Member ID:
Last Name:
 
Member Tools
Find a Chapter
Member Directory
 
Benefits

 Questions?
Contact Us
1-800-283-7476 (U.S.)

1-703-548-3440 (Int'l)

Get Connected
View Our Blog Posts View Our Blog Posts

SHRM Connect Join SHRM Connect

SHRM Connect Subscribe to our RSS Feed

SHRM Connect Follow Us On Twitter

Become a Fan on Facebook

Follow SHRM.org Updates

Ask An HR Advisor
Ask an Expert

Benefits 

 Latest Articles

Administration Issues Final Rule on Summary of Benefits and Coverage
On Feb. 9, the Obama administration issued a final rule requiring U.S. health insurers and group health plans to provide a concise and comprehensible Summary of Benefits and Coverage document to current and potential health plan participants, for plan years beginning after the fall 2012 open enrollment season.

Boosting HSA Participation
Increasing participation in health savings accounts (HSAs) often is a matter of educating employees, offering an employer contribution and regular communication about the benefits of the account. 

Integrate Mental Health Counseling with Wellness and Workers' Comp
Employers should consider coordinating employee assistance program (EAP) counseling with health coverage and wellness initiatives, and combining an EAP with workers' compensation to help employees return to work quicker and reduce costs.

Rejection of Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Has Little Workplace Impact
The ruling that California's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional will probably not have a great impact on employers' actions related to employees, including benefits plans, a legal expert says.

Treasury Guidance Promotes Annuitizing Plan Payouts
A package of U.S. Treasury Department proposals is intended to reduce regulatory burdens so that retirees can receive retirement plan income in regular payments for as long as they live. 

DOL Final Rule Extends Deadlines for Service Provider and Participant-Level Fee Disclosures
The U.S. Department of Labor issued its long-awaited final rule requiring retirement plan service providers to disclose to plan sponsors the administrative and investment costs associated with their plans. The final rule extends the effective date to July 1, 2012. Another set of required fee disclosures, from plan sponsors to 401(k) plan participants, now is set to take effect on Aug. 30, 201260 days after the service provider fee disclosure deadline.
 

Aging Workforce Values Vision Benefit, Doesn’t Fully Use It
Despite reporting a strong interest in their employer's vision benefit, an aging U.S. workforce isn’t fully taking advantage of it, leaving employees at higher risk for age-related vision problems.

 Featured Articles

REWARDS STRATEGY & COMMUNICATIONS:

Forfeiting Benefit Plan Payments to 'Bad Boys'
40% Don't Understand Their Benefit Options
Job Market Improves for Comp and Benefits Professonals

HEALTH CARE: 

Fitness Center Discount Is Most-Wanted Wellness Benefit
Are Health Premium Tiers a Good Idea?
Behavioral Economics Improves Health Decisions
Employers Accelerate Efforts to Control Health Costs

FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS:

Grace Period Tips to Spend Down FSAs

HEALTH CARE REFORM:
(For more, visit SHRM Online's Health Care Reform Resource Page) 

Administration Issues Final Rule on Summary of Benefits and Coverage
Obama Administration Affirms, then Adjusts, Contraceptive Mandate
New Guidance on Reporting Health Coverage Cost on Forms W-2

RETIREMENTDEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLANS: 
(For more, visit SHRM Online's Retirement Plans Resource Page)

Employers Enhance Their Retirement Plans in 2012
In 2012, 401(k) Disclosures Will Shine a Light on Fees
Investment-Related Terms for Disclosures to Plan Participants

RETIREMENTDEFINED BENEFIT PLANS: 

Transitioning from Defined Benefit to Defined Contribution Plans
Pension Deficits Widened Again in 2011
Risk-Management Q&As for HR Professionals Who Oversee Pensions

RETIREMENT PLANNING:

Older Americans Expect to Work Longer; Many Expect Never to Retire
Financial Literacy and Savings Behavior Vary Widely Among States
Steps to Put Employees on Retirement Readiness Path

REPORTING & COMPLIANCE:

Advance Copies of 2011 Form 5500 Released

TIME OFF:

With FMLA Claims, Attention to Detail Is Everything

PARTNER AND SPOUSE BENEFITS:

'Big Four' Firm Provides Tax Gross-Up Benefit to LGBT Employees
LGBT Hiring and Benefits Benchmarked
Proof of Civil Union May Mirror Employer's Proof of Marriage

OTHER BENEFITS: 

Retiree Health Benefits Continue Their Slow Decline

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.

 Featured Webcasts

Now available
Disability Management: Reducing the Cost and Impact of Workplace Absences
Presenter: Michael Klachefsky, The Standard
Employee absences have a significant impact on employers' bottom lines. In this webcast, Michael Klachefsky of The Standard will discuss how you can reduce the cost and impact of absences and better connect employees to your health management programs using a new "boots on the ground" approach.
View this webcast 

Driving Employee Health and Performance
Presenter: David Chenoweth, Chenoweth & Associates Inc.
Webcast sponsor: Humana
For wellness initiatives to succeed, they must be an intrinsic part of an organization's culture. Creating an integrated plan of action with proactive programs, policies and incentives takes passionate, persistent and persuasive leadership at all levels. In this program, David Chenoweth uses research conducted for the SHRM Foundation and case studies to demonstrate how HR professionals can strategically cultivate and leverage on-site resources to generate a healthier workforce, culture and bottom line.
View this webcast

Best Practices in Benefits Communication: A Year-Round Effort
Presenter: Jennifer Benz, Benz Communications
Webcast sponsor: Unum
Many employers communicate to workers about health care benefits during open-enrollment season, but this effort should be only a small part of an employer's benefit communication plan. Communication needs to be two-way, and it needs to be year-round. In this program, Jennifer Benz of Benz Communications discusses best practices in benefits communication, including how to leverage social media and your corporate website for benefits communication.
View this webcast

Consumer-Directed Health Plans: Building Smart Health Plans from the Ground Up
Presenters: Christine Riedl, Aetna, and Alexander Domaszewicz, Mercer
Consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) are products that offer participants a viable option to traditional health insurance coverage. Yet despite the growing popularity of CDHPs, as well as the critical role they play as health care reform begins to be implemented, many don't fully understand how these plans work. This program will arm you with the information you need about CDHPs to help your workers make their coverage decisions.
View this webcast

Benefits Trends 2011: Planning for a New Era
Presenter: Gary Kushner, president and founder, Kushner & Co.
Webcast sponsor: ADP
Benefits expert Gary Kushner outlines the latest trends in employee benefits and describes steps employers can take to control costs while still offering high-quality programs to employees.
View this webcast

More Benefits webcasts

 Discipline Overview

Read an overview of terminology and issues associated with benefits.

In addition, see:
2012 Benefit Plan Reporting and Disclosure Calendar
Health & Welfare Plan Reporting and Disclosure Checklist
Health Care Reform Reporting and Disclosure Requirements

Also, find SHRM's benefits toolkits on implementing benefits strategy components.

 SHRM Resources

Compensation Discipline
Visit SHRM's Compensation Discipline for the latest articles and updates on compensation and monetary rewards.

Retirement Plans Resources
Visit SHRM's Retirement Plans Resource Page for the latest news and information on helping employees prepare for a secure retirement. Shortcut: www.shrm.org/retirement

Health Care Reform Resources
Visit SHRM's Health Care Reform Resource Page for the latest news and information on how health care reform will affect employer-provided health benefits. Shortcut: www.shrm.org/healthcare

Workplace Flexibility Resources
Visit SHRM's Workplace Flexibility Resource Page for the latest on addressing work/life challenges through flexible arrangements and other strategies. Shortcut: www.shrm.org/workflex

 External Newswire


For links/summaries to the best benefits stories on the web, click here. Newly added:

White House Compromise Guarantees No-Cost Contraceptive Coverage (Washington Post)

Out-of-Network Costs Up as Insurers Tie Payment to Medicare Rates (USA Today)

Federal Employees to Get Roth Investment Option (Washington Post)

Jump to SHRM's Comp/Benefits Newswire

 Related Resources

 Featured Video

Internal Blogs on Benefits
Tami Graham, Intel's director of Global Benefits Design, shares her experiences on using internal employee blogs to help workers maximize their benefits by sharing information with one another.

 Featured Store Item

 

Never Get Lost Again
This essential career development guide combines practical advice, tips, experiences, and success stories of HR professionals who have journeyed to their desired destinations.

 E-Newsletter Sign Up

Compensation & Benefits e-Newsletter
Sign up to receive SHRM's free Comp & Benefits e-newsletter, with articles and updates four-times each month,  and other Discipline e-newsletters.

Sign Up Now



SHRM: Society for Human Resource Management

Society for Human Resource Management

1800 Duke Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314 USA
Phone US Only: (800) 283-SHRM (7476)
Phone International: +1 (703) 548-3440
TTY/TDD (703) 548-6999
Fax (703) 535-6490
Questions? Contact SHRM
Careers Careers @ SHRM
©2012 SHRM. All rights reserved.
Rocket Fuel