|
|
| |
|
|
|
LEGAL AID
The Benefit of Counsel
Prompted by the national mortgage mess and myriad other legal issues that people face, more employers are offering group legal plans to employees.
Read more about why group legal plans can bolster employee productivity.
Also:
As the Mortgage Industry Tumbles, Employers Begin to Feel the Effects
Personal Debt Can Drive Employees to Distraction
Expanded EAPs Lend a Hand to Employers' Bottom Lines
|
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Three Key Choices for Health Management
Employers can achieve significant, often dramatic labor savings and other financial gains in their health programs. But to do so, they need to do three things: focus on the most promising health challenges and employees; choose the right set of financial gains to measure in planning, implementing and evaluating investments; and select the best providers and interventions.
Read more about the health issues that offer the greatest opportunities for savings.
Also:
Filling the Gaps in a Porous Medical System
Employers Beef Up Efforts to Increase Worker Participation in Wellness Programs
|
|
COMMENTARY
Is It Time to Reboot Your Defined-Contribution Plan?
Companies may want to consider sweeping existing 401(k) participant balances into new and better funds.
Read more about why plan sponsors might want to re-enroll existing participant balances into these asset allocation funds.
|
NEWS AND EVENTS
Quick Takes
Workplace Saving: A growing number of employees are getting the majority of their financial and retirement products and services through their employers, according to a recent study by MetLife.
Click here to read more.
Older and Insured: Older individuals, considered those ages 55-64, are more likely to have health insurance coverage than their younger counterparts, according to recent findings by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.
Click
here to read more.
Substance Abuse: Insured federal workers will now be covered for participation in a substance abuse prevention and screening program.
Click here to read more.
Dealing With Debt: It's very likely that debt is going to affect individuals' ability to retire, according to a recent multi-generational study by Securian Retirement, a St. Paul, Minnesota-based retirement services provider.
Click here to read more.
Consumer-Driven Downside: Much of the cost savings that employers realize by offering consumer-driven health plans may actually be due to employees not using these services because of higher out-of-pocket costs, according to a new study by Milliman and the National Business Group on Health.
Click here to read more.
AIDS Relief: A number of large companies are offering programs to help employees with HIV/AIDs, according to a recent report by the Conference Board.
Click here to read more.
|
DISCUSSION
Bereavement policy
Posted in the
Benefits & Compensation Forum:
A reader writes: "Can anyone give me information on how their bereavement policy is worded in regards to number of days/relation to employee? Our company provides for immediate family only."
Join the discussion.
|
|
METRICS
Health Care Politics
Percentage of voters reporting which health care issues presidential candidates should address, March 2007
|
|
Total
|
Republicans
|
Democrats
|
Independents
|
|
Coverage for
uninsured
|
32%
|
22%
|
38%
|
32%
|
|
Reducing costs
|
31
|
38
|
28
|
31
|
|
Improving Medicare
Rx
|
12
|
10
|
15
|
11
|
|
Improving quality
of care
|
12
|
16
|
7
|
14
|
|
Reducing government
spending
|
7
|
11
|
6
|
6
|
Note:
Survey of 1,233 adults.
Source: Kaiser
Family Foundation |
Benefits Effectiveness
Percentage of employers reporting effectiveness of benefit programs in supporting key objectives, 2006
|
Extremely
effective
|
Effective
|
Not effective
|
| Employees' needs (adequate safety
net) |
47%
|
37%
|
16%
|
| Retention objectives |
46
|
34
|
20
|
| Recruiting objectives |
42
|
38
|
20
|
| Risk management
objectives |
36
|
49
|
15
|
| Cost management objectives |
25
|
44
|
31
|
|
Note:
Survey of 140 HR and benefit managers.
Source: Towers Perrin |
|
|
|
