Benefits Think

'Obamacare,' Exchanges, Medicare Surtax, MLR’s etc … it goes on and on, the litany of challenges, concerns and issues that may call into question our very survival. Perhaps this is really all about perspective. Sometimes we are so close to a situation that we lose sight of the big picture issues.

Just a quick election postscript: Whether they are freshman lawmakers or returning to Congress for yet another term, U.S. House and Senate members may want to consider addressing workplace flexibility right along with the fiscal cliff. A research report by the Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management shows that fewer than one in four congressional staffers are satisfied with the flexibility afforded them.

Guest blogger Linda K. Riddell offers practical advice to achieve what all employers want: more, better, faster wellness results.

Recently, MetLife announced its new product, “Life Insurance in a Box.” It literally is a box, placed on the shelves of 200 Walmart stores in North Carolina and Georgia. Is the consumer ready to load up their carts with life insurance alongside their groceries and Taylor Swift T-shirts?

It seems trivial to ask questions about things like employee classification and FLSA rules after the devastating storm. However, correctly handling such issues is key to making sure employers get back up and running as quickly as possible. To help employers clear the confusion, Laura T. Kerekes, chief knowledge officer at ThinkHR, addresses some post-Sandy questions that may be top of mind for HR/benefits professionals.

As several states and scores of employers begin the difficult task of rebuilding and/or restoring life and business after Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy’s devastating effects, it seems trivial to ask questions about things like employee classification and FLSA rules. However, correctly handling such issues is key to making sure employers get back up and running as quickly as possible, and can ease employees’ minds as well. Laura T. Kerekes, chief knowledge officer at ThinkHR, addresses some post-Sandy questions that may be top of mind for HR/benefits professionals.

Guest blogger Linda K. Riddell offers practical advice to achieve what all employers want: more, better, faster wellness results.

New legislation begins this month in Massachusetts, a state ahead of the country on “health care reform,” says EBA Blogger Mark Gaunya. But what can others learn from this new law, a “a state-based, cost control experiment that may prove to be a glimpse of the future in your state?”

Who will do most of the work implementing PPACA? Blogger Ed Bray, J.D., sees a tide that could be turning to a shared role between human resources and finance.

In a new editorial, Heather Landy, editor-in-chief of American Banker magazine, says that while Romney flubbed his delivery on how he went about considering women for positions in his cabinet, she didn't have a problem with the approach of the women’s group who presented Romney with the now infamous binders. Hiring managers, speak out: Are binders not so bad?