June 12, 2019
Sabbaticals Can Benefit Employees and Employers
While many employees may be dreaming of a short summer vacation, others could have a longer block of time off in mind. Sabbaticals, whether paid or unpaid, are extended breaks from work without leaving a position. A sabbatical gives an employee the opportunity to take time to travel, spend time ...
June 11, 2019
Mentorship Matters
Imagine highly tailored, expert advice for both professional and personal life goals and transitions being readily available. That’s what a skilled mentor can provide. Having an engaged, intentional, and present mentor helps support and build talent. Beyond talent and skill building, ...
June 10, 2019
Compliance Recap | May 2019
May was a busy month in the employee benefits world. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released health savings account annual contribution limits and high deductible health plan minimum annual deductibles and annual out-of-pocket maximums for 2020. The Department of Labor (DOL) released ...
June 10, 2019
Costs by Region | 2018 UBA Health Plan Survey Trends
Overall costs per employee rose 3.8%, from $9,934 in 2017 to $10,313 in 2018 (compared to the 2.1% increase from $9,727 in 2016 to the 2017 cost). Regional cost averages vary even more significantly, making it essential to benchmark both nationally and regionally. For example, a significant ...
June 4, 2019
Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace
Mental Health Month in May each year is a campaign to raise overall awareness about mental health in America that started in 1949. The effort to bring mental health to the forefront of employee wellness conversations is relatively new. According to Employee Benefit News, it’s only been in ...
June 3, 2019
Health Plan Costs and Premium Increases | 2018 UBA Health Plan Survey Trends
Average health plan costs continue to rise, with 2018 premium increases at the highest level in the last decade. The average initial or proposed rate increase reported for 2018 was 13.9%, with final rate increases averaging 9.8% after negotiation. Initial analysis indicates that employees bore ...
May 28, 2019
Bringing Design Thinking to HR
Across industries, design thinking has continued its rise in popularity. At its core, design thinking is about centering people in the creation of products. Whatever you’re designing, whether a process or a tool, connecting your work to the people who will use it makes a better solution. As HR ...
May 21, 2019
Is it Time for Unlimited Time off?
While more and more perks — catered lunches, on-site gyms, immunizations programs — are about employee health, wellness, and happiness, they ultimately are also designed to keep workers at work. A recent article in Quartz at Work points out that more than anything, employees want more time off ...
May 14, 2019
Employee Compensation | Money Talks
April 1 may be April Fool’s Day, but for many workers April 2 is no joke. For 2019, it represents National Equal Pay Day, or the day up to which women have to work to make what men made the previous year on average. For women of color, the day is even later in the...
May 13, 2019
Update on DOL’s Association Health Plans Final Rule
On April 26, 2019, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed an appeal in the court case that recently invalidated portions of the U.S. Department of Labor’s June 2018 association health plan (AHP) final rule. The DOL’s final rule broadened the definition of “employer” under the Employee Retirement ...
