Benefit management

A majority of private company executives say that hiring is still at the top of their “to-do” lists for 2014 despite concerns over the skills available in the workforce, according to a study released by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Health care plan sponsors planning to get in the front of costly services this year may want to consider increasing employee communication, particularly if they have high deductible health plans. New data from Change Healthcare shows wide price variability among some common medical procedures.

As we begin the New Year, educating employees about new benefit programs through innovative, digital communication will be absolutely crucial. Here are five predictions for what 2014 will bring.

To hear it from Vice President Joe Biden, the fight over the Affordable Care Act may be far from over – but he’s certainly interested in recognizing the troops who helped build support for the landmark legislation.

Workers in San Francisco who have caregiving responsibilities now have the right to request changes to their working conditions, thanks to the Family Friendly Work Ordinance. A similar right-to-request law was also passed in Vermont last spring.

Improving employee health while reducing employer health care costs are the dual objectives of supermarket chain Kroger, which has about 130,000 people — employees and dependents — enrolled in one of its three medical plans.

Finding a new job is a top priority for many workers with 83% of Americans saying they plan on switching careers in 2014. Considering the upswing, Allison & Taylor, an employment verification firm, offers 10 employment trends that potential job candidates should consider while searching – ideas that reflect many of the changes and the new normal in the HR world.

Right now is a good opportunity to look at the good, the bad and the ugly of the benefits world in 2013, and to see what we might be able to look forward to in the coming year.

Many organizations aren't taking advantage of the most effective tool to distribute and reinforce messages—benefits administration technology. Technology is extremely useful in automating many of the tactical components of benefits administration while it also enhances your education and communication strategy.

While most employers believe they're somewhat responsible for employees' financial wellness, according to a new survey, less than half of large companies (48%) has a financial wellness strategy in place or plan to add one in the next two years.

Pop singer Adam Levine is among the celebrities who'll be promoting enrollment in online health insurance exchanges as part of a social media campaign kicking off this week.

Looking for real engagement — and improved outcomes — for workplace weight-loss programs? A new range of electronic tools (and old-fashioned psychological incentives) can help get workers to shed the pounds, for life.

The best way to encourage healthy decisions is to make cultural changes that affect the entire workforce, as well as the broad environment. Here are nine suggestions for small changes that can have big results.

Dr. Rafael Bengoa, the Basque region's former minister of health, is currently serving as an adviser to President Obama on ACA implementation.

At the crux of the issue are two constitutional distinctions: whether the “corporations are people” rights of for-profit companies extend to religious rights for the corporation, as opposed to just their owners, and what kind of accommodations for different views are required.

Learning to cope with treatment – or even the time or alternative work arrangements required for an employee helping a loved one dealing with cancer – can be a challenge for any HR professional, but a new guide hopes to provide better understanding.

Half of employees age 50 and up say they would make major sacrifices that could affect their own retirement to help family members, finds a recent survey.

“The tool ... provides us with the ability to send out critical food safety alerts to all store managers instantly,” says one official, who adds that the ability to upload training videos was a big part of what needed to be a very low-budget solution.

Prepare yourself for monumental changes in health care with wise words from BFE speakers.

In recent years, many employers have introduced flexible work practices to help employees manage their work/life balance, although Culturerx founder Jody Thompson said she believes that “standard flexible work programs are holding us hostage.”