March 17, 2021
MOOCs: Free, Ivy-League Education
The quote “once you stop learning, you start dying” is attributed to the great inventor Albert Einstein. The sentiment is a good reminder for those who put their educational pursuits on hold last year when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic swept across the world. You may have been thinking ...
March 15, 2021
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | Part 1: COBRA Premium Assistance
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Act). The Act is a $1.9 trillion legislative package that includes pandemic relief for individuals and families. The Act contains several provisions including funding to the Centers for Disease Control and ...
March 6, 2021
Compliance Recap | February 2021
February was a relatively busy month in the employee benefits world. The Department of Labor (DOL) issued EBSA Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01 regarding the end of the COVID-19 outbreak period. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2021-15 providing guidance on health flexible ...
March 2, 2021
Extended Time Frames for Employee Benefit Plans
3/2/2021 Update: The DOL issued EBSA Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01 providing that the outbreak period relief noted below ends on the earlier of one year from the date an individual or plan was first eligible for relief (extension period) or the original outbreak period of 60 days after the ...
March 2, 2021
Employee Benefits Security Administration Disaster Relief Notice 2020-01
3/2/2021 Update: The DOL issued EBSA Disaster Relief Notice 2021-01 providing that the outbreak period relief noted below ends on the earlier of one year from the date an individual or plan was first eligible for relief (extension period) or the original outbreak period of 60 days after the ...
March 1, 2021
Mandatory Coverage of COVID-19 Vaccines under Group Health Plans
3/5/2021 Update: ACIP recommended the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine. On December 11, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer vaccine). The following day, December 12, 2020, the Centers for ...
February 20, 2021
Leading through Burnout
The World Health Organization (WHO) expanded its definition of burnout as an “occupational phenomenon,” giving credence to a set of conditions that many have experienced but not been able to name. According to WHO, burnout is characterized by “feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; ...
February 20, 2021
Mentoring Program Mishaps: Avoid These Common Pitfalls
Influential business leaders often thank mentors for support in reaching their goals. Sheryl Sandburg credits Ariana Huffington. Mark Zuckerberg was mentored by Apple’s Steve Jobs. In a 2019 study conducted by Olivet Nazarene University, 76% of participants agreed that professional mentorship ...
February 20, 2021
The Ketchup Question: Building Diverse Teams
“It’s the right thing to do.” This simple conclusion was an early driver for HR professionals and hiring managers to add diversity initiatives to their recruitment strategies. Next came a slightly more nuanced line of reasoning – research study data showed a correlation between diverse employee ...
February 20, 2021
Does Your Company Have the Potential to Go Remote Permanently?
Last March, many employees were sent home to work remotely for a few weeks until this “pesky” coronavirus (COVID-19) resolved itself. Almost a year has passed, and many employees are still working from home. Companies are evaluating the costs of continuing to hold onto office real estate while ...
