ASHHRA Health and Wellness Pulse
BENEFITS
By Andrea Coombes U.S. workers are fiercely loyal to their workplace benefits, often citing them as on par with their salary and a key piece of why they work where they do – but a new survey finds that employers’ interest in offering voluntary benefits may be waning, at least temporarily. SOURCE: MARKET WATCH – THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Visit http://www.marketwatch.com/story/workers-value-benefits-and-want-more-2014-03-17 to view the full article online.
Mercer, the world's leading consultancy for health, wealth and talent performance, announced that while benefits remain a critical part of the overall employee experience, the perceived value of workplace benefits among employees who participate in both health and retirement plans is starting to erode. The good news is that Mercer has identified ways to enhance both benefit delivery and choice, thereby improving employee perception of benefits. SOURCE: THE WALL STREET JOURNAL / MERCER
Visit http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140226-909969.html to view the full article online.
By Jared Bilski Employers are being asked to take a much more active role in employees’ retirement-readiness. As a result, employer 401k plans and retirement education are undergoing some pretty significant changes. SOURCE: HR BENEFITS ALERT
Visit http://www.hrbenefitsalert.com/5-trendschanging-face-401k/ to view the full article online.
An overwhelming majority of Americans support a growing number of laws that provide mandatory paid sick leave for workers, according to a survey from FindLaw.com. Seventy-one percent of people surveyed by FindLaw.com say they support mandatory sick leave laws. Only 10 percent of Americans are opposed, while 19 percent were unsure or had no opinion. SOURCE: WORLD AT WORK
Visit http://www.worldatwork.org/adimComment?id=74929&from=Total%20Rewards%20News to view the full article online.
The Great Recession caused many workers to delay retirement plans or forego them completely, but an annual CareerBuilder survey shows a slightly more optimistic picture for full-time workers nearing the end of their careers. A majority (58 percent) of workers age 60 or older say they are currently putting off retirement, down from 61 percent in 2013 and a peak of 66 percent in 2010. SOURCE: WORLD AT WORK
Visit http://www.worldatwork.org/adimComment?id=74856&from=Total%20Rewards%20News to view the full article online.
WELLNESS
By Rajiv Kumar A recent HBR blog proposed to deliver "The Cure for the Common Corporate Wellness Program." But as with any prescription, you really shouldn’t swallow this one unless all your questions about it have been answered. As a physician, a patient and a businessman, I see plenty to question in Al Lewis' and Vik Khanna’s critique of workplace wellness initiatives. SOURCE: HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW BLOG
Visit http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/02/in-defense-of-corporate-wellness-programs/ to view the full article online.
By Skyler Swisher Nancy Evolga doesn't apologize for taking money out of smokers' paychecks to give to their co-workers who want to better their health. Evolga, director of human resources at Bert Fish Medical Center, has implemented a wellness program that she says increases productivity, reduces absenteeism and decreases turnover. SOURCE: THE DAYTONA BEACH NEWS-JOURNAL
Visit http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20140228/NEWS/140229412 to view the full article online.
By Michael Giardina More and more employers are looking to wellness programs to help relieve the expected burden of the Affordable Care Act’s excise tax on their high-cost plans. While 35 percent have already taken action to add or improve these supplemental programs, approximately 47 percent say they are considering this option, according to a new employer survey from Mercer. SOURCE: EMPLOYEE BENEFIT NEWS
Visit http://ebn.benefitnews.com/news/employers-consider-wellness-to-offsets-cadillac-tax-survey-2739924-1.html to view the full article online.
By IFAwebnews Staff
Corporate employers plan to spend an average of $594 per employee on wellness-based incentives within their health care programs this year, according to a new employer survey conducted by Fidelity Investments and the National Business Group on Health (NBGH). SOURCE: INSURANCE & FINANCIAL ADVISOR WEB NEWS
Visit http://ifawebnews.com/2014/02/28/spending-on-corporate-wellness-incentives-to-increase-15/ to view the full article online.
Employees have access to thousands of apps covering health and wellness on their mobile device. Employers and wellness vendors can offer workers hi-tech ways to track their physical activity, promote healthy eating, and inspire wellness at work. Here are five mobile apps and outreach ideas to get employees moving and engaged in your wellness program. SOURCE: EMPLOYEE BENEFIT NEWS
Visit http://ebn.benefitnews.com/gallery/ebn/5-ways-to-drive-healthy-behavior-change-virtually-2739669-1.html to view the full article online.
|
|