Employee benefits

Commentary: Regardless of the federal minimum wage, companies must continue to comply with each state’s wage laws or face hefty fines and other penalties.

CVS Health Corp. will pay $1.9 billion to buy Target Corp.’s pharmacies and clinics, expanding its reach by adding stores bearing its name inside the U.S. retail chain.

Small-size employers with between 51 and 100 employees currently in large-business group health plans will have to transition to small-business group plans upon their renewal on or after Jan. 1, 2016.

Many employees are unaware of the causes of disability leave and about gaps in their coverage, and a DI advocate inside the firm can help educate individuals about these common misconceptions.

Commentary: As the boomer generation moves further into traditional retirement years, evolving employee expectations are altering the benefits landscape more significantly than at any other time in recent history.

While employers define the topic in different ways, most are focused solely on the physical.

The Obama administration on Thursday launched the “Healthy Self” campaign to better explain health care benefits to those newly insured, connect people to coverage, and encourage healthy lifestyles.

Applying the lens of behavioral economics to benefits choices helps employers understand why employees choose or don’t choose certain voluntary benefits.

Even when plan fiduciaries hire outside service providers to manage the 401(k) plan, they still maintain fiduciary responsibility for certain functions.

Commentary: Preparing a new multiyear strategic benefits plan may require as much (or more) effort than the Affordable Care Act has consumed.

Participation in employer-sponsored 401(k) plans has slowly crept up over the past decade, in large part because of actions taken by plan sponsors.

Employers are falling short on adequate systems and training to provide employees with in-the-moment critical feedback. But all is not lost as some experts have a few steps employers can take to get back on track.

Assurant announced June 10 it will exit the health insurance market and sell some small group business lines to insurance holding company National General Holdings.

Commentary: If the objective of the Chamber of Commerce’s study on the DOL’s proposed fiduciary rules was to scare small business owners, clearly it succeeded. But it certainly failed on another level.

Commentary: As the health care industry makes progress in the shift from volume to value, technology solutions that promote clinical excellence, improve patient satisfaction and reduce costs are more in demand than ever.

Small businesses will pay a big price if the Department of Labor’s proposed changes to the fiduciary rules go into effect, says the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Generalists and small-market plan sponsors are likely to be the most negatively affected, according to a retirement conference panel.

When employers understand what really matters to employees, they can shape a total work and benefits experience that can have an impact on engagement and business performance.

Prompted by industry questions and concerns, the IRS has issued updated guidance to clarify ACA reporting requirements for applicable large employers, particularly those with special circumstances.

Expanding the electronic options for delivering required financial information to 401(k) plan participants could benefit both employers and employees, but Department of Labor and IRS rules often conflict about when employers can use electronic communication for their retirement plans.