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Compensation & Benefits

DOL fills in details about the end of the COVID emergencies

04/03/2023
Once the two pandemic-related emergencies—the national emergency and the public health emergency—end May 11, group health plans can quit providing some benefits free of charge. On July 10, the statutory deadlines for electing health benefits snap back to their pre-pandemic normal. But there’s more to it, and the Department of Labor has issued FAQs clarifying just what’s going to happen on May 11 and July 10.

Biden’s first veto preserves ESG retirement plan fiduciary rule

04/03/2023
President Biden saved his first use of the presidential veto pen for an issue affecting HR. On March 20, he vetoed a bipartisan congressional resolution that would have overturned a Department of Labor rule that allows retirement plan fiduciaries to weigh environmental, social and governance factors when deciding how to invest plan funds.

Feel free to contact worker who’s on sick leave

04/03/2023
Employers should make it a point not to pester employees who are out on sick leave or ask them to perform work during their time off. However, that general principle doesn’t mean employers are absolutely forbidden to seek basic information from employees who are out sick.

Younger workers’ 401(k) balances grew fastest between 2016 and 2020

04/03/2023
Overall, increases reflect a compound annual average growth rate of 19.4%, with the average account balance rising from $78,008 at the end of 2016 to $158,361 at the end of 2020.

As calls for nationwide paid leave grow, several states already have laws on the books

03/27/2023
Momentum is growing to offer paid family and medical leave as a nationwide benefit. The White House’s fiscal year 2024 budget request called on Congress to appropriate $325 billion to fund up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. 11 states and the District of Columbia already have laws that create a paid leave entitlement for eligible workers.

How does your company compare on total rewards?

03/23/2023
Total rewards are about much more than compensation. According to the WorldatWork association’s 2022 In Review: Total Rewards Inventory of Programs & Practices report, total rewards encompass best HR practices around work flexibility, performance management and employee benefits in addition to pay.

4 keys to care for employees’ mental health and wellness

03/23/2023
According to the nonprofit American Institute of Stress, work-related stress and associated absenteeism, diminished productivity and turnover cost employers at least $187 billion per year. To relieve employees’ stress and improve their mental health, try these tactics.

Is it time to force employees to use PTO?

03/23/2023
Now is the time to tell employees to submit their requests for time they want to take off for summer vacation. But what if workers are slow to schedule vacation time or insist on taking just a day or two off around the 4th of July instead of taking a full week off? That’s far more disruptive for supervisors.

Did PWFA create right for new moms to take maternity leave? EEOC hints it might have

03/13/2023
According to newly released guidance from the EEOC, new parents may be entitled to “reasonable accommodations” during recovery in the form of unpaid time off under the recently enacted Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The new federal law takes effect June 27.

Poll: 70% say financial stress harms work performance

03/13/2023
Seven in 10 workers surveyed by insurance company YuLife believe their own financial worries negatively affect their on-the-job performance.