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News Brief: Over 80% of Employers Will Add or Improve Benefits in the Next Year

Over 80% of Employers Will Add or Improve Benefits in the Next Year - A new report by health care benefits company Lively found that 81% of organizations plan to add or improve employee benefits in the next year to...

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News Brief: U.S. Workers Are Satisfied With Their PTO, But Don’t Exhaust It

U.S. Workers Are Satisfied With Their PTO, But Don’t Exhaust It - A new Harris Poll survey found that most employed Americans are satisfied with their company’s paid time off (PTO) policy; however, 3 in 4 said they didn’...

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Legal Update: Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefit Limits to Increase in 2025

Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefit Limits to Increase in 2025 - The IRS has released Revenue Procedure 2024-40, which includes cost-of-living adjustments for employee qualified transportation fringe benefits for...

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HR Compliance Bulletin: 7 Employment Policies to Review in 2025

7 Employment Policies to Review in 2025 - Employee handbooks are important for establishing employee expectations, addressing workplace issues and defending against potential lawsuits. Failing to update the employment...

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Legal Update: Deadline for Employers to Receive MLR Rebates Is Approaching

Deadline for Employers to Receive MLR Rebates Is Approaching - Employers with insured group health plans may soon receive a medical loss ratio (MLR) rebate from their health insurance issuers. Issuers who did not meet...

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Legal Update : EBSA Releases Updated Cybersecurity Guidance for Employee Benefit Plans

EBSA Releases Updated Cybersecurity Guidance for Employee Benefit Plans - Through Compliance Assistance Release No. 2024-01, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is confirming...

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Benefits Insights: Motivating Employees to Spend More Time With Open Enrollment

Motivating Employees to Spend More Time With Open Enrollment - Open enrollment is a critical period for both employees and employers. It’s the time when employees can make important decisions about their benefits, which...

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News Brief: Report Finds Weight Loss Drugs Key Driver of 2025 Health Care Cost Increase

Report Finds Weight Loss Drugs Key Driver of 2025 Health Care Cost Increase - A recent Business Group on Health (BGH) survey found that heightened interest and spending on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs is a...

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Legal Update: Court Denies FMLA for Unmarried Father Before Child's Birth

Court Denies FMLA for Unmarried Father Before Child's Birth - The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals recently held in Tanner v. Stryker Corp. that an unmarried employee who traveled to be with his pregnant ex-girlfriend for...

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Legal Update: Increased Civil Penalty Amounts for SBC, MSP, HIPAA Violations

Increased Civil Penalty Amounts for SBC, MSP, HIPAA Violations - On Aug. 8, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a final rule increasing key penalties affecting group health plans. HHS...

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Benefits Insights:​ 8 Tips for Effective 2025 Open Enrollment Communication

8 Tips for Effective 2025 Open Enrollment Communication - Now more than ever, employees are looking to their employers for guidance on navigating their available benefits and how to stretch their dollars further. Many...

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Compliance Bulletin: SAR Is Due by Sept. 30 for Calendar Year Plans

SAR Is Due by Sept. 30 for Calendar Year Plan - Many employers that must file Form 5500 on behalf of their employee benefit plans must also provide plan participants with a summary annual report (SAR). The SAR is a...

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Compliance Bulletin: The DOL Overtime Rule’s Impact on Employee Benefits

The DOL Overtime Rule’s Impact on Employee Benefit - The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) final rule issued on April 23, 2024, increases the salary thresholds used to determine whether executive, administrative and...

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Compliance Overview: IRS FAQs on Educational Assistance Programs

IRS FAQs on Educational Assistance Programs - The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) that provide general information on educational assistance programs under Section 127 of the...

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Legal Update: 3rd Circuit Rules USERRA May Require Paid Leave

3rd Circuit Rules USERRA May Require Paid Leave - On May 21, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit held that short-term military leave may be comparable to jury duty leave and bereavement leave and...

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Benefits and Me: May 2024

What Are Specialty Drug Benefits? - Specialty drugs, also known as specialty pharmaceuticals, are some of the most expensive prescriptions you can buy-costing up to $2,000 or more per month. Unfortunately, they may also...

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Compliance Bulletin: Form 5500 Deadline is July 31st

Form 5500 Deadline is July 31st - Each year, employers that are subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) must electronically file an annual report (Form 5500) for each employee benefit plan...

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News Brief: Report Highlights Growing Demand for Family-friendly Benefits

- Report Highlights Growing Demand for Family-friendly Benefits - A new report released by family health benefits platform Ovia Health by Labcorp (Ovia) uncovered U.S. workers’ preferences for family-friendly workplace...

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Legal Update: DOL Releases Benefit-related Penalty Amounts for 2024

- DOL Releases Benefit-related Penalty Amounts for 202 - On Jan. 11, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published the 2024 inflation-adjusted civil monetary penalties that may be assessed for a wide range of...

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7 Key Employee Benefits Trends in 2024

- 7 Key Employee Benefits Trends in 2024 - Attracting and retaining employees has challenged employers since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, the labor market is expected to cool slightly; however,...

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HR Insights: Early-career and Entry-level Development Programs to Attract Talent

- Early-career and Entry-level Development Programs to Attract Talent - In the competitive landscape of today's job market, attracting and retaining top-tier talent is a priority for organizations looking to secure...

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Benefits Breakdown - January 2024

- Benefits Breakdown - January 2024 - 4 Key Trends Driving Employer Health Care Costs in 2024 - Amid ongoing inflation pressures, employees and employers alike can expect their health care costs to increase in 2024....

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Compliance Overview: Open Enrollment 2024 – Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)

- - Open Enrollment 2024 – Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) - Employers who sponsor high deductible health plans (HDHPs) that are compatible with health savings accounts (HSAs) should prepare for open enrollment by:...

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Benefits Insights: Educating Young Employees on Open Enrollment

- - Educating Young Employees on Open Enrollment - Many employees need help with open enrollment. This is particularly true among younger workers, who typically have less experience selecting benefits than older...

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Legal Update: Spending Bill Extends Telehealth Coverage for HDHPs

A spending bill signed into law on March 15, 2022, extends the ability of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to provide benefits for telehealth or other remote care services before plan deductibles have been met...

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Benefits Insights: 4 Strategies for Reducing Health Benefits Costs in 2022

- Health care costs continue to rise each year, and 2022 will likely be no exception. In the new year, experts predict a 6.5% increase in medical expenses alone, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. In terms of health...

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Compliance Overview: Employee Benefit Plan Limits for 2022

Employee Benefit Plan Limits for 2022 - Many employee benefits are subject to annual dollar limits that are periodically updated for inflation by the IRS. The following commonly offered employee benefits are subject to...

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