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Compensation & Benefits

New Mexico to offer universal free day care

09/29/2025
For parents of preschool-age children, finding day care is difficult and expensive. Now one state has taken a big step towards solving the problem by starting up universal free day care. New Mexico’s plan may serve as a model for other states.

Employers brace for steepest health insurance cost surge in 15 years

09/22/2025
Employers are staring down a projected 9–10% jump in health insurance costs for 2026—the sharpest annual increase in at least 15 years. After several consecutive years of already heavy hikes, the average annual cost for family coverage now hovers around $25,500.

Pay transparency takes root as employers prepare for stricter standards

09/15/2025
A majority of U.S. employers are taking deliberate steps toward greater pay transparency—even when not legally required—according to WTW, a global advisory and consulting firm, in its 2025 Pay Transparency Survey.

DOL hints new overtime rules may be coming

09/15/2025
The Department of Labor’s delayed spring 2025 regulatory agenda includes a separate item on long-term regulatory plans, which includes working on overtime rules.

New benefit trend trades PTO for cash or other benefits

09/08/2025
There’s a new benefit trend some employers are trying—but like anything, it comes with tradeoffs.

Cutting HR’s leave workload with self-service tools

09/08/2025
Managing employee leave has become one of HR’s biggest administrative burdens—complex laws, rising requests and endless manual tracking eat away at already limited bandwidth. At SHRM 2025, Susan Stowell, Marci Cyr and Angel Bennett of the insurance company Unum argued that digital self-service portals can change that equation, reducing compliance headaches, cutting down on employee inquiries and giving HR more time to focus on strategy.

Pay-transparency expansion leaves compliance gaps

08/25/2025
States across the U.S. continue to pass pay-transparency laws. But the U.S. Pay Transparency Index 2025 from beqom, a compensation management platform, reveals that even where laws are strict, compliance lags.

How to turn leave into a smooth, compliant process by utilizing tech

08/18/2025
HR teams are stuck juggling outdated systems, limited staffing and rising employee expectations, while employees are often left unclear on their options, timelines or pay. The fastest path to relief? Use technology to streamline leave from start to finish without losing the human touch.

More investment choices may be coming to 401(k)s under Trump order

08/18/2025
An executive order directs the secretary of labor to reexamine the Department of Labor’s past and present guidance regarding a fiduciary’s duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, in connection with making available to participants an asset allocation fund that includes investments in alternative assets.

Consider your options: PAID or opinion letter?

08/18/2025
By now, you likely have heard about the Trump administration’s renewal and expansion of the Payroll Audit Independent Determination program. Employers should know that there is another DOL-sanctioned option that’s especially useful if they’re not quite sure that what they have done is a violation.