Employer Strategies

Health care reform likely enabled about 6.6 million young adults to join their parents' health insurance plans last year, a report found on Friday, though problems with medical bills and debt remained an issue.

The majority of employees would be willing to give up 5% or more of their salary if it meant having reliable income to help them live comfortably during retirement, according to data released today by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Health care reform enabled an estimated 6.6 million young adults to join their parents' health insurance plans last year, according to a Commonwealth Fund report, though problems with medical bills and debt remain an issue.

Employers around the country are waking up to a serious and unexpected problem with their health care flexible spending accounts. The health reform law enacted several years ago quietly limited these popular “FSA” benefits to $2,500 per year, effective January 1, 2013. But the express terms of the law conflict with the explanation provided by Congress, and many employers have been scratching their heads trying to figure out when plans must be changed to meet…

A former human resources employee who worked for Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities pleaded guilty to five criminal counts, including sending forms to the Department of Labor about people who were not employed by the firm, even though they were on payroll and provided benefits. He also admitted to filing false U.S. individual income tax returns. The charges carry a maximum possible prison term of 19 years.

Despite national economic and employment uncertainty, many American workers who identify themselves as top performers are thinking about changing jobs. In line with research showing the recent uptick of voluntary turnover in the workplace, the 2012 Aflac WorkForces Report revealed nearly half of U.S. workers (49%) are at least somewhat likely to look for a job this year. More troubling for employers, a majority of those who say they are extremely or very likely to leave their jobs describe themselves as the kind of workers companies need to retain to remain competitive in a tight economy.

Almost half (49%) of U.S. workers are at least somewhat likely to look for a job this year, but there is undeniable evidence linking benefits offerings and employee loyalty, according to the 2012 Aflac WorkForces report.

The growing trend among employers to enforce company-wide social media policies has sparked the birth of the Password Protection Act of 2012. The new legislation prevents companies from requiring employees to provide access to their personal social networking accounts. While many companies may create a social media policy to protect their corporate reputation, a new Workplace Options and Public Policy Polling survey of American workers shows that companies who scrutinize their employees' personal accounts and social media activity may be doing more harm than good.

As attention to the importance of creating retirement income grows, a new MetLife study finds that plan sponsors of the largest workplace retirement plans and their recordkeepers have taken the first steps to help participants secure retirement income — but a lot more work needs to be done to pave the way for participants to begin to take action.

Behavioral health, including depression and stress, is an increasing area of concern to employers, according to the Disability Management Employer Coalition 2012 Behavioral Risk Survey of small, mid-sized and large companies. The concerns and costs — including direct medical expenses, lost productivity, workers' compensation and disability payments — are made more challenging due to the uncertain future of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.