Recently added articles from Employee Benefit News:
Increasing transparency; 401(k) fee disclosure takes center stage.(Cover Story)
Jun 15, 2009; ... Byline: Lynn Gresham Momentum is building for greater transparency - and reductions - in 401(k) fees. The estimated loss of $2 trillion in retirement plan assets has put defined contribution plans squarely in crosshairs of the nation's lawmakers, justices and public ...
Thinking holistically about benefits in a lean year.(Employee-Consumer)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Ronald S. Leopold In the midst of current economic challenges, opportunities have emerged for employee benefits professionals. In this challenging year, compensation and benefits will not necessarily be equal partners. Many companies will face significant struggles in ...
Money gone to waste? Some experts question whether health IT investments truly will save money.(Health Care)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Leah Carlson Shepherd This year's federal stimulus law includes a $19.5 billion investment in health information technology. It extends incentive payments to doctors and hospitals that buy and use electronic medical records, with penalties starting in 2015 for those who ...
Debunking misconceptions about lupus, health care costs and the workplace.(Health Care)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Lydell C. Bridgeford This article is the second in a two-part series addressing lesser-known ailments that affect employee health and productivity, and employer costs. The first installment, "Suffering in silence," which addressed the hidden costs of migraines, was ...
Not exactly health IT; Battery-powered electronic cigarettes hit the store shelves, but not incorporated into employers' smoking-cessation programs.(Feature Story)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Leah Carlson Shepherd Imagine taking a break to relax, reaching into your pocket and drawing a long inhale on ... a tobacco-free electronic cigarette. It may not have FDA approval yet, but it is the latest innovation in series of products designed to aid smoking ...
Looking for land; U.S. multinationals look at pan-European plans as a way to put global benefits plans on solid ground.(Feature Story)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Paul Shimer In the 1950s and 1960s, American companies initiated ambitious plans to expand business outside the United States. Such expansion also meant exporting American methods of doing business, including employee benefit plans. The original thinking was simply to ...
How may I help you? Brokers launch 401(k) help lines to give employers an extra hand with retirement education.(Retirement Planning)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Elizabeth Galentine It started with a phone line and a thought. With high deductibles and defined contribution plans that highlight personal responsibility becoming the norm, Craig Hasday, president of New York-based Frenkel Benefits, wanted a way to put his company ...
Summary of alternatives regarding the federal COBRA subsidy.(Laws and Regs)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Frank Palmieri The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, but perhaps best known simply as the "stimulus package"), implemented a 65% federal subsidy for the cost of COBRA coverage for individuals involuntarily terminated from their jobs between Sept. 1, 2008 and ...
Video games use 'stealth learning' to teach financial planning.(Success Stories)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Kathleen Koster Ever consider what you would do with Madonna's money? "Celebrity Calamity" might be the game for you. The computer video game features you as the personal assistant to one of three made-up celebrities, like Missy Moolah, for whom you must make credit ...
10 tips for success with voluntary benefits.(Voluntary)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Patrick J. Haraden As the costs of traditional employee benefits continue to increase, many employers are re-evaluating their offering of voluntary benefits. Employers can gain from offering voluntary benefits because they can increase employee morale, loyalty and ...
Swimming against, and occasionally with, the tide on cancer insurance.(Voluntary)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Robert L. Whiddon It only takes a minute or two for the Web-enabled consumer to find a host of people telling them cancer insurance is a bad buy. From consumer financial sites to celebrity advisers, the message is clear: You don't need cancer insurance. The ...
Pitfalls await employers adopting partner benefits.(Same-sex benefits)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Kathleen Koster Employers avowing equal benefits for same-sex couples and their families should tread carefully down the aisle in order to sidestep potential tax and legal snags, experts advise. The concerns might be fewer for self-insured employers generally ...
Parting ways pleasantly; As layoffs persist, employers embrace offboarding procedures, services to 'focus on the humane side'.(Quality of Life)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Elizabeth Galentine What do companies such as Citigroup, Nike and Wells Fargo have in common? They've all embraced offboarding. A converse to the more commonplace practice of onboarding employees, offboarding is gaining traction as a necessary HR function while ...
This month at BenefitNews.com; June's don't-miss Web-only content at ebn.benefitnews.com, your best online resource for benefits news and information.(Online content)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Editorial Staff "Five Minutes With ..." EBN's monthly podcast series, where we get exclusive insights from benefit managers, consultants and innovators behind great new products. This month, EBN spends five minutes with: James ...
Editor's Inbox: Readers write in about DR dental, contributed content.(direct reimbursement)(Editorial)
Jun 15, 2009 ... One pro's experience with direct reimbursement dental I read your April 1 feature story ("Merging past and progressive") with interest. I just had to contact you and let you know we are introducing for our dental plan renewal effective July 1. We have had a direct reimbursement ...
Court rejects ban on guns in workplace parking lots.(Court ruling)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Lydell C. Bridgeford In Ramsey Winch Inc. v. Henry, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that workers in Oklahoma have the constitutional right to keep guns in their vehicles parked on their employers' parking lots. The ruling reversed a ...
Look at the birdie: Tweets are taking over.(Editor's Desk)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Kelley M. Butler It's no secret, the world's gone a-Twitter. Whether being used to communicate with friends, colleagues or like-minded strangers, the social networking/microblogging site Twitter experienced 1,382% growth between February 2008 and February 2009. ...
International benefits news from Belgium, Taiwan and France.(Editor's Desk)
Jun 15, 2009 ... Byline: Compiled by IBIS eVisor Belgium extends eligibility period for family leave Belgium has extended the eligibility period for paternity and childcare leave. Fathers now are eligible for 10 days of paid paternity leave, with the first three days paid by the ...
Could your employees be corporate thieves? Increased layoffs heighten risk of information theft.(Benefits Corner Office)
Jun 15, 2009; ... Byline: Kathleen Koster Corporate information is at a heightened risk as mass layoffs continue to leave disgruntled former employees desperate for money on top of diminished company investment in safeguarding personal data. These factors could cause massive destruction, whether ...
Claims technology aims to make health care 'retail-ish'.(Benefits Corner Office)
Jun 15, 2009; ... Byline: Kathleen Koster Although limited and mini-medical plans have become increasingly popular with employers to control rising health care costs, not everyone saves when doctors can't collect or patients overpay, which doesn't bode well for employers. "The pain ...