Employer Strategies

The Affordable Care Act has had one unintended consequence for small businesses. It has prompted employers to beef up their retirement benefits as a way to attract and retain good employees.

Even when using a TPA, plan sponsors must retain documentation for loans and hardship withdrawals, IRS says.

The Small Business Efficiency Act created a certification process for professional employer organizations, an important development for small businesses.

A third of employers say they’ve experienced fines and penalties in the past year because of non-compliance with government regulations, many of which they are simply unaware of. For many, expert advice from benefit advisers could be a real solution.

Employers around the world are pushing free transparency and seeking better investment outcomes for their workers, which is leading to a greater availability of low-cost investment options in employer-sponsored plans.

Top- rated states and localities have shortchanged payments to retirement plans as rallying stocks ease the funding pressure while services such as schools and crumbling infrastructure scream for resources.

Time was when the word marketplace conjured up images of village locals peddling their wares to eager residents, or tourists looking to sample native foods or purchase artistic creations from an open-air market nestled within a quaint town.

Given the pressures of everyday work, employees from different generations will likely experience anxiety, depression and performance issues in very different ways.

Enrollment in private health care exchanges hit 6 million for the 2015 plan year, according to Accenture — doubling the 3 million figure from 2014. Most of the growth is in the mid-market segment.

The psychological effects of unemployment can have long-lasting effects on workers and employers may want to bear this in mind when assessing job candidates.