As 2023 begins, experts are predicting a recession. According to Citi Global Wealth Investment’s 2023 Wealth Outlook Roadmap, an estimated 2 million jobs could be lost nationwide, which could cause unemployment to rise above 5% this year if projections reach these estimates.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released its November Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary. This month’s report revealed the number of job openings, 10.5 million, changed little from the previous month as the Federal Reserve (Fed) continued its efforts to combat inflation. However, November’s job openings were higher than economists expected.

The Biden Administration has announced its plan to end the COVID-19 national emergency and public health emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023. Employer-sponsored health plans have been required to comply with certain coverage requirements during the COVID-19 emergency periods.

Health care advocacy group Medical Billing Advocates of America estimates that up to 80% of all medical bills have errors. While working with high patient influxes and various medical codes, it’s easy for billing mistakes to happen. As such, it’s crucial to look over your bill thoroughly to help save money.

Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers have embraced remote and hybrid work models, with many deciding to forego returning to fully in-person work arrangements even as lockdown orders lifted and offices reopened. This suggests that employees have been able to remain productive in remote and hybrid environments.

On Jan. 24, Amazon announced a new Prime membership benefit from Amazon Pharmacy. RxPass will be available only as a subscription service for customers who have Amazon Prime memberships. For $5 a month, people can fill as many prescriptions as they need from a list of roughly 50 generic medications. The fee would be out of pocket and in addition to an Amazon Prime membership fee.

Over the last few years, almost every aspect of the workplace has changed, leading to many unforeseen challenges. Unfortunately, many of the challenges that plagued workplaces in 2022 will likely continue in 2023 and beyond. In particular, current labor challenges are forcing employers to find ways to balance rising costs and inflation while providing employees with benefits they value and need.

Workplace well-being transforms every day, so employers’ wellness initiatives will continue to grow this year. All signs indicate that employee well-being will become a primary focus for employers in 2023. And in a general sense, many organizations will have a renewed focus on employees as people. Employees want to be treated like human beings—not just resources.

Organizations thrive through a sense of belonging and shared purpose. As employers navigate on-site, hybrid and remote work models, many may worry that those critical success factors could get lost in the workplace. Luckily, there are still ways for employers to promote their organizational mission with all employees, regardless of location.

If you miss your open enrollment deadline, you could lose coverage and be unable to make benefits changes or enroll until the next enrollment period. One exception to this rule is if you experience a life-changing qualifying event that would trigger a special enrollment period (SEP). Events such as getting married or divorced, having children or losing eligibility for other health coverage can trigger special enrollment rights.

Benefits have always been crucial for attracting and retaining top performers, and voluntary benefits are a great way for employers to round off their offerings. These extra perks allow for more personalization that can help satisfy the unique needs of each worker, especially in today’s multigenerational workforce.

Two new laws that were included in the federal omnibus spending bill, enacted on Dec. 29, 2022, will expand workplace rights for employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions starting in 2023.

The United States experienced the second year of decline in life expectancy in 2021, while other comparably large, wealthy countries saw a rebound in life expectancy since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new Health System Tracker analysis from the Peterson Center on Healthcare and Kaiser Family Foundation (Peterson-KFF).

Between the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and evolving job duties, more employees are experiencing mental health challenges. In fact, a 2022 Lyra survey revealed that 84% of employees experienced at least one mental health challenge over the past year. They’re feeling anxious, burnt out, stressed and depressed.

Deciding how many HR professionals an organization needs to operate effectively is a hotly debated topic. Some organizations rely on metrics to guide them in making this decision. One of the most common metrics organizations use when deciding whether to hire HR professionals is the HR-to-employee ratio. When properly analyzed, this ratio can aid employers in meeting their HR needs and benchmarking their organizations against others.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law providing eligible employees of covered employers with unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. In general, eligible employees may take up to 12 weeks of leave each year for FMLA-qualifying reasons, including for treatment of a serious health condition.

More businesses are exploring low- and no-code development, which enables employees outside of IT to design and develop software solutions to problems specific to their function. A low-code development platform requires users to have little or no coding experience, increasing accessibility and feasibility for many functions and teams, including HR professionals. Similarly, no-code platforms require no coding experience.

On Jan. 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a proposed rule that would ban noncompete clauses in employment agreements. In making its historic announcement, the agency stated that noncompete agreements harm competition; suppress wages for workers, including those not subjected to noncompete clauses; reduce labor mobility; and hamper innovation.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released its November Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary. This month’s report revealed the number of job openings, 10.5 million, changed little from the previous month as the Federal Reserve (Fed) continued its efforts to combat inflation. However, November’s job openings were higher than economists expected.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA), which was signed into law on Dec. 29, 2022, extends the ability of high deductible health plans (HDHPs) to provide benefits for telehealth or other remote care services before plan deductibles have been met without jeopardizing health savings account (HSA) eligibility.