Benefits Think

Now, in my neck of the woods, TCBY is a frozen-yogurt chain that claims to make 'The Country's Best Yogurt.' Apparently, to EBN Contributing Editor Michael Puck, it means something completely different -- and likely much better for your waistline and bottom line. To Puck, TCBY is the formula for succeeding with wellness programs. And while it certainly isn't as delicious, I'm betting it will be much more satisfying to your company's execs. Read his column…

I recently had a great chat with John Erwin of CareNet, a company that helps insurers and doctors do the heavy lifting needed to build the medical home model. The medical home model is one of those things that makes so much sense that you slap your forehead and say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Basically, the model involves making primary care doctors the cornerstone of the health care system, or as Erwin put it,…

As more employees — perhaps among them your colleagues, clients or boss — join the social networking site Facebook (as many older adults seem to be among the fastest-growing group of new enrollees), it was inevitable that etiquette issues may arise. I’m no Emily Post, but I did crib some tips from OfficeTeam’s Robert Hosking on how to avoid Facebook faux pas: …

I hate to kick someone when they’re down — between the still slow economy, ongoing wars and the recent health care reform “town brawls,” it certainly was a brief honeymoon for President Obama — but a release I received recently from the Alliance for Worker Freedom got me thinking. The headline asked simply: What happened to Obama’s promise of jobs? …

No, not literally — just on Facebook. Don’t take it personally, though; it’s not that they don’t like you. It’s just that according to a survey from OfficeTeam, it seems they’re mostly just concerned about crossing the line between personal and professional. When asked, 'How comfortable would you feel about being 'friended' by the following individuals on Facebook?” nearly half of executives polled said they are uncomfortable being friended by the employees they manage (48%) or…

Over the last year, defined contribution plan participants likely have felt like they just can’t get a break. I’m sorry to say a little bird at Mercer tells me the savings outlook may not improve next year, depending on the results of a government calculation. Here’s the breakdown: Limits for DC and DB plans — including 401(k) deferrals and catch-up contributions — are adjusted each year based on an IRS calculation that, among other factors, takes…

Thanks to the new Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (Congress couldn’t think of a shorter name?), employers may soon see a rise in the number of employees requesting workplace accommodations for a disability, the crystal ball watchers at Cigna predict. ADAAA, which took effect January 1, 2009, substantially broadened the definition of who may attempt to seek protection under the ADA, making it easier for an individual to establish that he or she is “disabled”…

The latest stat shot from Watson Wyatt shows that employers — perhaps sensing a reheating economy — are ready to thaw out some of those frozen salaries and 401(k) matching contributions that have been on ice most of the last year. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, 33% of employers that froze salaries plan to show their love by unfreezing them within the next six months, up from 17% two months ago. Another 44% plan to…

Hey pros, you have less than two months to get prepped to comply with mental health parity legislation (going into effect Oct. 3). Although stats show that the costs to do so will be less than you may have thought, there may already be a tool in your belt to mitigate costs even further. …

Math was never my subject in school – as evidenced by my chosen career – but I think given the economic conditions we’re living in, it wouldn’t hurt any of us to at least consider joining up with The American College to pursue its new Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designation. …