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HR professionals are dealing with both the usual crush of questions on open enrollment and a new onslaught of queries and concerns surrounding Obamacare and the health care marketplaces – even from those who have nothing to do with the public exchanges. By now, you have notified workers about the Affordable Care Act. You've made sure all your plans are compliant. Surely that’s all you have to communicate, right? Wrong. [Images: Shutterstock]

From Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer’s decision to end work-from-home arrangements at her company earlier this year to CultureRx founder Jody Thompson’s assertion during a keynote speech at last month’s Benefits Forum & Expo that “a flexible schedule is an oxymoron,” flexible work has had its share of the spotlight recently. Shani Magosky, an executive coach and owner of Vitesse Consulting, believes flexible work solutions can and do work with proper strategy and execution. Here are the remaining six elements she recommends for a successful flexible workplace. [Images: Shutterstock]

From Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer’s decision to end work-from-home arrangements at her company earlier this year to CultureRx founder Jody Thompson’s assertion during a keynote speech at last month’s Benefits Forum & Expo that “a flexible schedule is an oxymoron,” flexible work has had its share of the spotlight recently. Shani Magosky, an executive coach and owner of Vitesse Consulting, believes flexible work solutions can and do work with proper strategy and execution. Here are 15 elements — five strategy-focused, 10 execution-focused — she recommends for a successful flexible workplace. [Images: Shutterstock]

Now that the long-feared government shutdown – prompted by an ongoing, partisan budgetary wrestling match – has finally occurred, what kind of impact will the hopefully short-lived pause in federal government activity have on benefits decision makers? Despite all the grousing about there being too much government involvement in our lives, it’s not until the lights go dark that you realize the widespread and inescapable scope of national agencies. [Images: Shutterstock]

Small businesses with up to 100 employees will have access to state or federally based Small Business Health Options Program exchanges, also known as SHOP exchanges, which will expand their purchasing power. Federally based SHOP exchanges were originally scheduled to begin enrollment on Oct. 1, 2013, just like the exchange for individual coverage. The Obama administration, however, issued a statement that the federal government will not be able to enroll small businesses online until November 1, 2013.

Would you hire job applicants who sang their interview, dressed as a clown, or printed their resume on a chocolate bar? CareerBuilder surveyed hiring managers and human resource professionals nationwide to share the most memorable methods candidates have used to stand out from the crowd, and whether their creativity got them hired. Here are six examples of what worked and eight that didn't from their survey conducted by Harris Interactive and EBN readers. [Images: Shutterstock]

Employees generally don't spend enough time choosing their health benefits each year, with many blindly re-enrolling. This year especially that could be a risky and costly strategy as changes from the Affordable Care Act have transformed the insurance landscape. "In some cases, not making an active decision during enrollment means employees could get defaulted into a health care plan that doesn't meet their needs—or even worse—leaves them and their families with no coverage at all," says Craig Rosenberg, Aon Hewitt’s health & welfare benefits administration practice leader. "It’s up to employees to read the fine print and take an active role in understanding if and how these changes may impact them." [Images: Shutterstock]

LIMRA research has released two studies on effective ways for companies and financial advisers to connect to the Hispanic market for life insurance. Here are 10 important facts for professionals to know when trying to reach the Hispanic demographic. [Images: Shutterstock]

The World Health Organization’s World Suicide Prevention Day was this month, with a theme of “Stigma: A Major Barrier to Suicide Prevention.” Now in its 10th year, Suicide Prevention Day aims to combat the 800,000 suicides a year, and stigma is one of the areas where employers can really help. [Images: Shutterstock]

The financial well-being of employees affects both their health and their productivity. In addition, employees' financial problems become employers' financial problems. Employers who understand the current status of this stress can help improve the financial wellness of their employees and improve the company's bottom line at the same time. In a new nationwide survey, Purchasing Power found four powerful dynamics of financial stress for full-time employees. Elizabeth Halkos, chief revenue officer at Purchasing Power, offers three solutions for employers to help workers overcome financial obstacles and maintain their focus, engagement and productivity. [Images: Shutterstock]