More companies weigh cutting 401(k) match in pandemic pinch
The pandemic is affecting one of the best perks of workplace retirement-savings plans: company matches to employee 401(k) contributions.
Employee benefits
Benefits Think A business imperative: Prioritizing mental health in the wake of COVID-19
Employee mental health is vital to a company’s performance, but the pandemic is worsening wellness as time passes and long-term effects compound, driving more insomnia, stress, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress.
David Ebersman
Lyra Health
Employees say ‘feeling stressed’ is top reason for lying about sick days
Out of the employees surveyed in the U.K., the U.S., Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, those in the U.S. are the most likely to lie to their employer about their reason for taking a sick day.
Benefits Think The role of employee benefits in an innovative workplace
When employees feel the pressure to deliver better results in a short amount of time, they are less likely to attempt riskier innovations.
Anjan Pathak
Vantage Circle
Benefits Think Without auto portability, terminated employees will miss out on retirement funds
Years from now, terminated employees may discover they have less income in retirement due to an automatic rollover or automatic cash-out from a previous employer.
Spencer Williams
Portability Services Network and Retirement Clearinghouse
What employers can do to support Black employees right now
Corporate messages and social media outreach may be well intended, but diversity experts say companies need to do more to support Black employees in a time of crisis.
Carrot Fertility teams with digital health company on ovulation benefit
The Ava bracelet predicts a woman’s fertility window with 89% accuracy, which is helpful for employees struggling to become pregnant.
Frontline employees at high risk of burnout and other mental health challenges
Employee mental health is a workplace crisis, with frontline workers struggling with increased anxiety and depression during the coronavirus pandemic.
Coronavirus pandemic offers chance to rethink retirement planning
An early look at the impact from the economic shutdown was not as bad as feared, while industry insiders see opportunities for advisers and sponsors to talk up the value of retirement and emergency savings.
Benefits Think Brave new worldview: Investor attitudes during the coronavirus pandemic
Employers are in a unique position to address employees' financial struggles, as benefits programs are a powerful tool that can help support employees in meeting their current and future financial needs.
Kate Winget
Morgan Stanley at Work
Sequoia Consulting Group’s software solution offers employers options for returning to work
“Employees really want to feel if they are going back to the office that they will be safe,” Sequoia CEO Greg Golub says.
Maven expands benefits offering with acquisition of parenting app
“We read this as an occasion to really integrate women's health with children's health, and that the combination of that integrated support is what makes happier and more successful working parents,” says Erik Lumer, chief product officer at Maven.
Stork Club creates maternity care for modern families
A benefit start-up unveils a new platform that consolidates maternity and parental benefits into one.
Advising coronavirus-strapped clients who need cash now
Early withdrawals from retirement accounts may be unavoidable in today’s economic climate. You can help mitigate the damage.
Credit Suisse sells time off to managers in new cost-saving maneuver
Switzerland’s second-largest bank is recommending higher ranking employees purchase two additional weeks of vacation this year, according to a Credit Suisse spokesman.
Benefits Think Specialty drug conflicts of interest: Employers must act now to control the chaos
In order to maximize the plans fiduciary responsibilities, a contract with appropriate terms and definitions must be in place to allow the plan to exercise their right to carve-out prior authorization.
Denise Giambalvo
Midwest Business Group on Health
Benefits Think Smart CEOs must hear employee cry for mental health benefits
Around 63% of workers say their company could do more to support their emotional and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within this group, 22% said their company’s response was “barely adequate,” “a disaster” or “non-existent.”
Sally Welborn
Employer Health Innovation Roundtable
New Voya initiative helps employers navigate the complex leave landscape
“As that complexity has grown, it was important for us to make sure that we continue to invest in capabilities that are going to be the necessities that employers are looking for,” says Voya executive Lou Strippy.
Benefits Think In uncertain times, flexibility of HRAs help employers maintain benefits
Instead of choosing a one-size-fits-all plan for a group, employers can offer fixed reimbursements that employees can use to purchase their own insurance or use for medical expenses.
Jack Hooper
Take Command Health
Benefits Think Employers struggle to balance helping employees and their bottom line
Many organizations have taken significant steps to reduce employment costs, and nearly a third already have or plan to furlough workers, with another 19% saying they might if necessary, according to a survey by Unum.
Chris Pyne
Unum