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"The whole onsite clinic thing has been a buzz the last few years," says Michael Troup, partner at Forsite Benefits.

Like so many things, in benefits and in life, there are two sides to every coin. For example, while new 408(b)(2) regulations governing service-fee disclosures are expected to help retirement plan sponsors determine fee reasonableness and assess conflicts, once the July 1 deadline passed, the burden of responsibility shifted to the employer.

Employers who postponed action on health reform compliance will now be going full tilt to continue meeting the legislation's provisions that take effect this year and beyond. But even larger strategic questions loom over their roles as benefit sponsors.

Ever since the Supreme Court issued its ruling to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in June, family, friends and colleagues have been asking me, "What do you think of the ruling? Is it good? Is it bad? Does it matter?"

When we brought home our NEW cockapoo puppy, Cali, our two older dogs were less than enthusiastic. Our husky, Torik, was patiently annoyed, but our big Akita, Connor, strenuously objected to the rambunctious puppy from the beginning. Cali jumped at Connor's face, chased his tail and ran circles around a dog that was five times her size. In response, Connor barked and growled - we were fearful that he would injure her.

We talk a good game in the health care system. We say we want to empower patients, but how powerful do we really want them to be? We say we want to give them enough information so they can make informed choices, but how do we deliver that information so that patients truly understand what is being said? As health care reform continues and open enrollment periods occur, encourage your employees to know that they are the key to this empowerment that everyone's talking about. Thus, it's important that they be educated about, and encouraged to exercise, their medical freedoms - specifically, the freedom to request the surgeon of your preference.

Do you work sitting on your butt all day? Yeah, me too - and we're not alone.

You've been thinking about introducing a wellness program and finally feel like you've developed a solid business case. You walk in to your manager's office and barely get these words out of your mouth, "I'd like to talk about wellness ... ," when you hear a combination of: "We don't have the money for it ... you have better things to work on ... only the healthy will use it ... ." You meekly head back to your desk and put your wellness presentation up on the shelf. Is this you? If yes, let the "tree of healthy" be your green thumb of wellness success.

After the Supreme Court upheld the so-called individual mandate and substantially all of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act following a legal challenge led by my home state of Florida, President Obama hadn't finished his victory lap before the political line was drawn in the sand. The battle is over, but war wages on until the American people take to the voting booth in November. I have a feeling this election year will be an interesting one, and with a front row seat in Florida, I'm going to be tuned in and transfixed.

Even under the best employment conditions, hiring the wrong employee can drag down a company's bottom line and dampen workforce productivity and morale. However, the national skills gap and ongoing economic concerns make finding the right candidate crucial the first time around.