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As employer-provided benefits continue to become a bigger portion of labor costs, organizations are increasing employee cost sharing as well as providing employee health education, wellness initiatives and financial education/advice. According to the Employee Benefits Accountability and Consumerism 2011 survey by WorldatWork, 45% of surveyed organizations report that turning employees into educated consumers of benefits is a very high priority for their organization's top management with more senior leaders now acting as advocates.

In today's BeAdvised, we turn to a former contributor of our sister publication, Employee Benefit News, Karrie Andes. Today, she's writing on two topics that never run short on blogworthy material: Form 5500 and the IRS. Enjoy, and be sure to share your thoughts.

Only 4% of plan sponsors have established goals to engage workers younger than 35 in their defined contribution plans, even though they know the younger generation's participation and contribution rates lag their older colleagues, a survey by Greenwich Associates for Northern Trust finds.

Many small business owners in the United States are reluctant to hire more employees in the near term as economic uncertainty and sagging sales continue to put pressure on company balance sheets, the latest index on small business optimism from the National Federation of Independent Business shows.

The percentage of Americans who have health insurance through their employer slipped to a new low of 44.5% in the third quarter, a drop of over 5 percentage points in three years, according to a poll released last week.

The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will hear cases on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March with a ruling expected by the end of June.

Are you providing a helpful owner’s manual with your CDHP plans? In today’s BeAdvised Helen Box-Farnen shares why ongoing education for participants just may increase the value of this plan.

For most employers, annual enrollment for this year is in the rear-view mirror. That means that you’re done with the emails, the newsletter, the guide, the meetings, the reminder postcard, the online enrollment system, and other communications, right? Not if you’ve implemented a new Consumer Driven Health Plan. Not if you want to avoid disruption from confused employees who are using a CDHP for the first time. Not if you want your employees to get the…

Lots to do today to put the finishing touches on EBN December. But I didn't want to leave you without a blog post, so saving my bacon is former EBN contributor Karrie Andes. Today, she's writing on two topics that never run short on blogworthy material: Form 5500 and the IRS. Enjoy, and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments. --K.M.B.

Since HIV/AIDS was first reported in the U.S. in 1981, employers have struggled to not only keep up with the disease and the accommodations workers might need, but have lost countless numbers of employees who were unable to work due to illness or side effects of treatment. However, in 2007, Integrase Inhibitors were introduced and the one-pill-a-day treatment had dramatically fewer side effects and was usually taken before bed. This meant that for the first time, people could go back to work. Here are some ways companies can support that move back to work.