Benefits Think

‘Tis the season for making new year’s resolutions. If you’ve resolved that 2011 is the year you’ll be new and improved in meeting your fiduciary responsibilities, you’ve got support.

A 2010 federal court decision has thrown up a roadblock to employer policies whose attendance/paid sick time/family and medical leave policies require employees to justify their absences with doctor's notes.

January is when gyms pack capacity crowds full of people who have resolved to get fit and healthy — people who have said, "This year is the year." That's why I picked this month to announce that EBN will feature Biggest Loser success stories throughout 2011 in the magazine and on its new video/slideshow channel, BenefitsTV.

Is this year's 2% reduction in FICA withholding a retirement communications golden ticket to incent sluggish plan participants? One plan sponsor thinks so.

One thing that always bugs me about this time of year is that all of my favorite shows tend to be on a “winter hiatus,” airing repeats until late January or early February. Here at EBN, we don’t believe in such a long winter’s nap; our BenefitsTV channel is rolling into the new year with four new episodes.

Today an aide to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) announced that the House will vote Jan. 12 to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Wall Street Journal reports. The vote is just the first step toward draining the lifeblood from the law through legal, appropriations and other maneuvers Republicans have at their disposal.

The Daily Diversion will be on a publishing hiatus for the remainder of the year. We'll be back up and running on Monday, Jan. 3, 2011.

Data show that employees are increasingly calling in sick when they aren't truly sick, and such unplanned absences cost employers a 19% net loss in productivity. Some companies are using aggressive surveillance methods to catch employees that are leave cheaters.

U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson ruled on Monday afternoon that the individual mandate — a central component of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — is unconstitutional, finding that Congress is not empowered to order individuals to purchase health insurance.

According to a recent report in the Christian Science Monitor, some 17% of you allow dogs in the office. If you’re looking to join the ranks, CSM lists the top five dog-friendly companies.