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Looking for some new strategies and helpful hints on making your benefit plans more effective? Check out the new book from EBN’s parent company SourceMedia, “The Three Rs of Employee Benefits: Recruiting, Retention and Rewards.” You may recognize the byline — I mean author name — of former EBN Managing Editor Leah Shepherd, who penned the book with co-author Robert Arnoff. The book analyzes benefit plans’ impact on recruiting and retention in today’s economy. It advises…

In addition to there being an association for everything, the “there’s an app for that” movement that Apple has started for the iPhone may be reaching a tipping point. Want proof? You got it. I heard today from LifeInsuranceAgency.com, an insurance comparison site. The company is pleased to introduce its (you guessed it!) new iPhone application LifeValue. LifeValue, execs say (somewhat morbidly), helps users “calculate the value of their life,” thus educating them how much life…

Well, this industry never ceases to surprise me. I would have thought that, given the recession, employers would be cutting back on costly overseas assignments (and the also expensive training and communication for workers and families that go along with them). However, new numbers from KPMG show that although companies are making cost-saving adjustments to their international assignment programs during the economic downturn, but continued to send assignees overseas. …

The results from recession-survival surveys are in, and the bottom line is this: Cuts in benefits = cuts in morale, engagement and commitment. I wish I had better news for you, pros, but there you have it. The “just lucky to have a job” feeling is wearing off, and you may not have much longer to get employees excited about working for you again before you lose them for good. …

Good afternoon, DD readers. Apologies for the lack of post today, but today is moving day for the EBN office and there is nothing but boxes as far as my eye can see. Will post tomorrow, once I make a dent in the unpacking. Interestingly enough, a story we have cooking for EBN October reports that EBN isn't the only office that's on the move. …

As a follow-up to EBN’s rewards and recognition coverage this month, I recently had an interesting and highly amusing conversation with Steve Humphreys, CEO of global rewards and recognition firm Grass Roots. According to Humphreys, crafting rewards programs for global employers creates some challenges. For one, employee gifts like iPods and Amazon.com gift cards apparently aren’t the big crowd pleasers they are here in the States. So, what is a hit? …

Released this week, Senate Finance Committee chair Max Baucus’ (D-Mont.) health care reform proposal seems to have spared employers from an outright mandate to provide health benefits. However, the bill does include a pay-or-play provision – as in, provide coverage or pay up to subsidize coverage in the mysterious “exchange.” …

All summer, I’ve felt like Vladimir and Estragon, waiting for my version of Godot – a working health care reform proposal from the Senate. Finally, as summer turns to fall, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) released yesterday his plan to makeover the nation’s health care system. The bill is just as long and bloated as the now famous (infamous?) H.R. 3200, so I admit I haven’t read the whole thing. But a few pertinent notes for you,…

Further proving my belief that there’s an association for everything, the American Happiness Association, a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit, recently informed me of its very laudable, somewhat laughable and extremely bold mission: to significantly increase the level of enduring happiness worldwide. But it’s not all sunshine, rainbows and clowns for AHA; on the contrary, the organization provides science-based education and resources to help people learn and practice sustainable happiness. …

At a Monday session at Benefits Forum & Expo, Lesley Leiserson, director of benefits at The Home Depot, offered this advice to attendees as a way to get employers and all their vendor partners on the same page before implementing any sort of large-scale benefits change. The home improvement retailer, which has more than 300,000 associates across 2,200 stores, took on the awesome task of changing its health, dental and vision carrier all in the same…