Benefits Think

A recent Mercer survey shows that employees are pretty disinterested in Roth rollover options — and thus, so are employers.

Putting a new spin on making house calls, Stat Doctors is a medical e-visit service that uses secure single sign-on, electronic health records, e-prescribing and video conferencing to give patients with 24-7 access to emergency physicians to address common, minor medical issues.

Following up on Department of Labor's recently released ERISA Section 408(b)(2) interim final regulation on fee disclosures by 401(k) service providers, DOL now is seeking disclosures on target-date funds offered in 401(k) plans, EBN sister title Money Management Executive reports.

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are estimated to spend an average of $688.87 each on holiday-related shopping. As a merry and bright holiday reminder about the importance of sound financial planning, I give you the work of Ilene Davis, financial planning expert and poet. Tuck it into employees' mailboxes or with their holiday ham to remind them that $688.87 goes a long way with compound interest.

According to a recent survey by Workplace Options, 51% of nursing mothers say workplace lactation does not make them feel personally uncomfortable or embarrassed, and 90% of respondents say working with someone who pumps or nurses at work does not make them feel uncomfortable. So, then why are employer supports so lacking?

Although a good number of employers now offer domestic partner benefits, a smaller slice provide tax equity to domestic partners regarding those benefits. According to Todd Solomon, a partner in the employee benefits practice at McDermott Will & Emery, there recently has been a great deal of public attention about the tax inequities of domestic partner benefits, particularly regarding a practice known as “grossing-up.”

Skip the Christmas cookies; employees want cash, according to an annual survey from Randstad. According to the survey, 93% of workers would rather receive a bonus than have a holiday party this year.

As you carve your Thanksgiving turkey tomorrow and brave the mall in search of Black Friday deals the day after, be sure to give thanks to your employer for the four-day weekend. According to annual survey results from BNA, not all employees are so lucky.

On behalf of the teams at Employee Benefit News and Employee Benefit Adviser, I’m happy to announce that the health care reform timeline — designed, launched and housed right here on Benefitnews.com — is the winner of the Gold Award for Best Widget from the American Society of Business Publication Editors’ annual Digital Azbee Awards.

Knowing that you benefits pros aren’t ones to shy away from difficulty (fiduciary compliance, anyone?), I encourage you to join in today’s national effort to help smokers quit the habit. Nov. 18 marks the 35th annual Great American Smokeout, a nationwide event to encourage smokers to go smoke-free for 24 hours.