Employer Strategies

Historically, the retirement industry hasn't been required to publish all fees and expenses associated with 401(k) products. That's about to change.

Since 2008, Mass Metal in Lawrence, Kan., has helped individuals buy, hold and sell gold and silver through its online service, SilverSaver. Now the company is offering SilverSaver as a voluntary benefit program.

According to a LIMRA report released late last summer, "Voluntary Worksite Benefits: Penetration and Market Potential," almost one-third of all employers are considering offering new voluntary benefits to replace existing benefits that are paid entirely or in part by the employer.

Despite their "constantly wired" reputation, Generation Y employees don't use online resources such as forums or blogs to access voluntary benefits information any more than other workers do, according to new research. And they're significantly more likely than other workers to turn to a family member or friend for information.

In 2010, the unemployment rate of post-2001 veterans was 11.5% - including 20.9% among vets age 18-24 - well higher than the national 9.1%. Because of this, President Obama has called for two new tax credits: One would provide an incentive for companies to hire unemployed veterans, and the second would double an existing tax credit for hiring long-term unemployed veterans who have service-related disabilities.

As the economy picks up and companies begin to shift focus from maintaining financial stability to cultivating employee growth, performance management will prove to be a key way to enhance employee engagement and job satisfaction.

An Arab-American who is a former employee of PricewaterhouseCoopers has filed suit against the firm, claiming he was terminated after he told an internal newsletter that he thought "there is room for improvement" in PwC's diversity practices.

Acquisitions often occur for different reasons: Sometimes a company is looking to expand within its market sector; other times, a company is looking to expand outside of its traditional business operations for future growth and expansion.

Cost-shifting to employees, consolidating plan choices, emphasizing account-based plans and requiring employees to do more to receive incentives are key themes outlined in the 2011 Towers Watson Health Care Trend Survey.

Do you have a personal physician? How did you choose your doctor?