Banco Popular de Puerto Rico

Sixty-eight percent of employers will deck the halls this year, compared to 61% in 2009, SHRM finds. Even better news, fewer organizations cancelled holiday parties this year due to finances, down to 8% from 12% in 2010 and 20% in 2009.

It's no secret that most provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act arent' going to win any popularity contests. However, a recent poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation reveals Americans' most liked PPACA provisions.

The network is looking to interview an employee who stopped contributing to his/her 401(k) during the height of the recession, but has since resumed deferrals because his/her employer reinstated its matching contributions.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, 39% of Fortune 500 companies now offer transgendered employees and/or dependents health benefits to cover medical costs associated with gender reassignment surgery, up from 1% in 2004.

I know of an employer — which shall remain nameless — that began communicating its benefits enrollment period the day enrollment began. No, I’m not kidding. Yes, it’s a real company. I know — I couldn’t believe it either (obviously, why I’ve withheld the employer’s name; it would just be too shameful otherwise). …

Last month, Walmart announced it would stop providing health benefits to its part-time workforce. Then, just days later, it quietly issued an RFI seeking a partner to provide more health clinics in its stores — offering medical services that wouldn’t be covered for its part-time employees. Anyone else think that’s a bit two-faced?

Apparently, teleworkers were more exhausted and most likely to feel conflicted about work and family responsibilities. Well, duh! That’s not the fault of telework; that’s just called parenting.

A research study showed that overweight teen girls who exercised continued to drink soda daily, and many of the overweight boys didn’t exercise at all, in favor of playing video games. I’m no scientist, but it seems to me there’s a work-ethic problem that's derailing their weight-loss progress.

Even though today’s Great American Smokeout (Nov. 17) might seem like a day that’s just sandwiched between Halloween and Thanksgiving, it can be more than that. It can be a day — maybe the day — that someone in your workplace knows better and decides to do better.

The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is part of the national Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance, which brings together community cornerstones like the Y, health insurers, retail pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, federal agencies and national nonprofit groups to increase awareness and education about diabetes, as well as increase treatment compliance for those with the disease.