Employee Benefit News August 2016

Appetite for worksite benefits remains strong as employers set high standards for vendors, according to the 2016 Employee Benefit News annual survey.

Paid time off banks can be less complicated for employers to administer than more traditional vacation, sick and personal leave programs, but they must adhere to state and municipal laws.

Sima Reid, owner of twentytwenty Insurance, built a benefit platform to meet the unique needs of her client base and attract new business.

Employer adoption of wellness programs has seen a dramatic jump in the last 20 years, but new research from the Society for Human Resource Management suggests plan sponsors are starting to re-evaluate their programs.

About one in three Fortune 500 companies now offer the voluntary product, but demand is expanding because of rising veterinary costs and the close bond employees have with their pets.

The move is part of a broader effort to raise productivity by reducing employee time spent traveling to and waiting for care.

Global accounting firm Crowe Horwath’s chief people officer, Julie Wood, says the move is a benefit to employees, many of whom prefer less structured, more frequent interactions with their managers.

For employers, the dizzying array of recent NLRB decisions on personnel policy language can leave many questions.

Although active investment strategies remain popular, passive investment options are attracting retirement planners with lower fees and by beating benchmarks.

In a tough economic climate, Baltimore’s Gilman School went the extra mile to prepare its employees for retirement and buying a first home.

Too many initiatives focus solely on physical health, ignoring the other pillars such as financial, social, community and career well-being, says NFP’s Deb Smolensky.