Employer Strategies

Concerns about finances, fears of unexpected death and more make this ethnic group a potential target for advisers.

Why it could affect their plan participants.

Definition of “reasonable” is a central focus of IRS audits.

Guest blogger Linda K. Riddell warns employers not to be wowed by vendors' "whiz-bang" options and the quantity of their reporting.

A recent delay on out-of-pocket spending could be complicated for those who think they have a single-vendor system, should their health care provider and pharmacy be considered separate internally.

The U.S. Department of Labor has provided guidance on Family and Medical Leave Act protections for same-sex couples. The guidance follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, which fundamentally changed how the federal government treats same-sex marriages.

Despite the modest increase “rising health care costs remain a serious concern for U.S. employers,” said Helen Darling, the group’s president and CEO.

In this Q&A with EBN, author Edward Gordon puts the problem in stark relief and outlines the steps employers need to take to keep themselves and America competitive.

The number of Fortune 500 companies offering health care benefits to same-sex partners has surged in a decade, to about 62% last year from 34% in 2002, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign.

More than a third of survey respondents plan to make a change to their HR structure before the end of 2014. Towers Watson says that among those organizations planning change, 74% say it’s to improve operational efficiencies.