Employee Benefits Reports

When a COVID-19 vaccination is made  available to the public, should employers  require employees to get the vaccination?  The COVID-19 vaccination  has been touted  as the easiest way for  our country to return  to normalcy following the almost  year-long pandemic. Such vaccinations  will allow businesses to safely  reopen and permit individuals and  families to return…

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of today’s workforce. Older workers are leaving their jobs in droves. It’s uncertain whether the changes are permanent — or if employers can stem the tide. Older Workers The Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (SCEPA) at The New School reports that 2.8 million older workers have left…

Even though President Trump signed four executive orders in July aimed at lowering prescription drug costs, it doesn’t appear they will be implemented before the election in November. The Secretary of Health and Human Services must move the directives through the federal rulemaking process first before they can take effect. Trump says the orders will…

With two-thirds of employees working from home at least part-time, employers are finding there are advantages and disadvantages. When the danger presented by COVID-19 was discovered, federal, state and local governments ordered businesses to temporarily shut down, leading many employers to decide it might be advantageous to have a lot of those employees work from…

Furloughs — mandatory, temporary suspensions from work without pay — have allowed many employers to hold on to their businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. If you were lucky enough to avoid having to furlough your employees, congratulations! But should you find yourself needing to furlough employees in the future, it’s important to understand when furloughs…

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc upon the finances of many employees, and some have been forced to use funds from their retirement plans. A spokesman for Betterment for Business, which offers 401(k) plans, pointed out that retirement savings plans represent the bulk of what most Americans have saved, and, in some cases, is all…

Cash flow is a big concern for both employers and employees, and the $2 trillion coronavirus economic relief bill and existing regulations provides an unlikely beneficiary — retirement plans. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) is best known for providing much needed financial assistance to American workers and businesses. However, the…

Coronavirus COVID-19 has scared everyone and changed the way businesses operate — including sick leave policies. The coronavirus, and COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, can be easily transmitted by people who often are just mildly ill or not showing any symptoms. The virus originated in the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, China…

Health care reform continues to be a hot topic during the 2020 presidential election. Even though health care reform continues to be a hot topic during the 2020 presidential election, the power to transform health care this year may lie with the states since Congress has not enacted changes. Health care was a major topic…

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported that in 2018 it resolved 90,558 charges of workplace discrimination and collected $505 million for victims. Retaliation was the most frequently filed charge, followed by sex, disability and race. What does this mean for employers? According to CERS (Cutting Edge Recruitment Solutions), the average out-of-court discrimination settlement…