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Move over, Prince Harry and Honey Boo Boo. These two may have been among this year’s “most fascinating” to Barbara Walters, but EBN's list is a bit more discerning. We've compiled a list of our 6 top benefits newsmakers of 2012, and we assure you there’s not a reality star or scandal-magnet monarch anywhere.

2012 has been a dramatic year for benefits and HR professionals—most notably the Supreme Court ruling on PPACA and a highly contentious election cycle. EBN reviews the 10 most popular news stories of the year in a special slide show. Which story means the most to your business and benefit strategy as we approach 2013? Share your thoughts on our Linkedin discussion. [Images: Shutterstock]

Who doesn't want to make their work easier? Employers and HR/benefits managers can prevent sleepless nights by addressing these common workplace issues in written policies and planning procedures. “Pick your battles wisely and what policies you want to focus on, so that you follow best practices for that issue,” suggested Julia A. Nicholson, director of health and welfare services at Employers Benefit Plans of Northern California, LLC. At the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans conference, Nicholson said that periodic review and auditing of these five key policies and procedures will ease HR/benefits headaches over the long-term. [Images: Thinkstock]

The company’s holiday office party is typically one of the best occasions for employees to come together. Unfortunately, however, it’s also an event that can at times bring out the worst in some attendees, which can lead to animosity or even lawsuits. [Images: Thinkstock]

Employee recognition doesn't have to break the bank. Dr. Bob Nelson, Ph.D., author of 1501 Ways to Reward Employees (Workman Publishing, 2012), offers the following low-cost ways to reward or recognize employees this holiday season. For more with Dr. Bob Nelson be sure to read the January issue of EBN.

It takes top-down initiative and commitment to guarantee successful population health management, says Katherine Meacham, vice president of account management for HealthFitness. Here Meacham outlines 10 leadership keys for building and sustaining a culture of health. (Images: Thinkstock)

Where are the best undergraduate HR degree programs? Students look at a number of criteria, including courses and job placement services, but their No. 1 benchmark is the school’s accreditation, according to SHRM.

After a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision and an aggressively contentious national election, those hoping next year will be calmer could be out of luck. Financial experts weigh in on what changes executives and benefits professionals can expect for 2013. (Images: Thinkstock)

The Supreme Court decision on the health care reform law took center stage this year as the most significant case to affect benefit plan sponsors. And while it certainly was an important case, there were other legal decisions in 2012 that have considerable implications for plan sponsors. EBN asked four benefits lawyers — Dickinson Wright’s Cynthia Moore, Seyfarth Shaw’s Mark Casciari, McDermott Will & Emery’s Todd Solomon and Proskauer’s Howard Shapiro — for their views on some of the year’s most important cases. [Images: Thinkstock]

As congressional leaders and President Obama attempt to hammer out a deal to prevent the nation from going over the “fiscal cliff” — a series of tax hikes for individuals and businesses that economists say could imperil the fragile recovery — HR/benefits professionals can prepare now, write benefit attorneys Diane Morgenthaler and Ruth Wimer, partners at law firm McDermott Will & Emery. Just in case we go over the “fiscal cliff,” Morganthaler and Wimer’s report outlines four benefit and payroll areas that should be top of mind for practitioners. (Images: Thinkstock)