Employee Benefits Report – April 2025
Closing the Savings Gap: Empowering Women for Retirement
A new generation of women is stepping up to take control of their financial futures, but some still face barriers to saving enough for a secure retirement. Employers have a vital role to play in providing the tools and resources women need to close the retirement savings gap. Read on for details.
Higher Confidence Drives Increased 401(k) and HSA Contributions
Americans are feeling more confident about their finances and retirement readiness, according to new data on 401(k) and health savings account (HSA) balances. Supported by greater savings rates and positive market performance, average account balances grew significantly from 2023 to 2024. Read on for details.
What’s Trending in Employee Benefits? Personalization, Financial Help
Employers are constantly evaluating their benefits offerings to find ways to attract and retain top talent while also controlling costs. Read on for details.
Is Your Paid Time Off Keeping Candidates Away?
Job seekers nowadays have endless options if they’re looking to switch jobs. With such a tight labor market, they can afford to be selective. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – March 2025
Is Your Company’s Unused PTO Liability Putting You at Risk?
Nearly half of employees don’t use all their paid time off (PTO). This trend signals problems for both workers and employers. Here’s what HR needs to know— and do—about unused vacation time. Read on for details.
The Smart Employer’s Guide to Combating Rising Healthcare Costs in 2025
While no one knows what 2025 will bring from an economic point of view and there are several factors that are beyond the control of organizations, they can implement various strategies to man- age a major expense, namely healthcare.
Read on for details.
Wages Set to Reflect 2024 Levels as Labor Market Pressures Ease
Compensation budgets are holding steady for 2025, even as concerns over talent attraction and retention ease. Employers plan to allocate similar salary increases as in 2024, according to expert projections. Read on for details.
Employers Face Third Year of Double-Digit Healthcare Increases
Global employers are bracing for another year of substantial healthcare cost increases, marking the third consecutive year of double-digit growth, according to new industry data. The trend shows no signs of slowing, creating mounting pressure for organizations to develop strategic responses to these escalating expenses. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – February 2025
Money Worries Hurt Mental Health, Work Performance
Finances cause moderate to significant anxiety for 62%, up since 2023. This takes a toll at work – 51% say money stress makes it difficult to focus and perform. Nearly 1 in 5 say it impacts their work ability “all the time,” signaling an urgent issue for employers to address. Read on for details.
How Your Benefits Package Can Give You a Competitive Edge
In today’s job market, a robust benefits package is vital for employers looking to recruit and retain top talent. As workforce dynamics and employee needs evolve, companies that fail to adapt their offerings risk falling behind rivals that are more in tune with workers’ wants. Read on for details.
How Employers Can Prepare for Pay Equity Scrutiny
As pay transparency and equity laws gain momentum across the United States, federal and state authorities are increasingly scrutinizing employers to ensure compliance. Read on for details.
What Employers Should Know About Overtime Rules
Overtime regulations are essential for fair employee compensation beyond the standard 40-hour workweek. Employers must grasp these rules to prevent misclassification, legal issues, and penalties. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – January 2025
Time to Rethink Existing Benefit Strategies
American workers continue to report alarmingly low levels of overall well-being, according to the latest research. Just one-third say they are doing well when their physical health, mental health, and financial stability are taken into account. Read on for details.
Does Your Wellness Program Needs an Inclusion Check-Up?
Wellness programs aim to improve employee health and well-being. But many miss the mark on inclusivity, potentially doing more harm than good by alienating swaths of the workforce. Read on for details.
Closing the Financial Inclusion Gap: How Employers Can Help
There is growing bipartisan support for the concept of financial inclusion—ensuring all people in the U.S. have access to basic wealth-building tools like retirement accounts. Read on for details.
Don’t Leave Pet Parents in the Doghouse
There’s a new family dynamic that employers need to consider: pets. With pet ownership at an all-time high, companies that don’t support pet parents risk losing talent. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – December 2024
New Data Shows Workplace Burnout for 75% of Female Employees
A growing mental health crisis among working women has reached a critical point, with female employees disproportionately affected by mounting stressors that are pushing rates of burnout, anxiety, and depression to alarming levels. Read on for details.
58% of Millennials Bet on 401(k)s Over Social Security
A significant generational shift in retirement planning is reshaping how employers need to think about their benefits packages. While older generations have traditionally viewed Social Security as their primary source of retirement income, younger workers are increasingly putting their faith—and their money—into personal retirement accounts. Read on for details.
DOL Pushes Back Against Texas Courts Over Fiduciary Rule
The Department of Labor (DOL) is mounting an aggressive legal challenge to protect its new fiduciary rule for retirement advice, following preliminary injunctions that halted the planned implementation of the regulation. Read on for details.
Family-Building Benefits Lead Latest Workplace Benefits Surge
U.S. employers are rapidly expanding their family-building benefits packages, with fertility and adoption support emerging as key offerings in the competitive talent marketplace. New research shows companies are investing heavily in these benefits to attract and retain employees while supporting diverse paths to parenthood. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – November 2024
Employer Health Costs Set to Spike Upward in 2025
Employers should prepare for a major increase in healthcare costs in 2025, with new projections showing rises of 8-9 percent or more over this year’s spending. Read on for details.
Biden Administration Finalizes Mental Health Parity Rule
The Biden administration has finalized updates to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), with the new Mental Health Parity Rule scheduled to take effect in 2025. Read on for details.
Finding the Goldilocks Zone for Employee Health Programs
Employers often struggle to find the “just right” employee health and wellness programs.
Offerings that are too broad fail to drive engagement, while those too narrow struggle to improve health. However, data shows a “Goldilocks zone” exists—allowing employers to care for employees in a way that benefits well-being and the bottom line. Read on for details.
The Battle to Make Employees Care About Benefits Sign-Ups
Despite the importance of open enrollment, most employees lack enthusiasm when asked to review health insurance and other benefits forms annually. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – October 2024
Navigating the Benefits Buffet: How to Choose the Right Mix for Employees
With the number of potential employee benefits rising swiftly, employers face tough choices deciding which perks provide the highest value. Read on for details.
GLP-1s without Lifestyle Changes May Not Lead to Sustained Weight Loss
The popularity of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic has skyrocketed in recent years due to their effectiveness for weight loss and treating type 2 diabetes. Read on for details.
Employees Cut Back on Their Own Benefits amid High Inflation
As inflation continues weighing on employees, new research released just ahead of open enrollment reveals what some industry experts call a troubling trend: evidence that employers would be wise to step up their benefits education and communication. Read on for details.
Pay Raises Expected to Slow in 2025 as Labor Market Cools
As the white-hot labor market of the past few years shows signs of cooling down, pay raises for U.S. workers in 2025 are projected to be slower than recent trends. Still, most employers will give salary bumps above the 3% threshold that has become the norm in the pre-pandemic economy.Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – September 2024
New Moms Need More than Just Time Off: The Case for Postpartum Benefits
As any new parent knows, bringing home a newborn is exhausting and overwhelming. But for many moms in particular, it can also be isolating and stressful, and lead to serious mental health issues like postpartum depression or anxiety. Read on for details.
Court Halts FTC Non-compete Rule for Plaintiffs: A Win for Employers?
Unexpected injuries can lead to financial stress for many workers. With accident insurance, employers have an opportunity to provide additional financial support to employees. Read on for details.
Family Fitness Is the New Frontier for Employee Wellness Programs
As companies look to improve employee health and productivity while lowering healthcare costs, many are realizing the benefits of expanding wellness initiatives individual employees to include their families as well. Read on for details.
Enable Healing from Pet Loss with Thoughtful Bereavement Policies
As the number of American households welcoming pets continues its 30- year climb, now including more than 66% nationwide according to recent surveys, their role in our families and fabric of daily life has transformed dramatically. Consequently, the grief inflicted by losing these furry loved ones can be devastating. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – August 2024
Set it But Don’t Forget it: Maintaining Your Auto-401(k) Features
When 401(k) auto-features like automatic enrollment, automatic deferrals, and automatic escalation first emerged, they seemed like a total game-changer. Read on for details.
Give Your Employees Peace of Mind with Accident Coverage
Unexpected injuries can lead to financial stress for many workers. With accident insurance, employers have an opportunity to provide additional financial support to employees. Read on for details.
The Remote Workforce Burnout Epidemic: How Employers Can Help
The rapid shift to remote work over the past few years has provided flexibility and other benefits for many employees, but it has also led to a troubling trend: epidemic levels of burnout. Read on for details.
States’ Bid to Block PWFA Rule Fails; Compliance Deadline Stands
A last-ditch effort by 18 states to block new federal regulations implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) has failed, allowing the rules to take effect as scheduled on June 18. The regulations require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with pregnancy-related medical conditions. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – July 2024
Everything Employers Need to Know About Overtime Pay Rule Changes
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently implemented the first phase of a two-step update to overtime pay regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that will substantially impact American workplaces. Read on for details.
Working Moms Mean Business: Supporting Your Parent Workforce
Balancing parenting duties while holding down a full-time job is no easy feat. But with some strategic support from employers, working moms and dads can find greater success both at home and in the office. Read on for details.
How Well Are Current Employee Benefits Programs Meeting Needs of Modern Families?
When it comes to supporting employees with families, traditional benefit offerings may no longer cut it. As concepts of family expand beyond the nuclear unit, benefits must evolve to meet a wider range of needs. Read on for details.
Mixed Signals on Retirement Savings: Higher Balances But More Hardship Withdrawals
Americans have made strides in retirement savings account balances early this year, but financial strain continues to lead some to dip into those funds to make ends meet. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – June 2024
Anxiety Now Top Employee Mental Health Issue
Anxiety has reached unprecedented levels among U.S. workers, according to new data, now topping the list as the number one mental health issue impacting the American workforce. Read on for details.
How Lifestyle Savings Accounts Can Unlock Higher Retention
As the competition for talent continues, employers are searching for new ways to attract and retain top employees. They’re finding that outdated, one-size-fits-all benefits packages no longer cut it. Read on for details.
How Targeted Wellness Programs Can Reduce Workers Comp Claims
Employers pay a high price for workplace injuries. ccording to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), workers’ compensation costs U.S. employers nearly $1 billion per week, including indirect expenses like lost productivity, human resources support, replacement employee training, and reputational damage. Read on for details.
2024 Pay Raises: Employers Navigate Tight Job Market as Year Unfolds
Six months into 2024, U.S. employers are immersed in a delicate high-wire act as they finalize compensation budgets and pay raise plans. Though inflation has moderated to around 3% after peaking at 8% in 2022, the job market remains fiercely competitive, forcing companies to carefully balance salary hikes against rising costs and profitability pressures. Read on for details.
Employee Benefits Report – May 2024
Boost Productivity, Reduce Turnover, and Attract Top Talent by Easing Employee Money Worries
Employee financial stress has reached a decade-high, with less than half (42%) of U.S. workers rating their financial health as good or excellent, according to a recent Bank of America study. With high inflation, lackluster raises, mounting student debt burdens and household debt now topping $17.5 trillion, money worries are increasingly distracting employees and impacting businesses. Read on for details.
New CDC Guidelines and Disability Lawsuits: Navigating Long COVID’s Impact on the Workplace
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidelines that relax isolation requirements for most people testing positive. However, this move coincides with mounting legal battles over whether insurers must cover long COVID disabilities under employee benefits plans. Read on for details.
Preventing Burnout in Working Parents Helps Employers
For companies aiming to elevate productivity, engagement, and loyalty in the workforce, prioritizing support for working parents may be a wise investment. Experts agree the stress of balancing professional and family obligations exacts a significant toll, frequently culminating in burnout — and businesses bear the brunt of the consequences.
Read on for details.
The Game-Changing Benefit You’ve Been Overlooking: SECURE 2.0’s Student Loan Matching
A key provision in the SECURE 2.0 Act that took effect January 1 could be a game-changer for employers looking to assist workers with student debt while also bolstering retirement savings. Read on for details.