Employer Strategies

Chief financial officers at some of the nation's largest banks and financial services firms are downright bullish on the U.S. economy's overall outlook but nagging concerns about health care reform and the uncertainty of those costs are tempering their optimism.

Compared to the rest of the world, Americans generally receive a pitifully low amount of paid vacation. Americans seem to want to live a life of work, based on our lack of paid vacation laws as well as the number of vacation time off the average American employee gets.

Cash balance plans are becoming increasingly popular with small businesses as well as Fortune 500 companies, says Dan Kravitz, president and CEO of Kravitz, Inc., an independent firm of retirement consultants headquartered in Southern California.

Ordering fewer tests and prescribing fewer antibiotics will not only curb health care spending, but also improve the quality of primary care, a large group of U.S. doctors said Monday.

Despite the widely held belief that younger investors have become tremendously risk-averse due to the economic crisis, Vanguard is finding that younger investors have increased their equity exposure considerably.

This summer, health improvement company Healthways plans to launch premium software that will help employees take many daily steps toward a healthier lifestyle.

More than 40% of senior human resources professionals at financial services firms identified a stronger focus on pay issues over the next 12 months than on other HR changes, according to a poll conducted by global consulting company Towers Watson.

Looking for hospital ratings on the Internet or in magazines may not serve patients' best interests, with so-called "50 Best Hospitals" not necessarily any better than other medical institutions, a study said.

Health information exchange -- a process that aims to simplify and improve patient care by connecting doctors and hospitals -- hasn't been catching on as fast as policymakers hoped, a new survey finds.

As the job market picks up, there is a fear by employers of high turnover due to a lack of engagement with their staff. As a result, as the market settles, engagement of critical talent is a top concern for companies, according to new survey from Aon Hewitt.