Employee Benefit News

Workers spend up to half their day dealing with finances

According to a new study, more than a third of Americans spend between two hours and half the day handling personal finance matters, or simply worrying about them, each day. Shawn Gilfedder, president and CEO of McGraw Hill Federal Credit Union, which commissioned the survey, talks to Managing Editor Andrea Davis about financial stress and its effect on employee productivity.

Retired PSCA President David Wray discusses his legacy

David Wray, retired president of the Plan Sponsor Council of America, talks to EBN Managing Editor Andrea Davis about what he’ll miss the most about his job and why the defined contribution retirement system is more vulnerable than people think. For a more in depth interview with David, be sure to read “Exit interview: David Wray” in EBN December.

5 end-of-the-year tips to avoid FSA losses

The average flexible spending account holder loses $138 dollars each year to the use-it-or-lose-it rule, according to Natasha Rankin, executive director of the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation. Rankin offers 5 ways to use FSA funds before the end of the year and details the council’s efforts to improve FSAs for 2013.

How to change 'diversity' from buzzword to bona fide reality

Dr. Nazneen Razi, co-author of “Winning with Transglobal Leadership: How to Find and Develop Top Global Talent to Build World-Class Organizations,” recently sat down with EBN Associate Editor Tristan Lejeune to discuss corporate diversity.

Taking aim at workplace bullies

Legislators in New York state currently are considering The Healthy Workplace Bill, a measure that would make workplace bullying illegal and includes stiff penalties for employers that allow it. Sharon Parella, a partner in the financial institutions employment practice at Morrison & Foerster, discusses the implications of the bill and how its passage could influence other states to create similar laws. She also details a new mobile app, Advance@Work, that aims to educate employers about workplace bullying and its legal implications. For more on this topic, be sure to read "Taking aim" in EBN Sept. 1.

BYOD policy: What it is and why you might need one

Michael Abcarian, a managing partner with Fisher & Phillips LLP, talks with Managing Editor Andrea Davis about the reasons an employer might want to implement a bring-your-own-device-to-work policy and the potential pitfalls of allowing employees to use their personal devices for work purposes.

Benefits play critical role in the global war for talent

Maria Morris, executive vice president, global employee benefits with MetLife joins Managing Editor Andrea Davis to discuss the results of a recent report, The Next Chapter for MNC Globalisation: Scaling risk to opportunity. The study, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, reveals that global talent shortages are an even bigger concern for multinational companies than revolutions or recessions.

Fidelity VP: Now that Supreme Court has ruled, time for employers to get to work

Jeff Munn, vice president of benefits policy development at Fidelity, talks to EBN Associate Editor Brian M. Kalish about action items for employers on fully implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, now that the Supreme Court has ruled 5-4 to uphold the health care reform law in its entirety. Although Munn acknowledges that there still is a possibility that PPACA could be repealed under a Mitt Romney presidency, he notes that employers should come to terms with the fact that reform will “be around for a while” and that “wholesale repeal is relatively unlikely.”

Avoid the legal tripwires associated with same-sex partner benefits

Cathy Stamm, consultant in Mercer's Washington Resource Group, a national legal resource for Mercer consultants and clients on legislative and regulatory developments, speaks to former EBN Associate Editor Lisa Gillespie on the legal implications of offering same-sex partner benefits when it comes to employment laws like HIPAA, COBRA and FMLA, as well as issues like dependent eligibility.

The sum of all parts: Combining physical, financial and mental wellness initiatives

Colleen Reilly, the president and Founder of Total Well-Being — a leading provider of comprehensive corporate wellness solutions for organizations such as Chipotle Mexican Grill, Molson Coors and Sage Hospitality — joins EBN Associate Editor Lisa Gillespie to discuss how her firm integrates physical, financial, professional and personal health for employees. She says the holistic approach can give employers a 3:1 return on investment.