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Compensation & Benefits

Pass the word: What employees need to know about W-2s

12/20/2023
You’re going to be extraordinarily busy this month. The best strategy is to head off employees’ W-2 questions now. Consider using this template to communicate basic information to employees about their W-2s.

Family health insurance is no longer affordable through small employers

12/20/2023
Workers at small firms—those with fewer than 200 employees—would need to pay $8,334 on average toward the annual premiums for family coverage. But an employee’s share of premiums is often much more expensive—a quarter of covered workers at small firms must pay $12,000 or more annually.

Take some paid time off … if you have any

12/20/2023
American workers have far less paid time off than any European workers have. A new report by international HR-services provider Remote found that even the stingiest European nations—Netherlands and United Kingdom—mandate at least 28 days of paid leave.

Health insurance coverage of blockbuster meds depends on prescription

12/20/2023
Many of your employees may be asking whether blockbuster weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are covered by your health plan. The answer, according to a new survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, probably depends on how the prescription is written.

Help employees who are experiencing infertility and pregnancy loss

12/19/2023
There’s a good chance at least some of your employees may need accommodations as well as leave as they attempt to conceive, remain pregnant or deliver a child.

Push for federal paid leave mandate gains bipartisan backing

12/19/2023
A bipartisan group of eight senators and six representatives are collaborating on efforts to craft federal legislation that can win support in both houses of Congress from Democrats and Republicans alike.

Defined-benefit plans make a modest comeback

12/19/2023
Since defined-contribution retirement accounts like 401(k) plans were created in 1978, they have become by far the most common kinds of employer-sponsored retirement benefits, almost completely replacing traditional defined-benefit pensions.

Friday wrap: 2024 standard mileage rate, a new tax form, know your spouse and more

12/15/2023
2024 mileage rate, joint-employer rule, default letters and more as we crawl toward year-end.

Beware unintended consequences of unlimited PTO

12/15/2023
Unlimited paid time off is an increasingly popular benefit that employees value—and that employers hope will help them recruit and retain workers. Properly implemented, an unlimited-PTO program appeals to a new breed of workers who prize work/life flexibility and believe they can accomplish their work duties without micromanagement and restrictive rules dictating when they must work. But before you jump on the unlimited-PTO bandwagon, consider a few unintended consequences.

House Republicans condemn overtime rule

12/11/2023
The title was a tip-off. When the U.S. House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections met to address the Department of Labor’s proposed overtime rule, the Nov. 29 hearing was titled “Bad for Business: DOL’s Proposed Overtime Rule.”