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Benefits 

Top Stories

Front Page News

HR and Internal Audit Can Be Better Partners
HR and internal audit professionals miss opportunities to add value to their work because they don't fully understand one another's areas of responsibility. More

What to Expect from the IRS Tax Audit Initiative
The IRS is launching an initiative targeting perks and "fringe" benefits, from adoption assistance to vacation awards, to ensure that their value is included in employee wages. More 

Employers Weigh Health Care Strategies
Most employers are just beginning to consider the types of comprehensive strategies that will create positive and sustainable improvements in employee health and constrain escalating health care costs. More

Americans’ Preparations for Retirement Continue to Erode
Americans’ confidence in their ability to retire appears to be stabilizing but their self-described preparations for retirement continue to erode. More

Military Leave Guidance Under the HEART Act: Impact on 401(k) Accruals, Distributions

The IRS issued guidance on the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax (HEART) Act relating to retirement plans, including survivor benefits, benefit accruals, differential pay and distributions. More

IRS Identifies Common Errors in Small and Top-Heavy 401(k) Plans
The IRS highlights the most frequent mistakes made by retirement plans with assets of less than $250,000, and by 401(k) plans found to be "top-heavy" in favor of key employees. More

Few Employers to Drop Mental Health Benefits
Relatively few large U.S. employers are planning to drop their existing mental health and substance abuse benefits as a result of new federal mental health parity regulations. Instead, most are choosing to modify their plans to comply with the new rules. More

Taxing Time: Accounting Firm Maintains Work/Life Balance During Busy Season
It doesn't get much busier than during tax season at an accounting firm. To help ease the burden of time at the office and on the road, one firm offers some unique work/life benefits. More

COBRA Subsidy and UI Stop-Gap Extension Signed Into Law
The president signed into law the Temporary Extension Act of 2010, which once again briefly extends the federal COBRA subsidy program and unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. More

DOL Issues Proposed Rule on Investment Advice
T
he U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced its long-awaited proposed rule on investment advice for workers covered by 401(k) plans and other retirement arrangements. The DOL also announced the publication of a final rule on multiemployer plan transparency. More

Employers Change Health Benefits to Cut Costs, Alter Behavior
A sluggish economy is forcing more U.S. employers to take aggressive measures to control rising health care costs and motivate workers to improve their own health. Here are some of the steps they're taking. More
 

'Decision-Making Leave': A Process to Cut Turnover and UI Costs
A "decision-making leave" for under-performing workers to consider whether they're willing to meet job requirements can avoid termination costs, including higher unemployment insurance (UI) rates. More

Where are the latest articles on compensation and monetary rewards? They are posted in SHRM Online's Compensation Discipline!

Daily Newswire

For full links/summaries to some of the best new comp/benefits stories on the web, click here. Highlights:

Obama to Sign Jobs Bill with 'Payroll Tax Holiday' for Hiring the Unemployed (Washington Examiner)

 More Employers Make Room for Work-Life Balance (NPR.org) 

 Are Unemployment Benefits No Longer Temporary? (Washington Post)

 Jump to the full Comp/Benefits Newswire

Recently Posted News 
   and Features                        

BENEFIT TRENDS:

 Small Increases Seen in Pay, Benefit Budgets

COMPLIANCE: 

 Employers Must Account for Extension of COBRA Subsidy and Unemployment Benefit Rules

 Increased Use of Alternative Workers Raises Critical Benefits Issues

 'Red Flags' Rule Applies to Benefit Accounts with Debit Cards

 CHIPRA Model Notice Now Available

HEALTH CARE BENEFITS:

 Studies Quantify Savings with Consumer-Driven Health Plans

 Employers Take Further Steps to Rein in Health Costs

HEALTH CARE--REFORM:

*** Visit SHRM's Health Care Reform web page ***   

HEALTH CARE--WELLNESS:

Income Not Sole Factor in Medication Adherence, Study Suggests

 Flexible Work Might Improve Employees' Health

RETIREMENT--DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLANS:

 Target-Date Funds Bounce Back in Retirement Plans

 Turnover within Mutual Funds: The 'Hidden' Fee for Retirement Plans

 Most Companies to Restore 401(k) Match in 2010; Other Steps

 Helping 401(k) Participants Pays Off

RETIREMENT--DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS:

 Market Volatility Leads to Broader View of Pension Risks

• Pensions May Face Unexpected Funding Demands

FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE ACT:

 FMLA Retaliation Claims on the Rise

 Avoid Common Myths When Coordinating FMLA and STD Leave

SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS:

 Applications Sought for '100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces' List

 Transportation Program Generated Surprising Side Benefits 

 Group Legal Plans Help with Personal Financial Challenges

SHRM RESEARCH REPORTS:

•  SHRM 2009 Cost of Health Care Benchmarking Study Executive Summary

 SHRM 2009 Executive Roundtable on the Future of Retirement Report 

SHRM 2009 Employee Benefits Survey Report

  SHRM 2009 Employee Job Satisfaction Survey Report

 SHRM Examining Paid Leave in the Workplace Survey Report

Note: SHRM Online's full archive of benefits articles can be accessed via the list of benefits topics on the upper left side of this web page.

 Webcasts


Upcoming Webcasts: 

Nov. 20, at 2 p.m. ET
Are You Ready for GINA?
Presenter: Steven J. Pearlman (Seyfarth Shaw LLP)
The Genetic Information Nondiscrination Act (GINA) has been called "the first civil rights law of the 21st century." Employment provisions of the new law go into effect on Nov. 21, 2009. In this 90-minute program, which qualifies for 1.5 strategic HR recertification credits, Steven J. Pearlman of Seyfarth Shaw examines the implications this statute has on how your organization handles health records and communicates with employees.

Register for this webcast

Dec. 1, at 2 p.m. ET
Audit Your Retirment Plan
Presenter: Jewell Lim Esposito (Chamberlain Hrdlicka)
Employers who have not recently conducted a self-audit of their company's retirement plans are leaving themselves open to costly penalties and forced remedies should the Department of Labor (DOL) or IRS come to call. In this webcast, Jewell Lim Esposito of the law firm Chamberlain Hrdlicka will go over the DOL's audit list for 2010 and describe how you, as a plan fiduciary, can aviod painful and costly plan mistakes. She'll also outline free or low-cost strategies for analyzing retirement plan costs and the investment options your plan offers.

Register for this webcast
 

Recent Webcasts:
Now Available 'On Demand':

The 'Other' Health Benefits
Presenter: Benjamin Cohen (Kushner & Co.)
While most of the focus is rightly on health care these days, ancillary benefits such as dental and vision coverage represent an integral part of any complete benefits program. In this program, Benjamin Cohen of Kushner & Co. will examine what employers around the country are doing now and what they are reviewing for the future. This webcast is sponsored by Delta Dental.
View this webcast

Enhance Consumer-Driven Plans with Wellness Integration
Presenter: Derek Boyce (Interra Health) and John Boss (Aon Corp.)
Many employers are adding — or even entirely shifting to — consumer-driven health plans to cut their employee coverage costs and give workers more say in their health care decisions. This program examines the ins and outs of consumer health plans and also provides insight as to how to expand their reach, by integrating them with employers' wellness initiatives. This webcast is sponsored by Avivia Health
.
View this webcast

Can Your Company Save Money and Preserve Perks?
Presenter: Gary Kushner (Kushner & Co.)
As companies continue to look for ways to control costs and avoid layoffs, many are reconsidering their benefits packages: Are there less expensive alternatives? What programs can be reduced or eliminated without sacrificing employee loyalty or morale? Are there new products that allow employers to provide equal or greater coverage at a lower cost? In this webcast, Gary Kushner, , CBP, president and CEO of Kushner & Co. will review steps employers can take to lower costs while still offering high-quality benefits to employees. He'll also look at the latest trends in benefits coverage. This webcast is sponsored by Workscape.
View this webcast 

Creating Safe Workplaces with Wellness Programs
Presenter: Jayme Ambrose (Scottsdale Healthcare)
Identifying health issues and providing options for wellness can help reduce the overall costs of your work-related injuries. This program looks at integrating wellness and safety programs -- and the wins for employees that
result.
View this webcast

Cut Costs with Total Health Care Management
Presenters: Cindy Gates and Robert Colao (Mercer)
A growing number of employers are adopting total health management, an approach to managing health care costs. With health management costs accounting for nearly a quarter of payrolls, such an approach can yield overall cost reductions of 1 to 3 percent of payroll. This program will describe approaches employers have taken to create a sustainable culture of health, facilitating behavior change and cutting costs This webast is sponsored by Avivia Health. 
View this webcast

Communicating CDHPs to Your Workforce
Presenters: Suzanne McGrey (Employee Benefit Solutinos) and Lane Transou, SPHR, (Global Industries Ltd.)
There is growing interest in consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) among both employers and employees. This presentation explains how to select and implement the plan that's right for you. This webcast is sponsored by Workscape.
View this webcast

  • More Compensation & Benefits webcasts 

  •  Reprints & Permissions

    Reprints can be ordered in two ways: hard copy glossy reprints and electronic in Portable Document Format (PDF). Reprints are available for editorial content from HR Magazine, HR News, the SHRM Legal Report, any of the HR Disciplines, and Staffing Management magazine. Contact YGS Group at (800) 501-9571.

    An Introduction to Benefits

    Get an overview of terminology and issues associated with benefits.

    Also see:
    Benefit Plan Annual Reporting
    Benefit Plan Disclosure Requirements
    2010 Benefit Plan Reporting and Disclosure Calendar

    *******
    Visit SHRM's Health Care Reform web page for the latest news and information on how health care reform will affect employer-provided health benefits.
    *******

    E-Newsletter Sign Up

    Benefits Newsletter

    SHRM publishes a Benefits electronic newsletter covering a wide variety of topics, four times per month.

    Sign Up for this Newsletter


     Featured Video

    Make a Wellness Statement
    Consider sending a statement to employees that totals all the wellness incentives your company offers, advises Doug Layman, executive VP at Gilsbar Inc.
    HR Talk: Discuss Benefits

     SHRMstore Feature

    2010 Complete Guide to Human Resources and the Law 

    Legal guidance for HR areas including employee benefit plans, compensation, and recordkeeping, with up-to-date information as well as practical tips and checklists. The 2010 edition provides new and expanded coverage of the effects of legislation such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, and the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act;  Department of Labor regulations regarding the Family and Medical Leave Act; revised rules for annual funding notices for most benefit plans; and evolving standards for reviewing claims decisions made by plan sponsors and insurers.

     _______

    SHRM Customized Benchmarking Service
    With more than 140 metrics from over 5.000 organizations in its benchmarking database, SHRM offers objective data on some of the most important issues facing HR and organizations today. Choose from three different benchmarking reports (human capital, health care, retirement and welfare) customized to your organization's industry and employee size, with a discount for SHRM members.
    Go to Customized Benchmarking Service

     



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