Employer Strategies

2013 is not over yet. Employers and HR and benefits professionals must address these 14 compliance issues before the New Year begins. Timothy F. Kennedy is a partner in Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice, concisely outlines retirement and health care issues that plan sponsors must consider in the following days.

Many organizations aren't taking advantage of the most effective tool to distribute and reinforce messages—benefits administration technology. Technology is extremely useful in automating many of the tactical components of benefits administration while it also enhances your education and communication strategy.

The success of the health care overhaul relies on a diverse pool of customers where younger, healthier participants balance the costs of covering older, sicker people. Insurers say they can’t make more concessions without putting themselves at risk that patients will wait and sign up only when they need care.

President Barack Obama said the thousands of people now signing up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act overshadow the hit he’s been taking in the polls for the defect-riddled roll-out of the Affordable Care Act.

When it comes to their health benefits, most employees say they’re happy with their current offerings and lack interest in altering their balance of benefits and wages, according to a new survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

As most global employers plan to send more employees on short- and long-term jobs around the world in the next two years, they should be aware of what it takes to manage costs and run international programs. In light of the challenges employers face managing the global work force, Mercer offers 10 tips on handling this growing mobile population.

With the economy slowly gaining ground and employees able to take their pick of job opportunities, employers are finding it increasingly important to pack extra benefits to attract the best hires. But according to SHRM’s new State of Employee Benefits in Workplace Survey, the story changes a bit when workers are on the job – as HR professionals less frequently use benefits as a retention tool.

While employers expect to continue implementing cost-sharing measures in their health care plans in 2014, most plan on keeping group coverage for the next year. And just 5% of employers anticipate moving employees to a private exchange, according to the 2013/2014 Verisight and McGladrey Compensation, Retirement and Benefits Trends Survey.

The most recent LIMRA survey reveals that approximately 60% of Americans who have used health exchanges so far to try to shop for health coverage say they sought out assistance when actually buying their health insurance plan.

Much concern had been voiced about the ability for consumers and insurers alike to execute billing and payment between Dec. 23 and Dec. 31 for coverage effective Jan. 1. AHIP offered to extend that deadline to Jan. 10 on Wednesday.