full-value shares are becoming the norm in executive compensation as companies still feel the sting from market volatility in 2008.

It was anticipated. It happened. The Republicans have taken control of the Senate. So what can benefits managers tell employees who are concerned of possible changes surrounding the Affordable Care Act?

Engaging your Gen Y audience — also known as the millennials — can be difficult, but it’s key to implementing strategies on wellness and retirement programs that they might not be thinking about now, but will wish they had in the future.

U.S. parents are more and more finding themselves providing financial support to adult children, undermining their readiness to successfully put enough away for retirement.

For the third time in recent months, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has launched legal action against a private employer, claiming discrimination on the part of the company’s wellness program.

The number of employees participating in employer-based retirement plans increased in 2013 for the first time in several years, pointing to a national economy slowly mending itself and an increasing employment rate in the aftermath of the recession, the Employee Benefit Research Institute says.

Alongside the IRS’ announcement last week to increase contribution caps to 401(k) plans, the Department of Labor issued guidance that will ease plan sponsors’ abilities to offer annuities as part of their retirement plans.

One would expect technology companies such as Google and Twitter to be at the forefront of using electronic signatures when recruiting talent. But increasingly, other industries are realizing the potential time and cost savings of using esignatures to increase hiring efficiency.

The light is shining on 3M, Cisco, Kimberly-Clark and the National Geographical Society as the companies take steps to provide employees a first-of-its kind employee benefit: discounts on home solar power installation.

Employers are finding many ways to trim health care costs — such as introducing high-deductible health plans alongside health savings accounts. But one cost-saving strategy is growing in popularity: conducting audits to ensure that every dependent is eligible for health care benefits.

Retirement patterns are changing globally. As a result, providing employees greater retirement security and financial literacy can help employers cultivate a less stressed, healthier and more engaged workforce.

Gone are the days of hula chairs and ThighMasters at the desk, new technologies and wearable devices are playing into the benefits and wellness strategies of employers, Amy McDonough, Fitbit’s director of wellness, told conference goers at the 2014 Employee Benefits Forum & Expo, being held this week in Boca Raton, Fla.

A focus on retirement has been key recently, with a push for younger generations to begin investing into 401(k)s, along with recent calls to Congress to empower savings among employees. Employee Benefit News has remained on top of the coverage and has packaged it for you here.

Although the scars are still visible since the economy’s near-collapse, investors today are more optimistic than they have been since 2007.

The American Benefits Council has introduced its strategic plans for health and retirement policy, providing 46 specific regulatory recommendations for Congress to consider in easing the burdens on employees, employers and government agencies.

Having an engaging 401(k) plan recordkeeper, partnered with innovative online educational tools, may provide a solution to piercing the Gen Y markets as more and more of the current employee base moves closer to retirement.

Offering financial education can provide a big boost to employee productivity, allowing employees to solve financial dilemmas and refocus on work.

U.S. health care spending is expected to reach close to 19% of America’s gross domestic product by next year, and private sector leaders are taking the opportunity to unite and create a healthier employee base.